The 4 Most Important Words in the Peace Corps

“Your project was successful” and “your community loves you” are what you hope to be the 4 most important words in your Peace Corps Volunteer experience but it’s not for me. Believe it or not, the 4 words that can completely lift your spirits when you’re missing to be back home in the US with all the conveniences and comforts or things just aren’t going as well at your site is “Pick up your package” from the local post office. By far, the quickest way to get your spirits lifted is knowing you are getting a care package from friends and family.

Since I live in the second largest city in Armenia my situation is a lot different from the Peace Corps Volunteers who are assigned to smaller communities and villages. I know that the Volunteers who live in hardship areas don’t even have restaurants, theaters, shopping centers, or any other activities don’t have much sympathy for Volunteers like me but we all miss being back home. We as human beings are creatures of habit and being out of our comfort zones for extended periods of time can wear us down. That’s why getting care packages filled with goodies makes the experience of living in a developing country a little more bearable.

Everyone has their vices and mine are Cheetos, Tapatio hot sauce, and sauces/spices for cooking. I especially like the care packages from my mom since she sends me Asian food. The only place to get Asian food in Armenia is in the capital so it’s always a special treat. Other Volunteers enjoy getting items like Gatorade, special brand of toiletries, and sentimental gifts. The funny thing is once someone gets a care package from back home the first order of business is to announce it to all the other Peace Corps Volunteers as a way to share their happiness on social media and then barter the goods with other Volunteers. In a funny way it’s reminiscent of prisoners bartering items of contraband smuggled into the prison.

Life in the Peace Corps is a long marathon and having ups and downs is a part of the experience. Sadly, the downs seem to occur much longer than the ups and receiving a care package from friends and family back home always seem to give me the recharge and focus I need to keeping moving forward. To those who are reading this and know someone who is living or working abroad just know that your simple act of kindness goes a long way.