Thought I should share with those of you who aren't on Facebook, i.e. most family members. :)
The hardest part of Peace Corps is not carrying buckets of water up and down a hill just to be able to wash dishes and bathe. Nor is it being "far" from loved ones or giving up your previous life. To me, the hardest part of Peace Corps is trying to open up a mind to a completely foreign concept, like having some hotshot kid come into your English class, observe, give suggestions and constructive criticism, someone who isn't your boss, out to get your job, someone who just wants to help you improve your language skills and teaching methodologies. Many think, who would do that? The hardest part of Peace Corps is struggling on a daily basis to feel relevant, to make some sort of long-term impact on people who, for the most part, are happy with the way things are, or if they aren't, are more than likely unwilling to go through the full process needed to improve, or discover new ways of thinking. Many think, why care so much about the way they do things? The hardest part of Peace Corps is having a mind full of knowledge and ideas and a heart full of compassion and optimism and having life take jabs at you every day, testing you until you either endure and find your version of success or give up and move on to the next venture. The hardest part of Peace Corps is thinking that after two years, the people you fought so hard for may not take to heart the knowledge you tried to impart, or even give a second thought to the work you tried to do.
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