Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Mo-Sam-bique

So in case you don't know, on September 28th I'm going to the bique to visit my bros from Moz for 27 months of Peace Corps service. The idea is that I'm supposed to be a secondary math teacher, but considering how things are always in flux, that might change.

What might also change is my reasons for going there. Though they have been evolving and revolving since the moment I decided to join the Peace Corps over a year and a half ago, the foundations have remained the same: The Program, Their Life, and My Growth.

The Program: Since I've heard about the Peace Corps, it has seemed like one of the best programs our government runs. Sending some of our best and brightest young citizens abroad to do volunteer work, learn about foreign cultures, and teach host country nationals about what Americans are really like is as important for our nation's political discourse, growth, and safety as any other government program. To be one of these chosen few is a true honor and I hope to live up to the expectations I have set for myself.

Their Life: Growing up in an affluent suburb of New York City, attending a top flight high school and university, and having to worry about mostly first-world problems is a privileged life. But it makes it easy to forget how difficult life in the rest of the world can be. So in order to truly appreciate where I come from and properly orient myself for where I want to go, its important for me to see the world as it truly is.

My Growth: Being one of the lucky few who have grown up in a multi-cultural home and had the opportunity to travel the world, much of my education has been done while living out of a suitcase. By throwing myself into a completely unfamiliar environment with unknown challenges, I will be able to build on my strengths, understand my weaknesses, figure out what really matters to me.


Right now I'm ready to leave and I'm woefully under-prepared, I'm motivated to make a difference and I'm discouraged that it won't really matter, I look forward to all the upcoming adventures and I'm cautious because the cost of a mistake will be much higher, I'm confident in the decisions that led me here and I wonder what the hell I'm thinking. 


I'm excited about everything being new and scared about having to relearn all I know


A man walks down the street
It's a street in a strange world
Maybe it's the third world
Maybe it's his first time around

3 comments:

  1. Sam, thank you for your email, i just wanted to share with the you the shared feelings, while i am wishing you all the best out there.

    best of luck,
    Moad

    ReplyDelete
  2. It looks exactly like mission hill...

    ReplyDelete