When I became a Volunteer, I committed to the three goals of the Peace Corps mission:
1) Helping the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women.
2) Helping promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served.
3) Helping promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans.
I like to think of these goals as: 1—Do good work, 2—Bring America to the world, and 3—Bring the world back to America.
When I packed my bags and boarded a flight out of Almaty last month, I mourned the premature end of my Peace Corps service. I felt, in that deepest part of my stomach, the ache (and hint of shame) of leaving an important task undone. But in the weeks since departing I have skype-called my Kazakh host families, read love notes from students, scrolled through thousands of pictures, and come to several important conclusions:
1) I did good work. (Goal 1: check.)
2) Re: America to Kazakhstan—we brought it. S'mores, Macarena, Frizbee, and all. (Goal 2: check.)
3) My opportunities for bringing the world (or what I’ve experienced of it) back to America are really just beginning. I have a year-full of stories, photos, and insights to share, so in the coming months I’ll continue posting little tastes of my experiences in Kazakhstan, along with some from my time here in Mauritius! But, for my Goal 3 plan to be successful, my stories have to actually reach America...and I’m not there...so this is where you come in. I’m asking you to do two things:
- Read my posts, enjoy my pictures.
1) I did good work. (Goal 1: check.)
2) Re: America to Kazakhstan—we brought it. S'mores, Macarena, Frizbee, and all. (Goal 2: check.)
(A map of all 117 volunteers in Kazakhstan. I'm at the veerrry bottom.)
3) My opportunities for bringing the world (or what I’ve experienced of it) back to America are really just beginning. I have a year-full of stories, photos, and insights to share, so in the coming months I’ll continue posting little tastes of my experiences in Kazakhstan, along with some from my time here in Mauritius! But, for my Goal 3 plan to be successful, my stories have to actually reach America...and I’m not there...so this is where you come in. I’m asking you to do two things:
- Read my posts, enjoy my pictures.
- Share something you’ve learned with someone else.
Face it—none of us had heard of either Kazakhstan or Mauritius before this year; few of our friends know of them either. And there’s no better way to impress people than with a well-placed casual reference to an exotic country. So live it up! Next time the milk goes bad, say “Well, at least it’s not as putrid as fermented mare’s milk. Did you know they drink that in Kazakhstan?” Or, when dreading a drive all the way from Tijeras to Rio Rancho at rush hour, ask your car-pool, “Can you imagine living in Mauritius? The entire country is the size of Bernalillo County!” See? This is going to be fun.
Congratulations and well-done, Heather. I'm sure your presence in their lives blessed many people. And, they experienced all that is good about America. Thank you for your service!
ReplyDeletewhy oh why did you have to mention kumus.... the nightmares are starting all over again.
ReplyDeleteOh, on a more positive note...lovely post, and yes, goal 3 is something we can do everyday. I spent an hour in the pub last night talking about Kazakhstan to a few people, and it was fun for me to remember what I had done (and I got free beers), and for them, it was eye opening and informative. Everyone won!
(I knew were Mauritius was)
Love your photos, Heather! Ah, and the one with the s'more is fabulous.
ReplyDeleteI have learned that Kazakhstan is the original home of the apple and even now apple tree seedlings can spring up along the roadsides or up out of the rubble in the cities. I learned some of this from the PBS program The Botany of Desire, but I never would have fastened on the name of the country without knowing of your connection to it. Go, Kazakhstan!