Interested in Peace Corps? My application experience...

Many have asked along the way: How did you get involved with Peace Corps? What was the application process like? Am I too old? How do I qualify? Can you choose where you want to go?

In short, the process takes about a year on average from application submission to departure, but it varies. There is no age limit (my group includes several retirees) and, just an FYI, my group also includes two married couples. To qualify, one must be an American Citizen and must have some background or experience in any one of many areas, including (but not limited to) health, education, economics, agriculture, and youth/community development. Although there is a location preference form, placement is determined based on the need of a country for the skills reflected in the application.

I have a Master of Social Work degree and two years of experience working in inner city schools with City Year (an AmeriCorps Program). Two of my AmeriCorps supervisors were Returned Peace Corps Volunteers, they spoke fondly of their experiences and encouraged me to apply.  Given my educational background and experience working with youth, I was nominated for the Youth Development program, which is one of the recently added sectors in Peace Corps.

The application was completed online and required a resume, two essays, and three references. The application asked for general medical, educational, financial, and legal background information. The preference page included a disclaimer that stated that assignments are determined based on match of applicant skill and country need. My preference was to serve in Latin America since I have some knowledge of Spanish, or in the Caribbean. I also indicated preference for tropical climate due to Seasonal Affective Disorder (depression in gloomy climates).

Once all portions of the application are submitted, you will be scheduled with an interview with a recruiter who will ask general questions about your motivation and interests, and will provide a few scenarios and ask how you will deal with certain situations. The interview is followed by a nomination which would include a sector as well as a potential departure date and region.

This step must be followed by completion of a legal kit (finger prints and background check) and a medical kit. Completing the medical kit is the longest and most intensive part of the application. I actually had to go through the whole application process twice due to some issues with the medical clearance portion. I initially submitted my application in November 2011 and received a nomination with an anticipated departure date of January 2013, but due to circumstances out of my control (including an incomplete medical kit) that didn’t work out and my application was withdrawn.

The second time around, my timeline was a little different, due in part to Peace Corps systems conversions and process changes, and also due in part to the fact that my recruiter and medical officer agreed to work with some of the information that was already on file. I still had to complete all of the steps, but my interview was a bit less formal and I didn’t have to do five separate doctor visits just to verify my underweight condition.

February 2013, I resubmitted my application with updated resume, new references, and slightly modified essays.

March 2013, I completed my interview and received my nomination

April 2013,  I received, completed, and returned questionnaires and my legal kit (fingerprints and background check).

June 2013, I received my official invitation, pre-departure reading material, my medical kit, access to the online portal, and instructions to apply for a Peace Corps Passport and Thailand Visa.

July 2013, I completed my passport and visa applications and started my Medical Clearance Process.

August 2013, I completed all pre-departure courses and forms on the online database.

October 2013, I successfully completed my Medical Clearance process, which included several visits and follow-ups to the dentist, doctor, clinic, and laboratory. Submission of documentation and feedback were delayed by the Government Shutdown, but I still had all of my medical documents dated prior to deadline of 90-days pre-departure.

November 2013, I received and returned worksheets pertinent to my technical assignment and homestay.

December 2013, I received my travel itinerary, packing instructions, and staging information.

January 2014, I made it! The process is over and the experience has begun!

I rode an elephant

My host parents took me to the Thai Festival (Don-tae-dee). It was an amazing cultural experience. As we approached the gate, I saw a promoter with a young elephant, and I got so excited! As I pulled out my camera, my host mom gestured for me to hustle up because this was nothing to see, and she was right! As we entered, there was so much more to see. The festival was filled with lots of food, lots of games, lots of music, lots of clothes, lots of performances, huge elephants, elephant fights, and elephant rides. We ate a lot, played a few games, won some great prizes (not teddy bears, try kitchen appliances!), I bought a couple souvenirs to send home, and I got to ride an elephant with my host mom. It was amazing. I took a few pictures and captured some of the action on video, but mostly, I just really enjoyed myself.

