So You Want To Be A PCV?

So you want to be a Peace Corps Volunteer?

There are going to be a few things you need to know/ know how to deal with. Here is a list:

1.       Roosters are going to be your new alarm clock…an alarm clock that you set while drunk, that has a repeat function. Be prepared to wake up at least three times, anywhere between 9pm-6am. At some point you will learn to sleep through all but the needed alarm.

2.       Your amazing super power of American efficiency only works in America, don’t try to bring it with you. A “productive day” (and you will hear this time and again) could mean sitting under a tree and counting goats.

3.       Just because people “no speak Americano” does not mean that they are stupid, in fact, they are probably smarter than you in more ways than they have the ability to tell you…because they no speak Americano.

4.       You are like Godzilla to small children, you are fun to watch and point at from far away, but scary as hell up close. Be prepared for babies and infants to break into screams and attempt to waddle away at the mere sight of you.

5.       Your name is not Claire, your name is Tlotlo, whether or not you can pronounce it correctly.

6.       Imagine that someone who is 7 feet tall and tattooed bright blue had moved into your neighborhood. You would know where that person’s house was, right? That is how everyone in your village knows where you live, and knows your name even though you haven’t met them.

7.       In my experience it’s not really about being lonely in Peace Corps; you are going to be surrounded by people who want to interact with you constantly. It’s more about the fact that you have to be “on” all the time. You get the best and worst parts of being a celebrity.

8.       At some point, and I am sure this will have a different timeline depending on how quickly you get settled in; it is going to strike you how comfortable you are in a place that was so foreign just a few months ago. You might be texting in a different language or riding in a truck through the dessert, either way it’s going to be a weird feeling.

9.       When left to your own devices (especially when those devices aren’t usually examined on a one on one basis) your brain is going to wander to places previously unknown.

a.       Favorite places to wander: past relationships, future plans, food, nostalgic ponderings over amenities no longer accessible, how you are going to spend your readjustment allowance, food, overly ambitious projects that your community probably doesn’t need nor want, food, home and food…mostly cheese.

10.   Music is universal, social etiquette is not. True story: there was a day that I woke up to Mariah Carrey and Celine Dion, which would have been great had it not been 5am in the morning on a Saturday.

11.   Things you swore you would never do, and things that you vowed to continue doing in the states will at some point get jumbled up. This includes, but is not limited to: shaving, working out, cooking, journaling, budgeting, shopping, focusing on “the moment”, internet usage, meditation, reading, and taking any and all “you” time you need so that “you” doesn’t go insane. I will let you think about which of those I’m doing and which I’m not.

12.   You are going to be a grandma when it comes to bedtime. Seriously people, I was in bed at 7:30pm last night and sleeping an hour later. Hell my grandmother stays up later than that, so we will just change it to “a grandma’s grandma.”

13.   Clean is going to take on a whole new meaning. The “pits and crotch” hand washing method, as well as the over use of baby powder in your hair to get rid of the oil are concepts you will be overly comfortable with.

14.   This is going to be the last one, but it is a big one. As determined and passionate and driven as you were to get into Peace Corps (and you are going to have to be) so is everyone you are serving with. At some point you are going to read about their accomplishments and their projects and the schools that they built and for a second you are going to feel jealous/ inferior/ inadequate... but then you are just going to feel damn proud.

I had this last one a few days ago while reading some posts on facebook. It isn’t a completely new feeling to me, and it’s something I have had a chat with a few people about, but here is what I am hoping: I am hoping that after a few hundred times about hearing about projects like that, and there will be at least a few thousand since everyone here is their own superman, my first emotion will be to be proud. I’m not a saint, and to say that I am there now would just be lying. It doesn’t mean I love my fellow volunteers any less, it doesn’t mean that I’m not confident in my own abilities to change the world (even though some days I’m not); but we have been raised to think that there is always a hidden addendum, that there is always a ladder to climb, and that has crafted my life view.

But here is the thing; Peace Corps isn’t about that, because the end game here is not to raise up one, but 

many. This means every accomplishment, every school, program and support group created by one of my amazingly smart and talented peers, is a win for me too. Reprogramming always takes a little bit of time, but I’m working on it. I want to dedicate this particular blog post to my fellow volunteers; former, current and future. You are a damn fine group of people and the caliber of your character gives me confidence in my own.

Rata Thata,

Tlotlo