#peacecorpsstories

[peacecorpspatrice]

Back in September my fantastic sister @mlmccormick33 came to visit me here in Ukraine. We decided a great vacation destination would be Chernobyl because чому ні why not? Chernobyl was a small village just over 100km from Kyiv and was determined a perfect place to build what was to become the largest energy producer in the world. The Soviet Energy ministry wanted to build 12 reactors and in 1977 the first reactor was launched. In April of 1986 all that changed. There were 4 reactors operating with two more being built when the largest nuclear disaster in history occurred. An initial sarcophagus was hastily built around the exploded reactor not to contain the radiation but to protect workers who still operated another reactor for years afterward. What you see behind us in the first photo is a second sarcophagus finished in 2017. This is expected to be viable for 100 years while crews working with robotics disassemble the reactor and move the radioactive material to what has been determined safe storage (I really have no idea what that means). It was an amazing day with history, nature and science all wrapped up in one story. I’ll be posting more photos over the next several days of the whole “Exclusion Zone” as it is called. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #україна #chernobyl #nuclearenergy #radiation #чернобиль #ukraine #travel #science #history #energy #explore #peacecorps #peacecorpsukraine #peacecorpsukraine52 #howiseepc #howiseepeacecorps #peacecorpsstories #peacecorpsjourney #mypeacecorpsstory (at Chernobyl Exclusion Zone) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bs5FKFuHL1G/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=33bhz8pkwrhg

[travelbranyik]

My book “It Depends: A Guide to Peace Corps” will be available on Amazon for purchase in less than 48 hours! 🤩 This is the second edition with new info and format for better reading! Prepare to buy your next copy!! 📚 ••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••• #peacecorps #peacecorpslife #peacecorpsstories #peacecorpsvolunteer #pcvs #rpcvs #peacecorpsbooks #volunteerwork #bookoftheday #guidebook #volunteers #books #helpingpeople @peacecorpsconnect @peacecorps https://www.instagram.com/p/BoVXl5JAXCu/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1it0v24kkf4nj

[abrahamlincolnneverdidthis]

Arba Minch wasn’t a Synch

In the early twilight hours, the girls and I set off for our next destination: Arba Minch, the land of 40 springs. Location: Just about as close to the Kenyan border as Peace Corps would allow. One of our friend’s land-family had a sister who lived in Arba Minch, and generously offered to host us for our stay.  Upon arrival, my friends and I were instantly bogged down by the heat and humidity and somehow, it only got worse after the sun went down. As we were sitting in our host’s living/dining room waiting for dinner to be ready, each of us was gleaming with sweat and trying to distract ourselves from the stifling heat and swarming mosquitos with a couple competitive games of Catan (which I won…if anyone was wondering). But alas, the distraction wasn’t enough to thoroughly enjoy our meal. While the fish soup was delicious in a way that homemade dishes only can be, the heat of it (both in temperature and spice) set our tongues ablaze and bodies in heat-stroke territory. We all felt obligated to be polite and finish our ‘Fire Fish Soup,’ while mutually commiserating with each other through eye contact. How we got through that meal without laughing…or tears…is still a mystery to me. We then started getting ready for bed, only to realize that the 6 of us would be sharing a tiny room with two twin size mattresses. We embraced it in the beginning—we were PCVs after all; we could handle it. But ohhhh, were we wrong. If we thought the living room was stifling, it is nothing compared to our bedroom. The window was only able to open about 3 inches because a wardrobe blocked it from being opened any further, so the fresh air was hard to come by (and we were desperate for it). And because the window was screen-less, those nasty little mosquitos found it much too easy to find their way into our room to bite every inch of our skin and buzz around in our ears to the point of insanity. Luckily for us, we found a racquet-shaped bug zapper readily-charged to massacre as many mosquitos as possible every hour throughout the night. In just one swing, the zapper popped and crackled continuously like a sparkler. Jumping around and swinging the racquet around was the comic relief we needed to make it through that first night…and the second. It was pure satisfaction…and the only satisfaction we got in those dreadful hours. Unfortunately, the mosquitos weren’t the only bugs wreaking havoc among us. The three of us on the floor mattress were laying on it perpendicularly, so that only about half of our bodies were off the floor. And that mattress was riddled with bed bugs. I had had my bad case of bed bugs many times over the two years living in Sheno, but this episode was in an entirely different league. Out of the 6 of us, it seemed like I was the most sensitive to them and to put it lightly…it looked as if I had contracted small pox. Ask the masseuse that gave me a full-body massage at the resort on our 3rd day…she was reluctant to touch me, fearing that she too would contract these hideous spots. The 343 bites (yes, we made it a competition and counted) that I had acquired over our two-night stay covered my calves, ankles, lower back, hands, arms, neck and face. Basically, anywhere where my clothing shifted while sleeping, exposing my skin. Thinking about it in such detail now is giving me the heeby-jeebies, so I apologize if it’s having the same effect on you. Originally, we were supposed to stay 3 nights, but we couldn’t bare it. Instead, we told our hosts that we had changed our plans to head home a day early…but really, we splurged on a ‘luxurious’ hotel where I had MY OWN twin mattress with a BED NET. And for the first time in days, we were able to get a solid, good night’s sleep.

