My name is Isabelle Lareau and I am from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, but my family is from Bemidji, Minnesota (in fact, Mrs. Olson is my aunt)! I have an older brother Ryan, and a younger brother Calvin, so I'm the only girl and the middle child. Growing up, I loved going on adventures, trying new foods and reading books set in faraway places. So from a young age, I knew that once I finished school, I wanted a job that allowed me to travel and see the world outside of the United States.
I am 23 years old and I graduated from college two years ago. After earning my degree in Persian Studies at the University of Maryland, I decided to follow my dream to travel and work abroad, so I applied for the Peace Corps. I have been living in Maubara, East Timor (or Timor Leste) and serving as a Peace Corps volunteer teaching English to local students since January of 2023.
East Timor is a small country located just north of Australia, and occupies the eastern half of the island of Timor (hence the name), while the western half of the island is a province of Indonesia. It's very hot here year round (most days it's around 90 degrees Fahrenheit), and we have two seasons: the wet and the dry season.
