Some of you may stumble upon my blog wanting to learn more about the Peace Corps, so I want to share my story of how I came to be living in Africa as a Peace Corps Volunteer!
As an International Development Studies and Political Science/International Relations major, many of my classes focused on the problems facing the developing world. Outside of the classroom, I found myself deeply involved with a student-run fundraising organization known as Dance Marathon at UCLA, which used a 26-hour dance-a-thon to raise money for Pediatric AIDS organizations, principally the Elizabeth Glaser Pediatric AIDS Foundation. Through my involvement with DM and the classes I took and the research I conducted, I became very committed to and passionate about the fight against the HIV epidemic and knew I wanted to do something to get involved myself. Having heard much about the program and wanting to obtain a lengthy and “authentic” experience, Peace Corps seemed like the logical choice.
I applied through a recruiter at UCLA and was interviewed and nominated for Health Extension—Sub-Saharan Africa on February 13, 2008. Then followed several months of supplementary follow-ups including, medical, dental, and legal clearances, proof of graduation, and others, until I was finally officially invited to serve as a health Volunteer in Mozambique. Located on the Eastern coast of Southern Africa, Mozambique is one of the poorest countries in the world, one of the five lowest on the Human Development Index, and the only country in sub-saharan Africa in which the incidence rate of HIV is continuing to rise.
I left my home in California on September 28, 2008 to begin the greatest adventure of my young life. After arriving in Mozambique, I moved in with a Mozambican family in a small village to be trained in everything from basic health and HIV issues to how to speak Portuguese to how to take a bucket bath. In mid-December 2008 I moved to my permanent site, a beautiful beach village in the southern part of the country, where I work full-time with an international NGO. My service goes through mid-November 2010, after which I will do some traveling in Africa and then figure out the next stage of my life! I love Africa, but I think it’s safe to say I will be returning state-side for at least a little while—I miss Starbucks and Whole Foods and hot running water too much!
For those considering Peace Corps, I will say that the tagline is true: it is indeed THE toughest job you will ever love. It is incredibly difficult: leaving your language, your culture, your loved ones, and the life you have built for yourself, to spend two years as a stranger in a strange land. But, it is also one of the most amazing opportunities and experiences that anyone could ever have, and incredibly rewarding in ways you could never imagine.
Here are a couple of posts I have written regarding key aspects of PC service:
Other important Peace Corps-related posts, such as guides to hitchhiking, what happens when ants flood your entire house, how to bathe in cold water when it´s so frigid you can´t even get out of bed, and near-death by coconut, can be found throughout the blog. 
I am more than happy to answer any questions about PC, feel free to email me!
This is the Peace Corps life!
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