I was nervous the entire six-hour flight from Miami, Florida, to Lima, Peru. This was such a weird feeling because I'm never nervous. I was on a plane, on my way to commit two years of my life to volunteering in a country I had never been to—who wouldn’t be nervous? I was coming to Peru with minimal Spanish skills and minimal teaching experience, but I was ready to learn. On September 13, 2023, I left Ohio and flew to Florida for something called "stageing." This is a three-day welcoming ceremony in Miami where Peace Corps volunteers meet their fellow volunteers and are introduced to the basics of the organization. This was a breeze for me—meeting new people and attending meetings wasn’t the hard part. Peace Corps Peru staff were there with big signs and cheers as we came to meet them. They welcomed us with such open arms and made me relax immediately—it was going to be fine.
I will never forget my first night in Peru. There was no hot water, the dinner provided wasn’t great, and there wasn’t a spot to plug in my phone. But none of that even mattered because when I stepped outside of my room, I knew I had made the right decision. The night air was crisp and cool, and the bright moon was shining right above me. All you could hear were crickets and dogs barking in the distance. I had never felt so at peace.
Peace Corps Volunteers like me live and work side by side with community members around the world, collaborating on locally prioritized projects, building relationships, exchanging cultures and knowledge, and helping transform lives for generations. Learn more by clicking here.