My Host Home

I'm halfway through my first week at my host home, I'll be here for a couple months and will be taking more pictures along the way. Right now, I'm a bit hesitant to take pictures of the open areas, so please stay tuned for more in a future post.

I live in a very traditional Thai home with a very loving family. I'll be sharing more about the family dynamics in another post, but for today, I'll just share a little bit about my new living space. 

My room consists of a firm mattress and pillow, repellent coated mosquito net, and a lovely carpet (straw mat) --  all of which are provided by Peace Corps. My bedding is mostly Peace Corps provided, I sleep with three blankets (we have lows of 51°F) my own blanket at the top, green PC blanket, and pink blanket from my host family. I also have a desk, chair, clothes rack, and wastebasket provided by my host family. It is a fairly small and pretty simple room, but I have sufficient space and everything that I need. 

My room! (Sleep Area)

My room! (Study/Dressing Area)

The bathroom is located in a separate building and consists of a squat toilet and a wash area. I am getting accustomed to the squat toilet, I've had a couple near-slip incidents, but nothing serious. I scoop water from the container next to the toilet to flush. Notice that there is no garbage container and no toilet paper, so that has been quite an adjustment. I did bring wipes with me, but I must use them sparingly as I have only 40 sheets, and they are not available in the neighborhood stores.

Bathroom (not shown, clothes hamper and towel/clothes line)

The wash area is pretty straight forward, water runs in from outside into the reservoir, and I scoop out the water with a little container for my bath. This is the one aspect of my living arrangement that will probably take the longest time to adjust to. The water is cold, even in the daytime. I have considered boiling water for my showers, and will probably do so if this arrangement is still unbearable after the first week.

Our meal area is outdoors. My host mom cooks pretty well. Each person is served a bowl of rice, and the other dishes are placed in the middle of the table. Throughout the meal, each person reaches into the middle of the table and grabs a little bit of whatever they want to eat with their rice. This is the ritual for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. So, I'm eating lots of rice. I'm encouraged to try all of the different dishes, and sometimes my host parents place different things on my plate. Usually, I don't mind. One of my most common dinner phrase is nit noy mak pet, which mean "Just a little bit too spicy" -- we have very different definitions of spicy, but my host mom tries to be accommodating, and I'm constantly trying to increase my tolerance.

Breakfast! rice, boiled eggs, fish pumpkin soup, chicken, pork) 

It's been a pretty good experience overall. The biggest challenge is the language barrier. I am more motivated to learn the language so that I can communicate more with my host family. There are a few other personal challenges that I'll be working through, most specifically the cold water and firm mattress situations. At the end of the day, it's all about the experience, and I'll be a stronger, better person because of it all.

My Host Family

I've been at my host home for the past few days, and it has been quite an experience thus far. I will post additional details and pictures at a later time, but for now, here's a picture of my host parents with me on the day that we met. My host mom prefers that they be referred to as pii saou (big sister) and pii chaii (big brother), so I call her Pii Gop and her husband is Pii Pong. 

Just to answer the obvious questions, my living arrangements are very much as described in the previous post, except for meal time arrangements. I will go into more detail in another post. My internet access is very limited at this time, so my posts will be brief and less frequent. I am maintaining a personal journal and will share excerpts in future posts.

In other news, you may have heard of the recent bombings and other happenings that have been taking place in Bangkok. Please be assured that we are hours away from Bangkok and remain completely unaffected by those events at this time, but as a security measure, Peace Corps has placed us under "Stand Fast" status, which means that we are not allowed to leave our villages until further notice. We anticipate that the political climate will calm down after the elections in February. Either way, our training does not end until March, and we will be pretty stationary until then. 

I appreciate the expressions of concern and well wishes. Thanks for your continued thoughts and prayers. Stay tuned for more updates soon!

Home Stay...

Today is our last day at the hotel, later on in the day, we will get to meet our host families. There will be an introduction and ice-breaker session, some welcoming activities, a debrief session, and then we will journey on to our new homes where we will be living for the nine remaining weeks of our training. The HomeStay program is a huge component of our training as it helps us to see, experience, and participate in Thai culture.

