I have some talented friends and fellow Peace Corps Volunteers who make some amazing videos. Check out The Gambia as seen through the eyes and lenses of Cara and Ryan!
Send your love, likes, and shares their way.
The Video Post
3 Replies
Tag Archives: Peace Corps Volunteers
Being a Peace Corps Volunteer is like…
I posed this questions to several Peace Corps Volunteers in The Gambia. Here are their responses:
Being a Peace Corps Volunteer is like…
“…being a caged zoo animal (in the Gambia) or being a movie star (in my village).” – Maggie S.
“…a roller coaster: a crazy ride; or a science fiction movie: completely unreal; or being on the interstate highway: it’s easy to run out of gas; or working in an infectious disease lab: if it touches you, it will spread; or people watching: you never know what is coming next; or a road with potholes: the road is bumpy.” –Natasha G.
“…living a lifetime in a day every single day.” –Lizzie J.
“…participating in a Japanese game show with peculiar tasks, no directions and everyone watching you try to figure out what’s going on.” –Brie L.
“…watching a hotdog eating competition. The surprising hope you have for the participants (Gambians); you’re impressed with the winner (successful projects); after, you realize it is such a silly thing to be the best at (the feasibility of a project/change to continue on when you leave); as you watch, you can’t stop (the act of being integrated, that moment you’re in the middle of a dance circle holding a baby during its naming ceremony wondering what the hell happened to get you to this moment); and as you watch, you’re thoroughly grossed out (no explanation needed).” –Kristin B.
“…being a diplomat in training.” –Laura O.
“…being married (though I can’t say from experience). It is a dream that you look forward to that seems like nothing but rosy, exciting, and bright. Not until you get there and commit do you start to feel the thorns or pangs of what that commitment means. But you grow in it and hopefully realize it was all worth it. Sometimes, you are completely over your partner but you made a commitment. You celebrate anniversaries. You share highs and lows, love and laughter, and enjoy each other (site, new friends) and the little nuances (the experience) that make them special. Some days you contemplate divorce (early termination) but you hardly consider it too seriously. Like a marriage, you just have to recommit every day and every moment, especially when it’s hard. You remember your vows (Swear-in and Peace Corps Goals), lift your wrap skirt up, and navigate the marriage (host country) as best you can in your given role with what you have. For better or worse. For richer or poorer. In sickness and health. ‘Til COS do us part.” –Sam S.
“…a box of chocolates that have melted and are mostly filled with millet. You have a pretty good idea of what is coming next, you know it will not be that delicious, but it will be interesting, and it can still surprise you.” –Alex
“…climbing a mountain barefoot. It’s exhausting, sometimes painful, and it sometimes seems like you’re getting nowhere or your work is pointless. But before you know it, it’s over and what you accomplished is greater than you ever thought possible.” –Steph H.
“…being a leaf in the wind.” -!Shawni
“…herding cats.” –Cara S.
“…being in Alice and Wonderland. Sometimes you’re big and you feel like you can take over the world. Another lick of a milk biscuit can change that pretty quick. Not to mention the unknown that’s always around the corner.” –Sarah D.
“…being bipolar.” –Mikaela J.
“…your entire history of first dates. Frequent miscues and social boners (pun intended) stand out in your recollection. The quality of a meal can change everything. You may do something that later makes you want to barf. In Peace Corps, this is typically related to said meal. It can be boring. If you let yourself be comfortable with the inherent situational awkwardness, it can also be a hell of a lot of fun. Occasionally things click and you hit a homerun, and about half of the times things fall apart spectacularly thereafter. You progressively lose your tolerance for bull and become blunt about your expectations. In reflection, the cumulative experience is a dual process, both helping you discover and strongly influencing your tastes.” –Dan T.
“…viewing abstract art. It initially elecits a variety of responses within you, but it might take some time or a few steps backward to gain a more stable perspective.” –Nick P.
“…relearning everything you thought you knew.” –Nichole
“…emerging from the womb again. Sometimes you cry because you miss your mother, you pooped yourself, and want food. Sometimes you have problems speaking because you don’t know words. Then after two years you leave with new ideas and a whole new cultural understanding. It’s cliché, but you have been reborn.” –Darrin VP
“…nothing else.” –Laura L.
The Gambia Files 