It seems that long gone are the days of the crapshoot of
applying for Peace Corps. Back in my day
(said in a wispy old man voice) you just applied for Peace Corps, and the
agency would select a sector and country for you based on your skills and the
needs of the community. Now people can
apply for up to three different posts, or they can choose “Anywhere” to throw
their lot in randomly just like us old-timers.
This new process may cause a lack of demand for a few
countries. For example, I can only
imagine how many people apply for such countries as Thailand or South Africa over
others like Burkina Faso or Kyrgyzstan. Of
course, each post has its own set of assets that are offered to PCVs.
While living in Morocco can be harsh to those not accustomed
to arid living or seeking a less religiously conservative society, PCVs there
may have the best program for learning the Arabic language. Since many PCVs learned Spanish during high
school or college, serving in a Spanish-speaking country offers them the
opportunity to improve their language skills while allowing them to visit Machu
Pichu in Peru, explore the well-preserved rainforests of Costa Rica, or dance
salsa music with gorgeous Colombian women.
And of course there are countries that offer months of endless beach
opportunities, in countries like Belize, the Philippines, and the Pacific and
Caribbean islands (Fiji, Vanuatu, Grenada).
Finally, who wouldn’t look forward to enjoying the delicious cuisines of
Mexico, Senegal, Ethiopia, or Thailand?
On the surface, Macedonia seems to lack some of those major
perks that typical PCVs seek. It has a
pretty hefty winter, so many PCVs here often dream of Asia or Africa in the
winter. It is also landlocked, so we are
most likely climbing into the mountains rather than soaking our feet in the
ocean after a tough day of work. Also,
as I mentioned in a previous post, Macedonia is a comparatively developed
country (compared to other PCV countries), so individual contribution to one’s
community is more difficult to measure.
For example, PCVs will never supply water to a village by building a
well, help prevent the spread of AIDS among youth, or introduce a more
drought-resistant seed or grain, because Macedonia does not have these basic
issues. Finally, Macedonian is not
necessarily a useful language outside of the country. Sure, it serves as a bridge to other Slavic
languages. But as one of my counterparts
mentioned, I can be a true hipster when I return to Chicago because I know how
to speak not-so-widely-known Macedonian.
However, Macedonia does have a lot of positive attributes
that make serving here enjoyable in a way that other countries cannot
compare. First, the country lacks
debilitating diseases, so PCVs do not need to worry about contracting Malaria
or other tropical ailments. Development
also means grocery stores, widespread access to wi-fi, and coffee shops that
are typical to what we are used to in the USA or in Western Europe. Also, Macedonia is close to many other
countries within Europe, which allows us to cheaply cross off cities and
countries from our bucket lists. As many
visitors will verify, the people here are some of the friendliest in the world,
and the food is rather delicious. Thus,
Macedonia has plenty of positives as a tourist destination as well as a place
to volunteer for 2+ years.
In my opinion, the greatest asset of Peace Corps Macedonia
is the country’s small size and reliable bus service. Peace Corps can overall be a difficult and
isolating experience, especially in the beginning. What makes PC Macedonia more tolerable is the
ability to share one’s struggles and commiserate with other volunteers who
either live in the same town, or are located only a 2-4 hour bus ride
away. With around 80 volunteers currently
serving in Macedonia, and with an expected 110 next year, finding a friend who
likes to do what you like to do (from the young to the old, from the
introverted to the extroverted) is very likely.
I can say that I am lucky to have met some amazing Americans
(Macedonians as well, but that is not the point of this post) that I would
never have had the chance to meet in the USA.
Looking back, when HCNs asked me if I terribly missed home,
I would often respond that it wasn't that bad.
I obviously could keep in touch with close family and friends by Skype
and email. But what made leaving my
close friends back home so tolerable was that I was also making some new close
friends here. In a way, it almost feels
like we are a family, because we go through the same ordeals and lean on each
other to overcome.
During the last weekend in March, I helped to organize a
three-birthday celebration in Skopje.
All of these people were very close to me, including Ted who went
through PST with me in Lozovo, Jake who works with me for YMLP, and Susan who
is my next-door neighbor and sitemate. The
significance of these PCVs to others was evident as many (I would approximate
maybe 60% of the volunteers) visited Skopje at one point during the weekend to
celebrate their birthdays. Throughout
the weekend, I deliberately reflected on how great it is to have all of these
people in my life. It was a great time
to be thankful for all of the MAK18s and MAK19s who were there.
Few join Peace Corps with the primary intention to make new
friends (especially friends with other Americans). However, part of the Peace Corps experience
is creating these lifelong bonds with people who have had a very similar
experience as you. As the months count
down, I worry that I may never see some of these people again, and that many of
us will be thrown to the wind, spread across the USA (or the world) as life
plans scatter us like pins on a map.
Until then, good moments are still to be had, and groups will continue
to serve in Macedonia after us, molding friendships of similar strength.
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