For weeks to come, I would wake each morning with the fear that malaria would surface, or I would come down with another bout of typhus. It felt as if the gallons of mosquito repellent or malaria meds that I had cautioned myself with didn’t make a difference; I was bit so many times that I was convinced that that would be how I ended my Peace Corps service. But...that fate never came to be, and for that, I can look back at this experience and laugh at this miserable experience (almost fondly). After all, it is now one of my favorite stories to tell.

[estevanastorga]

Story Time

A Peace Corps recruiter has asked me to share a story of an experience in Senegal thus far. Here’s what I decided to share: One of my most memorable moments in Senegal took place during pre-service training. PST in Senegal entails the first two months of training where volunteers spend days at a time between the Peace Corps training center in the city of Thiès and language & cultural immersion sites in surrounding villages. The village I was assigned to was a small town of about 8,000 people called Bayakh. In Bayakh, 7 other trainees and myself lived with a respective host family and were expected to learn from them and interact with them. Trainees also meet with a Peace Corps Language and Cultural Facilitator for 5 hours each day to learn the local language and teach you about the cultural norms of the Senegalese.

After the first few weeks of training, my language group and I decided to meet at our friend Stephanie's house in Bayakh for some additional Wolof studying prior to our first big test the next day. Myself and 3 other "Toubabs" (what white foreigners are commonly called) sat outside on a mat taking refugee under the shade of her host family's house which separated us from the heat of the sweltering Senegalese sun. 

In the midst of studying, we noticed a young man walk into the property -- he seemed especially eager to see meet us.

"Hello! How are you?" he shouted in English from the entrance of the home's compound. He approached us all and began shaking our hands.

"This is my neighbor," Stephanie explained, "he practices his English with me and he helps me with my Wolof."

Noticing our notebooks, books, and flashcards sprawled across the space we were studying, Stephanie's neighbor replied, "Oh! You are learning!"

"Yes," I said, "We are studying Wolof because we have an exam tomorrow."

"Ah, yes!" he exclaimed. Then he looked and pointed at each of us individually with a huge smile on his face and shouted, "Sexist! Sexist! Sexist! Sexist!"

My friends and I were all completely shocked and taken aback. We all looked at one another with wide eyes while laughing uncomfortably. Without words, I could see we were all thinking the same thing, 'What the HELL is this guy trying to say?!'

Luckily, at that very moment, our Language & Cultural Facilitator had just walked in on our conversation. He chuckled at the spectacle he had just witnessed and after enjoying a good laugh decided to intervene, "What he meant to say was SUCCESS. He is wishing you all great success for your exam tomorrow." At that point, we all began laughing hysterically! We thanked Stephanie's neighbor for his kindness and also inadvertently thanked him for providing us with a great inside joke.

[theoneblogicareabout]

Two Weeks and 6 Thoughts

So, I’ve been in my site for 13 days now. Tomorrow marks my official 2 week mark here, and I have a lot of thoughts.

Pace of life is way different. I mean, they tell you in training that it’s going to be so different and to just prepare yourself for it; but, honestly, I didn’t expect this. I’m sure a lot of people have a lot more free time than I have, (another friend just wrote a blog post about how she’s been in her hamock for almost 10 days straight and had one meeting with her counterpart. Like, what?!) but I was still not ready for the amount of free time I have. Even though I was intellectually prepared for this, I was not actually mentally prepared for this.

“Intermediate Mid” my ass. Supposedly, I tested at the “Intermediate Mid” level for my Spanish. And, supposedly, this is the bare minimum requirement for “survival as a PCV” according to the higherups. However, I’ve apparently been missing meetings that my CP “told me about” becuase I “don’t understand Spanish” and that’s kind of a big deal. I don’t want people to think I’m flakey, and I definitely don’t want them to think I’m blowing them off. I mean, it’s kind of up in the air whether or not I was actually told about these meetings tbh. What matters is that I’m not sure I was sufficiently prepared for this, but I’m working through it. Even if it means asking everyone to tell me things twice and speak to me like I’m five.