There were over two hundred HomeStay Family applications, only fifty-three families were chosen as there are fifty-five volunteers, including two married couples. The families were chosen based on many different qualities and characteristics. Homes were evaluated and determined to be safe, traditional Thai homes and the families were determined to be traditional as well. The homes that we live in will likely have squat toilets, outdoor kitchens, no indoor plumbing, and no internet access. We will be treated as members of the family and we will contribute to household chores and participate in mealtime and other family activities; we will also be given a private space, which may be a curtained off section of the room (some traditional Thai homes do not have bedrooms and everyone occupies a common living space) or a bedroom. Our lovely Thai training staff led an Intro to Homestay session and demonstrated proper sleep time, bath time, meal time, and laundry rituals, procedures, and strategies to help us to have an idea of what the norms of our household would be. This was extremely informative and will be very helpful as we proceed.

Proper sleep time rituals include never laying with your feet pointing towards the east where Buddha resides, it is best to sleep with your head towards the eastern side of the room, but it is also acceptable to lay north to south. It is common to take a flashlight into bed, especially in the case of common living areas, so that in the event of needing to walk around in the middle of the night, you won’t stumble over anyone or wake everyone up. We were also shown how to use a mosquito net.

Proper bathroom procedures may include use of a squat toilet and using a small bucket/container with water from the reservoir to flush and clean up. Traditionally, Thai folks do not use toilet paper, instead they their hands and water to cleanse before they get up from the toilet, the excess water is used to flush. We may bring toilet paper, but we must dispose of it appropriately as it cannot be flushed and wastebaskets are not kept in the bathroom. The water in the reservoir is also used for showering, and it may be cold depending on the weather and the time of day. Thai women use a phasing (a large, circular, wrap around cloth) for showering and dressing, it’s kind of hard to explain, but we got to practice using one yesterday. It was awkward, but fun.

Traditional Thai meals are eaten on the floor. Everyone forms a circle and sits cross legged on a cloth that would be spread at meal time, the father calls the meal to order, the eldest person in the home (usually a grandparent) is served first, the youngest female member of the family serves the rice and the other contents of the meal are in bowls in middle of the cloth, it is acceptable to reach in with your hands to help yourself (and others) throughout the meal, there are bowls of water at the table for hand washing throughout the meal. Thais do not traditionally use chopsticks, meals are eaten with a spoon and fork. Food is served in small portions throughout the meal, everyone is expected to at least try everything, and everyone’s plate is expected to be clean at the end of the meal. The father says when everyone can be dismissed from the meal.

At the laundry session, we were asked how we do laundry in the United States. My answer was: sort clothes by color, place the clothes and detergent in the washing machine, watch a tv show, remove the clothes from the machine after they are washed, place them in the dryer, take a nap or go to sleep, then remove the clothes when they are dry. Here in Thailand, it’s a little bit different, I definitely would not have the option of napping halfway through laundry. Clothes are sorted and washed in order of head to toe (head wraps first, shirts next, socks last) in accordance to the belief that the head is the temple of the body and the feet are physically and spiritually the lowest and dirtiest part of the body. Clothes that might bleed are washed separately in the same order. Some homes have washing machines, many do not. None of the homes have dryers. Clothes are hung on two lines, the upper line which would contain shirts and headwraps, and the lower line which would contain all lower body items and underwear (including bras for women, even though it is worn at the top of the body, it is hung on the lower line for modesty purposes).

Families/Homes will be assigned based on our expressed medical and dietary needs/restrictions, observed personalities, and our demonstrated language and biking skills. I am really looking forward to meeting my family, I have some anxieties, but this experiences promises to be one of the greatest aspects of the Peace Corps experience. So far, Thais have proven to be very warm and patient. The host families were carefully selected and assigned, so I have no doubt that my experience will be great, cold showers and all. Depending on my location, I may not have regular access to the inter so I may not have many opportunities to blog over the next several weeks, but I will be sure to post updates and pictures when I can.

