I came to this wonderful place almost two years ago for two reasons: to do something meaningful while learning about an unfamiliar place and people. I think I’ve done that and then some. I stood in front of a classroom full of Mongolian teenagers. I watched the dance of the shamans during Naadam. I washed down horsemeat dumplings with fermented horse milk during Tsagaan Sar. I’ve stepped foot onto a frozen lake and fallen asleep on a train running through the desert. Students have called me their favorite teacher and cab drivers have asked me to get them a visa to America.
Some moments have been instructive, others humorous, and a few humbling. I will miss some of these things dearly, while some others… I can live without. However, even the less pleasurable aspects of my time in Mongolia — like the -40 ℃ winter — made my time here more special. All of these things helped me feel and experience things I otherwise would have never encountered, and I’ve become a fuller person for it. Is that not what good adventures are for? To feel content, nervous, confused, or just really, really cold. I’ll be forever glad to have all of these experiences crystallized as memories, and they will stay with me long after my Peace Corps service comes to an end, like all good things must. I’m also grateful to have had the opportunity to share this wonderful journey with you.
To put a final touch on my journey, I’ll share my favorite quote from my favorite movie, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (2013):
"To see the world, things dangerous to come to, to see behind walls, to draw closer, to find each other, and to feel. That is the purpose of life."
We live in a big and beautiful world, so go see and feel more of it! It lives up to the hype.