I have no idea what I’m doing. I seriously don’t. Like, all the TEFL kids be like “Taught my first class today!” and “Here’s a pic of my school!” and “I have a schedule and I know where I’m supposed to be at all times!” But then, I’m over here like, “I drank 10 cups of coffee by myself and hung out with the Adultos Mayores group for a couple hours in the park today and then watched Netflix while answering the phone and translated ‘teaspoons’ for somebody...” But, the great thing about PC is that that’s actually considered work. Like, dancing in the park with the senior citizens for two hours counts as work. So, screw you guys with your 9-5 jobs and big paychecks. I get enough to live and I dance in the park for it. I win.

I don’t know if I’m adapting to the culture. The thing with my site is that it’s actually almost like a city. It’s not a San José or Upala or anything, but it’s still pretty big and has a lot of resources. Becuase of this, It feels an awful lot like my training site (San Raf). And, the thing is, other than people speaking a different language, it’s not that different from home. I mean, take a stroll down Nolensville Pike and you’ll get a sense of what San Jose is like. I’m not weird, I’m not getting stared at for being the new kid, I’m not getting strange questions about Americans, and people tell me all the time about the different cities in the US they’ve visited. I know there has to be some cultural differences that I’m just not seeing right now, but at this point I don’t feel like I’ve had to adapt my ways or my thinking just yet. Which kind of scares the hell out of me because it’s got to be coming. So, if it’s four months later than expected, it’s probably just gearing up to be a real punch in the face instead of a light slap which is terrifying. Maybe I’m in denial.

How do friend? I have made friends in the past. As early as daycare, as recently as training. But, now, in site, I have absolutely no idea how to make friends. Like, I’m not even sure how I made friends in the past. I just know that I have them. I don’t know how long it takes to make friends. I don’t know how to initiate friendship, and I definitely don’t know how to do it in Spanish. So, I’m just gonna have to rely on past experience and hope it happens sometime.

All that being said, overall happiness has increased. I have previously stated that I was on a downward trajectory since Easter and I didn’t know why. This is why I started that “100HappyDays” challenge. I highly doubt the increased happiness is due to this picture challenge, though. I would attribute it to my site placement and the end of training. My site is gorgeous. Absolutely gorgeous. One day I’ll get around to charging my camera battery and taking pictures of this town, becuase y’all need to see it to believe it. The rest of Guanacaste is dry and hot, but my site is green, windy, still hot but not as hot, and mountainous. That plus the end of training has made my mood lift quite a bit. I’m finally in the place I’m going to be for 2 years. I’m finally getting a chance to aclimate to my new life vs. just being on the edge for three months, knowing I wasn’t staying anywhere near where I was living. It’s fantastic. I’m not shitting rainbows or anything, but I’m much more relaxed now, which makes me much more happy. 

¡Salud!

[peacecorpspatrice]

I don’t remember anything about this metal sculpture. Only that I liked it. There is a one room building right after the security gates that serves as a modern art museum/interpretation of what Chernobyl meant to people and this is outside of it. I think many people still have a hard time making sense of it all and artistic representations help people sort out thoughts and feelings and hopes. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #україна #chernobyl #nuclearenergy #radiation #чернобиль #ukraine #travel #science #history #energy #explore #peacecorps #peacecorpsukraine #peacecorpsukraine52 #howiseepc #howiseepeacecorps #peacecorpsstories #peacecorpsjourney #mypeacecorpsstory #nuclearreactor #sculpture #metalart #artistic #symbolism (at Chernobyl Exclusion Zone-Pripyat) https://www.instagram.com/p/BtaushmHVjo/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=exshgb6cl8d1

[peacecorpspatrice]