What my sleeping area might look like

What my bath area  might look like

What a traditional Thai dinner setting looks like

Jai Yen Yen

One of the most repeated phrases in our training so far is Jai Yen Yen, which translates to cool your heart. Our trainers use it often to remind us to be patient and not anxious, they use it when we become confused or frustrated in our language sessions, and they use it in response to our many “what if” and “what happens when” questions. It is definitely a phrase that I will definitely be chanting to myself throughout the next few weeks, and possibly beyond.

We started learning to read and write Thai yesterday. The script is so beautiful, I can’t wait to learn more, but for now, the focus is on speaking and understanding, with a huge emphasis on tones and proper pronunciation. As we move into our homes and communities, some other words and phrases to know, include:

Di chan mai gin moo gap ahantalae. (I do not eat pork and shellfish)

Di chan imlauka. (My stomach is full)

Nee aria ka? (What is this?)

Nan aria ka? (What is that?)

Gii baht ka? (How much is that?)

Dai Mai ka? (Is this okay?)

Mai dai ka. (This is not okay)

Dai ka. (This is okay)

Chaii mai ka? (Is it correct?)

Prom mai ka? (Are you ready?)

Mak Mah. (A lot)

Nit noy. (A little bit)

Tuk yah. (Everything)

Tuk con. (Everyone)

Krop Krouwa (Family)

Mae (mother)

Pa (father)

Pamae (parents)

Luk (child/ren)

Luk saow (Daughter)

Luk chaii (son)

Poo yin (female)

Poo chai (male)

Out and About in Thailand.

Our first few days in country were spent mainly at the hotel undergoing various training sessions. Yesterday we got to venture out for a bit to meet the governor of our province. It was a really nice outing, we had all been practicing introductions, and we had the opportunity to individually introduce ourselves. Here is what I said: Sa-wat-dee-kah. Di chan chuu Michelle nam-sak-un Swanston ka. Di chan madjak muaang St. Croix, drat US Virgin Islands, bpra-ted America ka. It was our first public presentation in Thai, and I had a few butterflies, but I think I did well. 

Our Peace Corps Country Director introduced our group to the governor and expressed gratitude for the province's hospitality and generosity, he did so in Thai and at the end, the governor commented, "Your Thai is very good, better than my English," he also seemed very impressed by our ability to introduce ourselves so well after just two days of training. He spoke about his experiences in the United States (he has visited more states than I have), he extended a welcome and best wishes to our group, and he his gratitude for the service that we are here to perform. It was a lovely meeting. See pictures from yesterday's trip below.

Today was our bike riding/training day. My grandmother bought me a bike when I was seven years old. That is the only bike that I've ever owned, and back then I was only allowed to ride it up and down the road as far as my mother could see, so I'm a little out of practice. My ten year old brother has a bike, and when I learned that I would likely be riding a bike in Thailand, I decided to take his bike for a spin around the block to find out if I could still ride. Apparently it's true when they say once you learn to ride a bike you never forget. Successfully riding the bike around the block one time gave me a boost of confidence, so I wasn't too worried about our session today. 

Each volunteer received a mountain bike, a helmet, a water bottle, and some biking tools. We started the day with a session on Biking in Thailand -- ride on the left side, two to three feet in from the curb; if you get too close to the edge of the road, you risk riding on thorns or snakes or falling into a canal; if you see another biker riding towards you in the wrong direction then pull to the right, but watch out for oncoming traffic; if you're ambushed by soy (street) dogs spray them with water or yell bai which means "go away" in Thai (apparently the dogs won't understand if we yell in English). Once we got our bikes adjusted for custom fit, we got to ride around the field for a bit. This went well for me, after a couple laps, I started practicing how I would grab my water bottle from it's holder. That still needs work. After a little break, we were told that it was time to take our skills to the main road. That was tough.

