Tomorrow morning I leave for my journey to Paraguay. I can't believe that this moment is finally here. It doesn't even feel real, but my bags are packed and my belongings here in Minnesota are put away for the next two years.
A phrase that my mom and I have used these past couple of months is "Because I Can." Why is my mom calling me right now? "Because she can." For the next two years the ability and frequency for my mom to call me will not be as easy.
Other occasions that I have used this phrase are:
-Drinking milk
-Vacuuming the carpet
-Using the air conditioning
-Eating Chipotle...and lots of Pizza!
-Driving my car
-Hanging out at Dunn Bros. Coffee Shop
-Visiting friends
-Sleeping on a comfortable mattress and pillow
-Spending time on the internet and watching TV
-Snuggling with Ranger, my dog.
-Hugging my parents and friends
As of tomorrow many I won't have access, or at least frequent access, to these things. I will miss all of these things but some of them I will be glad to be free of. I am looking forward to the simpleness and the stillness in Paraguay. As I enter this new culture and country my senses will be hightened and I will experience many new things. It will be very exciting and maybe even a little scary. But I am prepared and excited for this journey.
Tomorrow I fly to Miami. I will stay there Tuesday night and spend Wednesday in orientation, which includes meeting the other volunteers that are going to Paraguay with me. Then on Wednesday night we will begin the over eleven hours of travel to Paraguay. I will first go through 3 months of training, which includes living with a host family in a small village, learning the language, skill sets, cultural norms, and health and safety tips. I will post when I can! Until the other side of the Equator!
Monday, September 27, 2010
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Not...quite....in Paraguay
So I know this blog may confuse some of you because it already says I'm in Paraguay. Alas, not yet. In August I moved from Memphis back into my parent's basement in Minnesota. This is where I am until I fly to Miami for "Staging" (aka orientation) on the 28th. The following day, the 29th, is when we leave for Paraguay. It's only 20 days away! I can't believe it!
After I arrive in Paraguay I will spend 3 months as a Peace Corps Trainee. I will live in a village with a host family, study Guarani, learn about the culture, and be trained on all things important to being a crop extension volunteer in Paraguay! During that time I will learn the actual location of where I will be living and then in December I will move there and that is where I will stay for 2 years. So within theses 5 months I will go through a lot of transition. I hope you can keep up!
After I arrive in Paraguay I will spend 3 months as a Peace Corps Trainee. I will live in a village with a host family, study Guarani, learn about the culture, and be trained on all things important to being a crop extension volunteer in Paraguay! During that time I will learn the actual location of where I will be living and then in December I will move there and that is where I will stay for 2 years. So within theses 5 months I will go through a lot of transition. I hope you can keep up!
Monday, September 6, 2010
What the heck is an aspiration statement?
Once I accepted my Peace Corps invitation I had to complete an aspiration statement and a resume to send to my supervisors in Paraguay to get to know me. The resume was pretty easy, but the aspiration statement I put off to the very end. What is this thing anyways? Well, I finally sat down and pounded it out. This is what I came up with.
A.The professional attributes that you plan to use, and what aspirations you hope to fulfill during your Peace Corps service.
My professional background is in Social Work, so I have been equipped with skills that allow me to effectively work with individuals, families, groups, and communities so that they have the skills and ability to help themselves. The most influential experience in my professional training up to this point was working at a community organizing agency. I learned how to use their model for community transformation which not only focused on the physical aspects of the community, but also the development of the people within the community. Developing trusting relationships and identifying within the community and individuals the resources and skills that are available to themselves were important skills I gained. The foundations of this strategy were developed by Paulo Freire, a Brazilian educator and theorist, and one who I have studied and model my work after. The strategy I plan to use is the approach of a servant-leader that places the work and development of the people first and second comes accomplishing the task that is to be accomplished. Other attributes include taking initiative, being self-motivated, a good listener and learner, a team player, organized, flexible, and the ability to see a need and address it.
