I'll just dive right in. I'm Roxana and tomorrow I will be flying off to start my journey with the US Peace Corps in Panama! I'll be serving for the next 27 months as Teaching English volunteer.
I applied for the Peace Corps back in November of 2013, so it feels a little surreal to finally be leaving. There were essays, interviews, doctors exams, background checks, forms, more essays, more doctors visits, more forms, and FINALLY it's about to start. I was originally nominated to serve in Ukraine in September 2014, but that program was suspended due to well...revolution. So, instead I got my invitation in May 2014 to serve in Panama!
From what I've been reading, it seems like I hit the Peace Corps jackpot with Panama. Most volunteers have access to clean water and electricity. Some even have cell service and internet at/near their sites. I'm also super lucky to be going somewhere that speaks Spanish (which was one of my majors in college. Woo!). I'm so grateful that I'll only have to adjust to an unfamiliar culture instead of an unfamiliar culture AND language.
Why Peace Corps? Well, there are a lot of reasons. I'll start with the sappiest: I feel like this is something I HAVE to do in my lifetime. The same way some people join the military to fulfill a sense of duty to their country, I feel like I have a duty to serve people. Because I can serve, I must serve. I’ve been extremely privileged in my life and I feel like it’s my job now to spread the knowledge and skills I’ve been given to people who haven’t been as lucky. So, if not Peace Corps, then it would have been something similar.
With Peace Corps, though, I get the opportunity to live with my community for two full years. I’ve always been fascinated by other cultures, so being able to integrate myself so deeply into Panamanian life is something that really excites me.
…alright so now I’m in my hotel room in Miami after Staging, so I’m just gonna speed through some basic questions before I go to bed (for the last night in the U.S. for two years oh my gosh).
How long will I be gone and where will I be?
My service lasts 27 months. There are 3 months of training to start and then I’ll serve 2 full years in my community. The TE volunteers are doing our training in Santa Rita, which is 60 km west of Panama City. A few weeks into training we’ll find out where our communities will be and we’ll learn more about the specific projects for which those communities requested a volunteer.
What will I be doing?
This article from the Midwest Peace Corps blog does a good job of describing what I’ll be up to as a Teaching English (TE) volunteer: https://midwestpcvs.wordpress.com/2015/02/23/canton-mich-resident-begins-peace-corps-service-in-panama/ Of course, I won’t know exactly what projects I’ll be working on until I know where my community will be.
How can I reach you?
From what I’ve heard, Panama actually has pretty good cell and wifi access, so please stay in touch! If you want to text me, I’ll be using What’sApp. You can also email me, facebook me, and message me on this blog. If you want to send me a letter during training, the address I have right now is:
Cuerpo de Paz, Panamá
Edificio 240, 3er Piso
Calle Víctor Iglesias
Ciudad del Saber, Clayton
Corregimiento de Ancón
Panamá, Rep. De Panamá
That address will change once I know my site, so I’ll keep you updated. J
Well, that’s all for tonight. It’s been a LONG day of goodbyes, flights, and new friends. I’m just so excited to finally be here and with people who share all my same fears and aspirations. Our Staging event was really encouraging and all the other volunteers in my group seem super friendly. Ahhh, I’m ready for this adventure to start!
I’ll leave you all with this video the group before us made to show a “day in the life” of a Panama Peace Corps volunteer: this makes me smile every time I watch it.
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