The last thing every visitor does is go through another security checkpoint and radiation detector. Michelle and I made it though with flying colors. Nothing to worry about here. She probably was exposed to more radiation during her flight here than in our day spent in the Exclusion Zone. I’m glad we spent the day there. I was reminded of things I learned as a young person when it happened and learned a great deal more. My biggest take away or the most lasting impression I’ve had may seem a bit contradictory. The exclusion zone was the most natural, clean outdoor space I’ve been to in Ukraine. Because it has been close to the public with the exception of highly regulated tours and can’t be built on nature is taking its course here. The forests and trees were beautiful, there was no trash and almost no cigarette butts strewn about. Stories of sightings larger apex animals abound. I heard birds and saw so much diversity of plant life. It was surprising and very strange. Those of you know me know how much I like the outdoors and natural spaces. I never thought I would find it next to a huge human made disaster area. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #україна #chernobyl #nuclearenergy #radiation #чернобиль #ukraine #travel #science #history #energy #explore #peacecorps #peacecorpsukraine #peacecorpsukraine52 #howiseepc #howiseepeacecorps #peacecorpsstories #peacecorpsjourney #mypeacecorpsstory #nuclearreactor #nature #getoutside #radiationdetection (at Chernobyl Exclusion Zone) https://www.instagram.com/p/BtdOdMzH-9C/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=4d7xu1ernus4

[peacecorpspatrice]

Modern graffiti versus Soviet propaganda as seen in Pripyat. Propaganda comes at us on social media now but in the 70’s and 80’s it was posters and metal kiosks. There was so much to see and learn in the exclusion zone but sometimes the history and thoughts and consequences can be boiled down to a little public art. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #україна #chernobyl #nuclearenergy #radiation #чернобиль #ukraine #travel #science #history #energy #explore #peacecorps #peacecorpsukraine #peacecorpsukraine52 #howiseepc #howiseepeacecorps #peacecorpsstories #peacecorpsjourney #mypeacecorpsstory #nuclearreactor #graffiti #streetart #propaganda #art (at Chernobyl Exclusion Zone-Pripyat) https://www.instagram.com/p/BtXq7aEnr3i/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1i22mgkvkq2px

[peacecorpspatrice]

A beautiful end to a love day. Spring is finally trying to come to Western Ukraine. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #kitchenwindowview #sunset #springday #nofilter #spring #howiseepc #peacecorpsukraine #peacecorpsukraine52 #ukraine #peacecorpsstories #mypeacecorpsstory #mypeacecorpsjourney #україна (at Lviv Oblast) https://www.instagram.com/p/BvI4F9BHAkl/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=1onxoomvxoe0u

[peacecorpspatrice]

And you thought your schools were in rough shape! These are photos of one of the schools in Pripyat. Again you can see the results of all the looting that occurred. But here in particular photographers came in and staged photos. The story goes the gas masks were found in a storage room and a photographer brought them out and dumped them around the room for symbolism. But the fact they were there at all is, well, odd? Creepy? Freaky? All of the above? The last photo is actually a different school that was in a separate village, a kindergarten we were told. Only the old creepy doll is napping now. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #україна #chernobyl #nuclearenergy #radiation #чернобиль #ukraine #travel #science #history #energy #explore #peacecorps #peacecorpsukraine #peacecorpsukraine52 #howiseepc #howiseepeacecorps #peacecorpsstories #peacecorpsjourney #mypeacecorpsstory #schools #school #gasmasks #education (at Chernobyl Exclusion Zone-Pripyat) https://www.instagram.com/p/BtOyBhfn9Y_/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=w1531nqo7d9y

[peacecorpspatrice]

We were able to go into what was once a world class sports center in Pripyat is now just a pile of rubble and debris. Most of Pripyat was looted and ransacked shortly after evacuation and for some time after that. Now the whole exclusion zone is strictly controlled. Most of the reason you see the destruction of property and buildings is from looting. Not from neglect. I enjoy staying fit as much as the next person but I don’t think I’m swimming in that pool. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #україна #chernobyl #nuclearenergy #radiation #чернобиль #ukraine #travel #science #history #energy #explore #peacecorps #peacecorpsukraine #peacecorpsukraine52 #howiseepc #howiseepeacecorps #peacecorpsstories #peacecorpsjourney #mypeacecorpsstory #fitness #gym #sportscenter (at Chernobyl Exclusion Zone-Pripyat) https://www.instagram.com/p/BtL3rrDHnee/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=rxthmgh3tg77

[peacecorpspatrice]