I am really looking forward to practicing this model as a Peace Corps volunteer in Paraguay as well as acquiring strategies that the Peace Corps uses to become an effective community worker. My goal is not to “save a community,” but to be effective in one or two systems within the community which will allow for the community to continue changing over several years. I hope to assist in developing skills and abilities, including leadership, in individual members so that they can continue the work.
B.Your strategies for working effectively with host country partners to meet expressed needs.
I think that in order to work effectively with a host country partner it requires building a level of trust. It is extremely important not to view myself as the “expert,” but see ourselves as learners together. My strategy is to help guide and shape change while simultaneously empowering others to become change agents within their community. Knowing how to utilize our resources will be important to our success. It will be important to be honest so that my expressed needs are met and that we work effectively together. Patience will also be an important skill, as I have already learned through the Peace Corps application process. The relationships that I build within the community will be a key part to the work that I will be doing. Using every opportunity I have to interact with the community members will be a key component. Not only will I be intentional about my host family relationship, but also take time to interact with the people that they introduce me to and that I come in contact with around the community. I think it will be incredibly important for me to become a listener and also to share myself with others. This past year working with Somalis I developed a level of comfort to stop by their homes simply to visit and share a cup of tea. This was a really special thing that I hope is welcome in the Guarani culture. It will also be important to identify community leaders.
C. Your strategies for adapting to a new culture with respect to your own cultural background.
One of my demonstrated strengths is that I can easily adapt to a new environment. The strategy for adapting to a new culture that I find the most helpful is to suspend judgment and become a learner of the culture. Another thing that I have appreciated when crossing cultures is to understand the values of the culture and then see what they look like daily in a culture. For example, Somalis don’t value time and they don’t value individuality like American culture does. Therefore not only is being on time not important but neither are birthdays important because they mark both time and they celebrate the individual. I find these types of things important to learn about when entering another culture. I am very welcoming of difference and accepting of others and will use that to my advantage. First I will be a learner and second I will become a teacher. When the Paraguayans seem to be uneasy with a U.S. cultural norm that I am displaying, I will take the opportunity to teach them about my culture. Not only will we understand each other better but I will continue to respect my culture. An ability to laugh will be extremely important along with recognizing the stages of culture development that I am in.
D. The skills and knowledge you hope to gain during pre-service training to best serve your future community and project.
One thing that I hope to learn during training is additional agricultural teaching and skills. My training in agriculture is basic and there is so much more that I feel I need to learn to be effective. I am looking forward to learning the Guarani language. I also hope to learn about the values and norms of the culture before entering the culture. I am hoping to learn more useful skills and strategies for working effectively in a community.
E. How you think Peace Corps service will influence your personal and professional aspirations after your service ends.
After returning from the Peace Corps I foresee myself returning to school to earn my masters in social work with an emphasis on social and economic development. Not only will the Peace Corps be a great addition to an application and a way to receive financial assistance, but the skills that I acquire in the Peace Corps combined with the skills acquired after receiving a masters will be a combination that will assist me in working in low-income, underserved communities across the United States and possibly the world. I desire to work towards social justice. I don’t know exactly what that will look like but being exposed to a community organizing model while interning at a community organizing agency gave me a vision for what community development can look like when the residents are given control and guidance. I can see myself working for a small community organization in the U.S. or, in contrast, with the United Nations or Oxfam International.
Personally I desire to develop a global worldview that can assist me in being an effective U.S. citizen, either inside the U.S. or around the world. The U.S. is a diverse country and knowing how to work amidst diversity will be important. Also, teaching those who have a minimal cross-cultural understanding in order to raise their awareness will be important in building bridges across differences in the U.S. I desire to develop relationships, live simply, seek community and share hospitality. I hope that the Peace Corps experience offers unique perspectives on what it means to live as a community and that I will experience Guarani culture of hospitality.
A.The professional attributes that you plan to use, and what aspirations you hope to fulfill during your Peace Corps service.