Thankfully, nobody fell into a canal or had to be defensive against a soy dog, but there were a few accidents and incidents along the way. The route was 10k, but after 5km (3 miles), we were given the option to return to the bike site, I was among the less adventurous souls who decided to return early. Partly because I was pretty weary at that point, I had ran out of water, and didn't have the stamina or the endurance to continue for a total of 20 k (12 miles), also the seat of the bike was super uncomfortable, in fact, I doubt that I would be able to sit properly for the next day or two, and I couldn't bear to sit on it for longer than necessary. Apparently, I'd been riding on a boy seat, and the site attendants were able to change it to a seat that is supposed to be more comfortable for girls. I tried it for a minute, but I couldn't tell if it was more comfortable or not, because right now, sitting on the bed is pretty uncomfortable, so I'll check it out again in a couple days. 

We were riding through one of the communities that we will be doing training and service in. There were many beautiful sights along the way, unfortunately, I am not yet skilled enough to take pictures while riding, but we did see very lovely homes and fields along the way, as well as snakes, both dead and alive. There were children biking at the same time as we were, and they yelled "farang, farang!" which means foreigner. It was nice to finally get out of the hotel and get into the community for a bit before we move in with our host families. Check out a few pictures from the day.

Thai 126, Ready to hit the road

One lucky volunteer receives a bike for her birthday!

Bikes, Bikes, Bikes

Notice how the whole yard is dry? Except for the spirit house?

Language Learning!

Today we did an our first Intro to Thai class. I must demonstrate intermediate language proficiency by the end of training in order to qualify for service. Sometimes I doubt my language acquisition skills, especially when I consider that I've had Spanish speaking neighbors my whole life, I took Spanish in high school and college (aced it each time!), I lived in Little Havana in Miami (even the street signs are in Spanish -- Calle Ocho anyone?), and I still can't speak the language! I can understand a little bit of it and I've managed to muster up enough Spanglish to get through sticky situations, but I cannot confidently say that I know the language at all! 

I am slightly anxious about this whole aspect of training, but the first class went well. We went over basic greetings and introductions, which I have already been reviewing, so we're off to a good start. The dialogue below demonstrates some of what I have learned so far.

Miss: Sa-wat-dee-ka! (Hello - female speaker)
Mstr: Sa-wat-dee-krap! (Hello - male speaker)

Miss: Kun sabaii di mai ka? (How are you?)
Mstr: Pom sabaii di krap. (I am well)

Mstr: Kun sabaii di mai krap? (How are you?)
Miss: Di chan mai sabaii ka. (I am not very well)

Miss: Kun chuu arai ka? (What is your name?)
Mstr: Pom chuu Mister krap (My name is Mister)

Mstr: Kun nam-sakun arai krap? (What is your last name?)
Miss: Di chan nam-sakun Swan ka. (My last name is Swan)

Miss: Kun muaang arai ka? (What city are you from?)
Mstr: Pom madja muaang Bankok krap. (I traveled from the city of Bankok) 

Miss: Kaou bpra-ted arai ka? (What country is she from?)
Mstr: Kaou bpra-ted Yii-pun krap. (She is from Japan)

Kop kun mak ka (Thank you very much - female speaker)
Kop kun krap (Thank You - male speaker)

Chui duiy (Help!)


So I did that without peeking in my book, I double checked after, and it's all correct, so yay me! The Thai alphabet consists of symbols that are very different from the alphabet that we use, so I tried my best to spell the words phonetically, and spellings may vary across sources. So far, we haven't been introduced to reading and writing, but that should be interesting.

You may have noticed the sentences end in Ka and Krap. Ka is how a female speaker would formally end her statements and Krap is the equivalent for males. Di-Chan is how a female would refer to herself while Pom is the equivalent for a male. Kun refers to you (second person) and Kaou is how one would refer to a third person (him/her, she/he). We will be doing a lot more language development over the next few weeks. Should be interesting!

