PCV Pride

Dedicated to the men and women serving (or having served) as a Peace Corps Volunteer.

I've been thinking recently about how much I have to be proud of.  How thankful I am to have been given this opportunity to serve in the Peace Corps and, what's more, to serve in Azerbaijan.  Not only have I been reflecting on the pride I have in my own service, but I've also been reflecting on how proud I am to be sharing my service with a group of volunteers who continually impress me.

Although my fellow volunteers and I serve in the same country, much of our experiences and our challenges are different.  Certainly, there is a great deal in common, but amongst ourselves we experience hardships that are our own.  There are struggles with diversity.  Struggles with gender.  Struggles with sexuality.  There are struggles with cultural expectations to look and act a certain way.  There are struggles with basic amenities.  With adjusting to life.  Struggles with our coworkers, both American and Azeri.  The way we meet our struggles differ.  Some of us speak out (loudly) and others choose to struggle alone.  This Peace Corps life hands us challenges we expected and challenges we never could have guessed.

We are a family here; with all the good and the bad.  We talk frequently amongst ourselves about the comings and goings.  We hear about one another and about what people are doing.  We judge and gasp at gossip.  But more importantly, no, most importantly, I honestly believe we constantly work at supporting one another; both in the work we're trying to accomplish and in the daily struggles.

I have friendships here with Americans that I'm certain will carry through into my "next life" (the one that doesn't involve inadequate heating and rats, inshallah).  I am constantly impressed with the work other volunteers are doing-- their stories, their triumphs and their challenges.  I am deeply inspired with their constant ability to overcome and meet challenges head on and to continually move forward despite setbacks (both big and small).

There is an incredible group of people here, with a wide breadth of personal and professional experience.  They are conquerors.  They came to a new country.  Learned a new language.  Moved to a new community.  Made friendships with new people.  They work and they work and they work.  They touch the lives of other people (some in ways they'll never know).  They lose their way, question their abilities (and their service) and somehow find their way back again.  They are conquerors.

Throughout our service we have (completely understandable) moments where we lose ourselves, but we're lucky.  We have each other.  We have people who help pull us back up, brush the dirt off our pants (or egg off our faces) and plant our feet back in the direction we initially intended.  We are supported and we are loved.

I'm just so very proud to know these people.  Their strengths.  Their abilities.  And so I say thank you to my fellow Peace Corps Volunteers.  For your service, your friendship and all the many things you are.