Hello, everyone! My name is Chelsea, and I look forward to sharing my journey with you!
So how did I wind up across the globe in small vila in Mozambique? After graduating college with my degree in Microbiology and a minor in Psychology, I decided that I desired to use my knowledge to educate others. Because of my passion to live abroad and immerse myself in the unfamiliar, I applied as a United States Peace Corps volunteer and waited. Receiving the acceptance email was one of the best moments of my life! I soon arrived in a small vila (village) outside of the capital city of Maputo to receive cultural, technical and language training in Portuguese for three months while living with a host family. Having only spoken English my entire life, I was initially intimidated. Furthermore, while I have been learning day by day to speak Portuguese, the official language, over 43 languages exist in Mozambique. Upon completing our training and officially swearing in, other members of the Peace Corps and I were encouraged to learn the specific language of our region as well.
A typical day for me consists of waking up to my neighbor’s rooster, taking a bucket bath and cooking food on a charcoal stove before heading to my work in the community.
