Pre-Departure, 04/28/25

There is definitely more I could write here about my thoughts and feelings pre-departure, but I will try to keep it short and simple.

It is now officially just under 1 week away from departure. On May 4th, I will fly out to Houston for 2 days of staging to meet the Belize program staff and my fellow cohort volunteers. I’d say right now I am a mixed bag of emotions of ranging from feeling beyond excited to almost terrified of this “unknown”. Having some nerves is a good thing, though, and as my old manager at Fidelity used to put it, it’s healthy to feel a little nervous so long as you are confident in yourself in the end. And I do feel ready to take this step. This past month, I have spent my time packing and packing (still more to do), preparing, and going to different cities to visit friends from home and university as a sort of temporary farewell/catching-up tour.

All of that travel time has also given me opportunities to reflect on why I chose the Peace Corps. Growing up, I was very much a homebody. Even going to university in Boston - 40 mins from home - felt like a big stretch to me in the first year. At school, I originally majored in Environmental Analysis & Policy because I had worked a lot in sustainable farming throughout high school. However, in my sophomore year, I took a foreign policy class which I ended up enjoying so much that I switched my major to International Relations (IR). Eventually, this led me to a study abroad/internship semester in London with one of my best friends where I had a blast. Right after graduation, I went to a Peace Corps recruiter’s coffee chat and was amazed by the stories the recruiter told me of their time in Albania. I remember thinking I want to be a part of that; It felt like the right next step in my IR journey. The deep cultural immersion, language learning, and opportunity to meet other unique volunteers is such a transformative experience that I am thrilled for!

I cannot wait to get started and post more! Stay tuned!