My professional background is in Social Work, so I have been equipped with skills that allow me to effectively work with individuals, families, groups, and communities so that they have the skills and ability to help themselves. The most influential experience in my professional training up to this point was working at a community organizing agency. I learned how to use their model for community transformation which not only focused on the physical aspects of the community, but also the development of the people within the community. Developing trusting relationships and identifying within the community and individuals the resources and skills that are available to themselves were important skills I gained. The foundations of this strategy were developed by Paulo Freire, a Brazilian educator and theorist, and one who I have studied and model my work after. The strategy I plan to use is the approach of a servant-leader that places the work and development of the people first and second comes accomplishing the task that is to be accomplished. Other attributes include taking initiative, being self-motivated, a good listener and learner, a team player, organized, flexible, and the ability to see a need and address it.
I am really looking forward to practicing this model as a Peace Corps volunteer in Paraguay as well as acquiring strategies that the Peace Corps uses to become an effective community worker. My goal is not to “save a community,” but to be effective in one or two systems within the community which will allow for the community to continue changing over several years. I hope to assist in developing skills and abilities, including leadership, in individual members so that they can continue the work.
B.Your strategies for working effectively with host country partners to meet expressed needs.
I think that in order to work effectively with a host country partner it requires building a level of trust. It is extremely important not to view myself as the “expert,” but see ourselves as learners together. My strategy is to help guide and shape change while simultaneously empowering others to become change agents within their community. Knowing how to utilize our resources will be important to our success. It will be important to be honest so that my expressed needs are met and that we work effectively together. Patience will also be an important skill, as I have already learned through the Peace Corps application process. The relationships that I build within the community will be a key part to the work that I will be doing. Using every opportunity I have to interact with the community members will be a key component. Not only will I be intentional about my host family relationship, but also take time to interact with the people that they introduce me to and that I come in contact with around the community. I think it will be incredibly important for me to become a listener and also to share myself with others. This past year working with Somalis I developed a level of comfort to stop by their homes simply to visit and share a cup of tea. This was a really special thing that I hope is welcome in the Guarani culture. It will also be important to identify community leaders.
C. Your strategies for adapting to a new culture with respect to your own cultural background.
One of my demonstrated strengths is that I can easily adapt to a new environment. The strategy for adapting to a new culture that I find the most helpful is to suspend judgment and become a learner of the culture. Another thing that I have appreciated when crossing cultures is to understand the values of the culture and then see what they look like daily in a culture. For example, Somalis don’t value time and they don’t value individuality like American culture does. Therefore not only is being on time not important but neither are birthdays important because they mark both time and they celebrate the individual. I find these types of things important to learn about when entering another culture. I am very welcoming of difference and accepting of others and will use that to my advantage. First I will be a learner and second I will become a teacher. When the Paraguayans seem to be uneasy with a U.S. cultural norm that I am displaying, I will take the opportunity to teach them about my culture. Not only will we understand each other better but I will continue to respect my culture. An ability to laugh will be extremely important along with recognizing the stages of culture development that I am in.
D. The skills and knowledge you hope to gain during pre-service training to best serve your future community and project.
One thing that I hope to learn during training is additional agricultural teaching and skills. My training in agriculture is basic and there is so much more that I feel I need to learn to be effective. I am looking forward to learning the Guarani language. I also hope to learn about the values and norms of the culture before entering the culture. I am hoping to learn more useful skills and strategies for working effectively in a community.
E. How you think Peace Corps service will influence your personal and professional aspirations after your service ends.
After returning from the Peace Corps I foresee myself returning to school to earn my masters in social work with an emphasis on social and economic development. Not only will the Peace Corps be a great addition to an application and a way to receive financial assistance, but the skills that I acquire in the Peace Corps combined with the skills acquired after receiving a masters will be a combination that will assist me in working in low-income, underserved communities across the United States and possibly the world. I desire to work towards social justice. I don’t know exactly what that will look like but being exposed to a community organizing model while interning at a community organizing agency gave me a vision for what community development can look like when the residents are given control and guidance. I can see myself working for a small community organization in the U.S. or, in contrast, with the United Nations or Oxfam International.