A belated but well deserved celebration of this woman @romaniv513 for International Womxn’s Day. If I hadn’t moved out of my comfort zone I would have never moved to Ukraine and met her. If Oksana hadn’t moved out of her comfort zone and decided to let an American into her life she would have never met me. I think we are both better for it. Oksana is a woman who creates change and opportunity in a country that is just learning how to do that for themselves. She never stops thinking of the possibilities for the people in her community. She often puts her village needs above her own. She is a creative problem solver and works hard to find solutions. Most days I sit and wonder how I got to this village to work with this woman who inspires me every day. But then I remember I worked hard to get here just as she does. Who are the women in your life that inspire you? Tag them in your replies below. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #internationalwomensday2019 #women #womxn #marchiswomensmonth #womensmonth #womensmonth2019 #womxnsmonth #inspiring #inspiringwomen #ukraine #ukrainianwomen #peacecorps #peacecorpsukraine #peacecorpsukraine52 #howiseepc #peacecorpsstories #mypeacecorpsstory #empowerment #womensempowerment #changelives (at Lviv Oblast) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bu5dBrMnmxU/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=v17ehpg9d5b7

[peacecorpspatrice]

The city of Pripyat Припять was built not only to house the employees of this huge energy facility it was also a come to life Potemkin Village. The Soviets used it to show visitors how great living in the Soviet Union was and how progressive and wonderful life was there. They had the first supermarket in the eastern block, a festive amusement park, brand new apartment complexes, a fancy restaurant overlooking the lake that provided rest and relaxation and a state of the art sports center. It is all in ruins now but can be visited. The next series of photos are what is left after looters stripped the place of anything they thought might be valuable. Residents weren’t warned immediately. And then when the 40,000 or so people were evacuated they were told it would be for a few days. Some people were even let back after several days to get belongings. It is now a ghost town of immense sorrow and hubris. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #україна #chernobyl #nuclearenergy #radiation #чернобиль #ukraine #travel #science #history #energy #explore #peacecorps #peacecorpsukraine #peacecorpsukraine52 #howiseepc #howiseepeacecorps #peacecorpsstories #peacecorpsjourney #mypeacecorpsstory (at Chernobyl Exclusion Zone-Pripyat) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bs7l9NWHRUb/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=k2c3f6b7pcqb

[peacecorpspatrice]

The Amusement Park in Pripyat is often photographed. Amusement parks like this (although in slightly better shape) are still found all over the country many leftover from Soviet rule. The amusement park here is often seen as a symbol of the nuclear disaster. It is now slowly rusting away. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #peacecorpsjourney #howiseepc #howiseepeacecorps #mypeacecorpsstory #peacecorpsstories #peacecorpsukraine #peacecorpsukraine52 #amusementpark #pripyat #chernobyl #ukraine #nuclearenergy #україна #припять #чернобль (at Chernobyl Exclusion Zone-Pripyat) https://www.instagram.com/p/BtIHTdCnRb4/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=t55l5djxxw2o

[peacecorpspatrice]

Our first stop was at what was once a classy restaurant on the lake. I was thinking I sure could use a water vending machine now in my village. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #україна #chernobyl #nuclearenergy #radiation #чернобиль #ukraine #travel #science #history #energy #explore #peacecorps #peacecorpsukraine #peacecorpsukraine52 #howiseepc #howiseepeacecorps #peacecorpsstories #peacecorpsjourney #mypeacecorpsstory (at Chernobyl Exclusion Zone-Pripyat) https://www.instagram.com/p/Bs7npvvHOJa/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=17dviy7hauwgq

[peacecorpspatrice]

Comforts of home. Peace Corps Volunteers all over the world often get ill. Contaminated water, different hygiene practices for food, different illnesses and parasites can all be contributing factors. I was not immune. I’ve been battling some bad juju for many months and finally called on our in country medical team for help. My Peace Corps Dr was helpful, kind and a great translator when I needed it. Some fellow volunteers helped me out. I was well cared for. But I am far away from home and comforts of the familiar and it wasn’t easy. My local folks asked after me. Came by the house with food and asked if they could help me. But nothing is quite like a familiar voice, a good friend, who you can count on. I am finally better and can eat normal food! Pancakes with local blackberries it is! And all through it @kexp was there to keep me company, helping me maintain the familiar, providing great music to occupy my thoughts. There was news of home - the weather, The Showbox, events around town. Yes the comforts of home can be found in many different ways. I am grateful for electricity and internet so I can maintain this connection. Now for pancakes and more music! 🎶 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ #pancakes #blackberries #comforts #comfortsofhome #kexp #friends #thefamiliar #music #independentradio #peacecorps #peacecorpsukraine #peacecorpsukraine52 #ukraine #home #україна #корпусмуру #howiseepc #peacecorpsstories #peacecorpsjourney (at Ukraine) https://www.instagram.com/p/BmnBv5RAhUh/?utm_source=ig_tumblr_share&igshid=wch5a663d0rn