You have to be ready and willing to face things you may have never encountered before in your life.

The role of a Peace Corps Volunteer is an entirely original one; never before has there been, to the best of my knowledge, a government initiative sending thousands of volunteers around the world in the spirit of goodwill and cultural exchange. It can be awkward at times trying to find a comfortable role for yourself when you’re alone in what you’re doing. Therefore it’s important to cultivate a sense of courage and the ability to act decisively in the moment. Otherwise you run the risk of missing opportunities and not finding your niche. Peace Corps life isn’t black and white; you may find that the sincerity of your actions is indeed the best measure of your success.

Be ready to have personal interactions with people who think in entirely different ways from you. You may find that many HCNs (host country nationals) have a world-view completely different from yours or anyone else you know. Being on an island nation, I find that many people who know nothing other than Antigua often have a very rigid and narrow conception of the world. This can present itself during discussions of sensitive matters, such as race, nationality, politics, religion, etc. Do your best to get a glimpse into the other person’s perspective and maintain a neutral standpoint.

Be patient, be flexible, and have an agenda. It’s important to have some goals in order to keep yourself motivated. For example, I’ve set for myself three simple ones. First, I’d like to accomplish what has been asked of me at my primary assignment, which is the Bolans Primary School. Second, I set for myself the goal of integrating easily and comfortably into my community, which happened without a hitch. I know almost all of the kids in Bolans, I’ve been invited into the homes of many families, and I have my “home away from home”, which is the family of my former host mother. We cook and have dinner together every Sunday. My third goal is to launch a  successful and well-needed side project. I have some ideas formulating for that one.

To any prospective Peace Corps Volunteers out there, I wish you the best and I hope my advice is helpful.