Personally I desire to develop a global worldview that can assist me in being an effective U.S. citizen, either inside the U.S. or around the world. The U.S. is a diverse country and knowing how to work amidst diversity will be important. Also, teaching those who have a minimal cross-cultural understanding in order to raise their awareness will be important in building bridges across differences in the U.S. I desire to develop relationships, live simply, seek community and share hospitality. I hope that the Peace Corps experience offers unique perspectives on what it means to live as a community and that I will experience Guarani culture of hospitality.
Sunday, September 5, 2010
The Journey Begins
So this Peace Corps journey actually began for me about five years ago when I first heard about the Peace Corps as a freshman. I was young an idealistic (well I still am) and I wanted to change the world through community development. When I came upon the Peace Corps it sounded perfect.
The spring of my senior year of college I started my application. This normally doesn't take as long to complete, but I didn't finish it until the middle of December. The application was really long and consisted of such a wide variety of question from how much debt do I have to how would I describe my cultural development.
Once I submitted my application (it was completely online) I heard from the Peace Corps within a couple of days. They sent me some paperwork that I had to complete within the next two weeks, so I went home for Christmas, got fingerprinted, and turned in the necessary forms. I heard back from them soon after that and I set up an interview with my recruiter. I had my in-person interview on February 16th and by the 26th I was nominated. At that time I knew that I would be going to South or Central America doing Agriculture extension and leaving in September. That was all I knew until I was invited.
The next three months I spent completing paperwork that the PC had sent me in regards to my medical and dental health. I visited a doctor, a dentist (twice) and an eye-doctor. Everything checked out. I sent it all in the beginning of May. The next time I heard from the PC was the end of July. They e-mailed me and asked me to call them, we discussed some health related matters, I sent them more paperwork a couple days later, and then a few days after that I heard that I was medically cleared.
That was the beginning of August and I was supposed to leave in September! I still didn't know where I was going or when I was supposed to leave. Meanwhile my life in Memphis was naturally transitioning and I didn't know whether to look for work or move back in with my parents. I opted to move back in with my parents for a short time, but cut the time limit at September. Luckily, I didn't have to. On August 13th I received a phone call from the PC asking me some more questions about my willingness and clarifying some of their policies for me. On August 17th I received my invitation in the mail, which said that I had been invited to serve in Paraguay as a Crop extensionist and that I would be leaving September 29th. Whew! I read the required materials, and e-mailed my acceptance the following day.
And this journey is only just beginning!
The spring of my senior year of college I started my application. This normally doesn't take as long to complete, but I didn't finish it until the middle of December. The application was really long and consisted of such a wide variety of question from how much debt do I have to how would I describe my cultural development.
Once I submitted my application (it was completely online) I heard from the Peace Corps within a couple of days. They sent me some paperwork that I had to complete within the next two weeks, so I went home for Christmas, got fingerprinted, and turned in the necessary forms. I heard back from them soon after that and I set up an interview with my recruiter. I had my in-person interview on February 16th and by the 26th I was nominated. At that time I knew that I would be going to South or Central America doing Agriculture extension and leaving in September. That was all I knew until I was invited.
The next three months I spent completing paperwork that the PC had sent me in regards to my medical and dental health. I visited a doctor, a dentist (twice) and an eye-doctor. Everything checked out. I sent it all in the beginning of May. The next time I heard from the PC was the end of July. They e-mailed me and asked me to call them, we discussed some health related matters, I sent them more paperwork a couple days later, and then a few days after that I heard that I was medically cleared.
That was the beginning of August and I was supposed to leave in September! I still didn't know where I was going or when I was supposed to leave. Meanwhile my life in Memphis was naturally transitioning and I didn't know whether to look for work or move back in with my parents. I opted to move back in with my parents for a short time, but cut the time limit at September. Luckily, I didn't have to. On August 13th I received a phone call from the PC asking me some more questions about my willingness and clarifying some of their policies for me. On August 17th I received my invitation in the mail, which said that I had been invited to serve in Paraguay as a Crop extensionist and that I would be leaving September 29th. Whew! I read the required materials, and e-mailed my acceptance the following day.
And this journey is only just beginning!
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