Why?

Five days from today I will set off on the adventure of a lifetime - joining the Peace Corps in Ukraine!! Throughout the past few months I have shared with many friends and family members my plans and for the most part have been well received with lots of encouragement and positive words. The congratulations and well wishes are almost always followed with some variation of why?

Why do you want to go? Why would you leave your life for 27 months? Why the Peace Corps?

Thankfully they're easy questions to answer!

In my life I have been fortunate enough to live in a nice home, own my own car, have a body that allows me to physically do what I would like, travel to many countries, and graduate from an amazing university. I am beyond thankful for everything I have worked hard to earn and everything that has been given to me from my incredible parents.

Throughout my life my parents have instilled in me the reminder of how fortunate I am. I have been on two mission trips to an orphanage in the Dominican Republic. While in the Dominican, my way of thinking was challenged; I had to change my perspective and look for new/different ways to do day-to-day things and in turn learned that my way is not the only way. While I was happy to serve for the weeks that I was there, I always left feeling like it wasn’t enough and that I had so much more to offer.

There are many reasons I want to be a Peace Corps Volunteer including my desire to help others and give back, as well as being immersed in a different culture. I want to volunteer through the Peace Corps because I believe in the mission of world peace and friendship, and now, more than ever, it is so important to promote these ideals. I want to help citizens of Ukraine learn skills that will help them and sustain their families and communities in the future. By doing that I will help the people experience the joy of reaping what they sew, as they will have the skills to do more than was once possible. I hope to continue to be a public servant throughout my life and with the skills and knowledge expanded through my time in the Peace Corps I believe this will be possible.

I think the Peace Corps will give me a greater understanding of humans and the way they interact in different settings, which will help me both on a personal and professional level. I will learn to be patient and develop greater compassion and empathy for cultures with different backgrounds than I come from. It will be difficult being away from family and friends for so long, but it will give me time to grow as an individual and gain amazing life experience, all while being able to serve and help Ukraine.

“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life” –Mary Oliver from her poem The Summer Day

–M

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