In other news, my body is slowly recovering from the recent travels. I'm not feeling too great over all and my sleeping and digestive patterns are all screwed up. I also received vaccines yesterday and today, but I'm not sure if that has anything to do with anything, so I blame all of my ills and discomforts on jet-lag. Aside from feeling slightly irritable and miserable on the inside, the day was okay. I got up this around 6:30 am and saw that my mom was online. I greeted her "Good morning, how was your day?" as it was 7:30 pm her time. This time difference is really something. When my day is starting, hers is ending, and the opposite is true as well. It will definitely take some getting used to. We ended the day with a beautiful welcome ceremony - traditional Thai style, and a lovely dinner. 

We have a big day ahead of us, we get to meet the governor, so I'm off to bed now to minimize the effects of jet lag tomorrow!

Pre-Service Training (Day 1)

Today was our first full day in Thailand and it was also our first day of our 3 month Pre-Service Training (PST). We had sessions from 8am to 5pm so it was a pretty full day, but our training this week is taking place at the hotel where we are staying, so that helps... After the long journey, many of us were still jet lagged, and I for one was not fully present for a few moments throughout the day. The topic of jet lag was addressed during one of the presentations. The medical officer went over the causes and symptoms of jet lag, and he said that it may take up to ten days for our bodies to adjust. He advised us that one of the solutions would be to get as much sunlight as possible and to avoid naps throughout the day. I was tempted to run to the room to take a nap several times in between sessions, but I fought the urge and spent my lunch and other breaks outdoors. I lasted through the training day and crashed immediately after the last session. Apparently, I over-napped and ended up missing dinner, but the staff was nice enough to serve me anyway. Everyone has been incredibly nice and super friendly so far, and I anticipate that Thailand would live up to its "Land of Smiles" nickname.

Today we discussed upcoming events for the week: There will be a cell phone fair on Tuesday (tomorrow) and Wednesday, also on Wednesday, we will be meeting with the Governor and other dignitaries. On Thursday, we will be receiving bikes and bike training (this should be interesting). On Friday, we will engage in all-day language learning sessions, and on Saturday, we will be moving out of the hotel and we will be spending the next few months with a host family. At that point, I may or may not have regular internet access, but we'll see when we get there. I'm just looking forward to meeting my host parents and (if applicable) siblings and the experience of living with a Thai family.

We had some language training and health and safety briefings today, we received a medical kit that is fully stocked with everything from butterfly band aids and thermometers, to benadryl equivalents and other necessary drugs, we also received immunizations. We had id pictures taken and a session about appropriate attire and greetings for various occasions. Last but not least, we received a little walk-around allowance that allows us to cover minor expenses and incidentals. The local exchange rate is currently 30THB (Thai baht) to 1 USD (US Dollar). See below for an image of the local currency.

That's all for now. My brain is still a bit jet-lagged so I'm off to bed.

We made it!

We have finally arrived. It has been an extremely long and exhausting journey, but we all made it safely and without incident. We traveled via Air Korea, and received such wonderful airline service, from the in-flight entertainment to the super friendly and efficient crew. We received a complimentary pouch which contained cloth slippers, toothbrush, toothpaste, and eyemask and we were fed every three hours, so that was nice. My only complaint is the insufficient legroom, but I guess the typical passenger is under 5'7'' so this is a personal complaint. Despite the discomfort which prevented me from getting any decent rest in 20+ hours of traveling, I had a good trip. Maybe some other time I'll try to snag me one of those "prestige class" seats that recline all the way back. That would be perfect. 

We had a such a beautiful welcome when we arrived in Bangkok. As we walked off the plane, the Peace Corps Thailand staff was there to greet us with leis and to walk us through our diplomatic entry, once we got out luggage together, we boarded a triple decker bus which brought us to our hotel which is two hours away from the city. Bangkok seems to be quite a bustling city, it reminded me of Miami with the skyscrapers, the high rise apartments, the busy freeway, and the metro/subway. There should be some political demonstrations taking place tomorrow and throughout the week, but we will be far away from that. As we drove out of the city, we saw more grasslands, and since it was night time, there was not much to observe. I tried to take it all in, but I found myself taking a nap.

