Coming into the Peace Corps experience, I knew my life would be altered dramatically. I knew that I would be giving up the luxuries of the 1st world and getting down to a simpler existence. In theory, I was prepared for it, but really how prepared can you every really be to immerse yourself 100% into a foreign world? This experience will be something that will change my life forever, and if I'm lucky will help change those around me for the better. I knew I would miss my family and my friends, and my favourite foods but what about the things I didn't expect? Here are a few of those things...
A woman's life can really be a succession of lives, each revolving around some emotionally compelling situation or challenge, and each marked by some intense experience".
Wallis Simpson
Tangible
Grocery Shopping – I miss the excitement of being able to plan what I’m going to eat, and identify all the ingredients. I miss the vagueness of my meat origin, as here the eyes, neck, or hooves are easily identified in your bowl.
Hot/Regular Showers – Being able to take a shower when you want, and not planning a week in advance. Also being able to linger under the hot water, after a particularly hard or cold day.
Going to the Movies, Restaurants, Shopping etc. – There is nowhere to go here, and even if there were, as a woman, it would not be allowed.
Physical Contact – This is something I never anticipated to miss, because it’s not something we think actively think about as a life aspect. Physical contact, be it friends, family, or a boyfriend’s is something that is significantly missing from my life at the moment. The human desire to be touched and held is powerful when it is absent.
Appreciating the Outdoors – Walking in Azerbaijan for the sake of walking, will get you some pretty strange looks. Furthermore, going for a run will have you branded as the Village Idiot pretty quickly. Come Spring, this is something I will do anyway, as I am in a region that boasts beautiful scenery and I will take full advantage of it. People are going to stare regardless; I guess I might as well give them a justifiable reason to stare.
Travel – While everyday here is a new adventure and new site to see, I miss the constant traveling that had become a part of my life over the past few years. I miss planning weekend trips to foreign countries, and having the freedom to book a weekend flight last minute, pack a bag and hop a bus to the airport. We are not allowed to leave the country for the 1st 7 months, so that we acclimate to our communities. This is an important part of our service, and one I don’t take lightly. After April we must have all travel approved (for safety reasons) but can then take some trips outside the country. I can’t wait! The anonymous feeling of being a backpacker is both liberating and exciting. Soon!
American/British Television – Basically anything in English would be appreciated right now. I miss watching romantic comedies with my girls, Jeopardy with my Dad, and Friends with my Mom. I miss skimming the channels and coming across a late-night marathon of Law and Order (SVU). I miss anything that isn’t Turkish cartoons. (see below for Silence)
"A mind that is stretched by a new experience can never go back to its old dimensions".
Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.
Intangible
Silence – Living with an Azeri host family has some definite positive attributes, but silence is not one of them. The house is loud, at all times, at all hours. Between the television and the numerous people in my house, getting a moment of silence is not a luxury I am afforded. The television, thank you to my 11 year old host brother, is on a constant stream of ear-splitting, Turkish/Azerbaijani cartoons. Scooby-Doo! is not appealing at 7a.m.
Solitude – It is impossible to be alone here, and yet loneliness is something that is common. While I am able to shut my bedroom door, the close proximity to the living room does not allow for a true sense of solitude. I miss my flat in London!
Control & Freedom – Not being able to control just about every aspect of your life is super frustrating, especially if you’re slightly OCD like me. Family in Azerbaijan is one of the most important aspects of their lives, along with hospitality. This means that they open their doors to you and welcome you as a member of the family. This is wonderful, however, as a pseudo-daughter I fall victim to the same constraints that their daughters do, severely limiting my lifestyle.
Feeling like a Woman – The ability to express yourself through clothes and makeup may sound vain, but it is powerful. I miss having somewhere to get dressed up for, and having someone to get dressed up for. It is a heady feeling when you walk down the road, dressed for an event or party, knowing you feel pretty.
Being Busy & Work with a Purpose – This is something that plagues most new Peace Corps volunteers. We go from the stresses of our normal lives, into the jam-packed schedule of Pre-Service Training (PST). We spend 3 crazy months being shuffled from language class, to culture lesson, to activities and then arrive on site full of ideas and energy. Then we sit. And we wait. And we drink untold amounts of tea. It is all part of the process, but the adjustment period, no matter how typical, is discerning. There is no structure to life anymore, the only thing I can really do is try and embrace it. It doesn’t help that winter here is a time that slows down country-wide.
Communication – This is an area that has struggles all the way around. For starters, the language is a beautiful, but difficult one. Trying to communicate with work colleagues, host families, and even people at the market is a constant struggle. It is one that on some days can be really rewarding, when you are able to complete a task or conversation in Azeri that you know a month, or a week ago would have been impossible. Another aspect of this is my computer being broken. For those of you who don’t know, my first day in country, after my luggage was lost in Turkey, a baggage handler at the hotel dropped and smashed my brand-new MacBook Pro. I think I surprised everyone at that point by not insisting on getting back on the plane, and returning home. I am extremely fortunate to have decent internet access at my Organization, but the simple pleasure that go with your own computer are lost to me know. I miss watching movies in bed the most.
A man in an underdeveloped country falls into a well. He yells and yells, hoping someone will save him. A missionary hears him, looks down, and then drops him a bible. An Aid worker hears him, looks down, then drops him down some money. The Peace Corps Volunteer hears him, looks down, then with great vigor and enthusiasm jumps down into the well with him. The astonished man asks the volunteer what he’s doing, which he responds… “I’ve come here to live with you..” Peace Corps Quote
Well said! Your town is lucky to have someone like you! Keep on truckin girlfriend!!! Nia
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