I haven't been taking pictures as I should, many times, I just enjoy living in the moment so much that I forget or don't remember or bother to whip out the camera to capture these moments, but I'll make an effort to do better. The pictures below were taken when we arrived at the hotel. Enjoy!

Our first training session begins in a few hours, although we did not get settled until after midnight, breakfast will be served at 6:30 am and our first training session begins promptly at 8:00 am. I am feeling a bit restless, but I must be off to bed now. We are at this hotel for one week before we move in with our host families, so I will have internet access for the next few days and will try to check in again soon.

Almost There...

I left home yesterday and it still seems like I'm just going through the motions. The past few days were pretty hectic, and I'm just so relieved to be done with the packing and getting-ready-to-leave process. Since I worked up until last week Friday, (less than a week before my departure,) I basically had the weekend and two days to shop, pack, and say goodbye to folks. There were some people I didn't get to see, and there were some things that I didn't remember to pack, but I made it out okay... I think... I hope... 

Today the 55 members of Thai 126 met in Washington, DC for Staging. This was an all day event, and a very refreshing experience. I got to meet and interact with a room full of diverse, incredible, inspiring, like-minded individuals. We shared stories of the processes and the journey that brought us all together to this, the beginning of an experience of a lifetime. We discussed our anxieties, our aspirations, and our motivations. It was so refreshing to hear many of my own thoughts echoed by my fellow group members. I look forward to spending the next few months getting to know these individuals a lot better as we go through our training and begin our service. 

The Deputy Chief from the Royal Thai Embassy stopped by to greet us, extend best wishes, and pre-welcome us to his country. He shared a few fun facts: Did you know that the King of Thailand (Bhumipol Adulyadej) was born in America (Cambridge, Mass)? We learned a lot about the country that we will soon be calling home, and the presenters briefed us on logistical and technical information for our transition to service and life in the beautiful country that is known as The Land of Smiles. In regards to the recent political demonstrations, we were assured that we will be out of the way (away from Bangkok) and those events would not foreseeably hamper or otherwise negatively impact our experience.

We did some reflective exercises today, and I thought back to a part of the application process where we were asked to complete an aspiration statement by answering a few questions. My submission is below. 

Identify three professional attributes that you plan to use during your Peace Corps service and how these will help meet your aspirations and commitment to service. 

The past few years spent working with youth have allowed me to capitalize upon and further develop communication skills, organization skills, and leadership skills. I believe that these professional attributes will be conducive to my success as a Youth Development Worker in Thailand. Although I have yet to learn the language, I recognize that communication is vital and consists of listening to, learning from, and developing an understanding with my partners and the individuals that I will be serving. Organization involves being orderly, timely, and prepared; I plan to exhibit these traits as much as possible throughout various aspects of my service. Leadership is the most important skill, and it begins with earning the trust and respect of my community, my partners and my students. I will exercise and exhibit leadership through my work and through my conduct, to not only earn, but to maintain a level of mutual trust and respect throughout my service in Thailand.

Briefly identify two strategies for working effectively with host country partners to meet expressed needs.

Maintaining an open mind is one strategy that will help me to work effectively with my partners, this includes being patient, flexible, and willing to learn and adapt to ideas and beliefs that are different from my own. Collaboration is another strategy that will allow me to help meet the expressed needs of my host country, an emphasis on teamwork will ensure that expressed needs are met and well satisfied.

Your strategy for adapting to a new culture with respect to your own cultural background.

As a stranger in a new land, I will strive to always be observant and respectful to the culture and practices around me and I will act in accordance to the local customs. I will embrace opportunities to learn and to integrate myself into the community, as well as opportunities to share aspects of my own culture. If possible, I would like to be able to develop a healthy balanced lifestyle that incorporates aspects of my native and adopted cultures.

The skills and knowledge you hope to gain during pre-service training to best serve your future community and project. 

During my Pre-Service Training, I hope to develop a greater understanding of the people, the culture, and the language that I would be adopting as my own for the next two years. As a Peace Corps volunteer, and as a young American woman of color, I also expect to learn techniques and strategies that will help me to present and represent myself and my country in the best possible way, while being culturally sensitive. I would also like to learn more about the structure and environment that I will be working in. Overall, I just want to be well prepared to successfully integrate into my community, develop a good working relationship with my partners, and make a great and positive impact on my students.

How you think Peace Corps service will influence your personal and professional aspirations after your service ends. 

Personally, I believe that the Peace Corps experience will expand my horizons exponentially and provide me with better understanding of humanity, mankind, the world that we live in, and myself. I look forward to living through the life-changing experiences and adventures that will later become stories that I hope to share with my future children and grandchildren. Professionally, I believe that my experience with the Peace Corps will lead to continued interest in federal, international, non-profit and/or philanthropic work. It is hard to say specifically, but I am confident that the values, lessons, and skills acquired as a Peace Corps Volunteer will follow me always, no matter where life takes me, around the world and back again.

Thanks for reading. Tomorrow is the big day, we will be leaving the US in just a few hours, and we'll finally heading to Thailand! We most likely would not have immediate access to internet/email, but I'll be sure to update as soon as I can. Please keep my entire group in your thoughts and prayers as we embark upon this journey. Until Next Time...

Ready or Not...

Sa-wat-dee-ka! (Thai for "Hello") I'm counting down the hours before I leave home to begin my Peace Corps experience in Thailand. The time is quickly approaching, but I just wanted to take some time to start a blog. I won't be able to determine the best way to document my experience until I get settled in Thailand, but I want to get something started now.

I'll be leaving home the day after tomorrow (Thursday) to head to Washington DC where my cohort of Peace Corps Volunteers (referred to as Thai 126) will meet for our staging event (pre-departure briefing) that takes place on Friday. The group will be leaving Washington DC on Saturday morning and we will arrive in Bangkok on Sunday evening. The entire trip is over 20hrs long and considering that there is a time difference of twelve hours, we will be traveling for about two days. I have already prepared myself for the long journey with snacks, books, music, language materials, and most importantly, my blanket and pillow.

I'm in the process of packing everything else right now. I've never packed for a two year trip before, but I'm trying. It's a bit overwhelming honestly, so I decided to take a step back to exhale and express myself for a moment. I can't get over how quickly this is happening! Granted, I've been looking forward to this for quite some time now, but now it's happening, and I've been going through some emotions which I compare to what I imagine pre-wedding jitters must feel like. It's that feeling when you've been looking forward to and planning towards a great life experience, and then as the day gets closer, you start second-guessing, getting cold feet, and questioning if you're ready for such a grand commitment. On the other hand, you know that there are wonderful adventures and experiences to be had on the other end, and you pray that it will be worth the giant leap of faith.

This isn't a lifelong commitment, thankfully, but it's a big one. I'm committing to 27 months in a foreign country, worlds away from home and everything and everyone that I know and love, where my today will be their tomorrow, and there are moments when I ask myself the same questions that many others have been asking me: Are you sure you want to do this? Why? Why now?

It's all well and good to explain my love for service and my desire to experience a different way of life, but the conflict occurs when I think about my present way of life, how good it is right now, and the people that I can help in my own backyard. I also pause and hesitate when I consider the new language, the new culture, the time difference, and the foreignness of everything that awaits on the other side. But if not now, when? Right now, I'm young, I'm single, I have no real responsibilities, and I can't think of a better time.

Ready or not, it's happening. In just three days, I will begin this journey, and we shall see where it leads. I look forward to sharing stories of my service and my adventures, I also look forward to looking back on this entry and chuckling at my nervousness. In the meanwhile, I appreciate the continuous flow of love, support, and well wishes. Kop-kun-ka! (thank you!)

Until next time, Sa-wat-dee-ka! (also means goodbye!)