What’s the Best Piece of Advice You’ve Gotten From Another PCV?
More tips, wisdom and advice from people who know what they're talking about.
We have a lot of responses for you on this version of No One Asked, We Answered! Continuing with the theme of advice and tips for new PCVs, today we are talking about the most important lessons we have learned either during our own service or from other Returned Peace Corps Volunteers. Each writer offered a valuable insight and a short explanation to expand on it. So without further ado, here’s Take it from a PCV: Lessons Learned.
Learn to say no. Everyone’s going to want you to do everything—teach a class for teachers after school, host a conversation club three times a week, join them at church Saturday mornings, and a dozen other things (not to mention that everyone you meet has a child who needs private classes). If you don’t learn to say no, you will quickly become overcommitted and your work will suffer. It is better to start small and build; that way you can ensure that what you’re doing is what you want to be doing.
Ian, CII-19
The experience as a volunteer is whatever you want it to be. As a Peace Corps Volunteer, you always represent the Peace Corps, but you are not being monitored by staff at all hours. Training is more intensive, you spend many hours with other volunteers and staff members learning about how to do your job, but then you get dropped off at site. There, no one knows you and you get to choose who you are and what you do. You can be active in the community by attending events with newly made friends or neighbors. You can make an effort to get to know your students and truly learn from one another. You can start a club for your community, helping them to achieve their goals. Or, you could do none of this. The choice is up to you, but I hope you choose wisely. Your time here is precious and fleeting.
Morgan, CII-21
Go to the bathroom before you get on the bus. The first time I traveled from Tunja to Bogotá I figured I could purchase my ticket, use the bathroom, and have a leisurely wait before we left. As I purchased my ticket, the woman told me the bus was waiting on me to leave. Of course, this was the only bus I've seen without a bathroom. I had to let it leave and wait for another one so I could use the bathroom, hence the reason that using the bathroom before you buy your ticket is the best piece of advice I've received from a fellow PCV.
Marcella, CII-20
Receiving advice and generally communicating with others in queer spaces was helpful in deciding how I navigate my own identity in my town. I was shown the reality of being gay in small-town Colombia without the filters placed in official PC spaces. Talking with a queer volunteer prior made me cautious about being open with my own identity, and I am grateful that I have kept a lower profile in that regard despite there being some open queer spaces in my town.
Shaleena, CII-21
Be up front when making friendships with somebody of the other gender. I never thought this advice would apply to me. I've been socializing for over twenty-three years—I can read people, pick up on subtle cues, maintain many friendships, and have never had a misunderstanding. So, when a friend ghosted me in town, I was shocked. Looking back, I realize I should've been more direct when I first met them and asked my host mom for her thoughts on my actions. When it comes to building relationships, especially with people of the opposite gender in Colombia, it’s best to listen to the advice of Colombians.
Paco, CII-21
Every 6 months, there are really high-highs and really low-lows and it’s natural to feel that way. Peace Corps has an amazing and extensive network in and outside of service. A few months before departure, I spoke with a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer and while talking, one piece of advice that stuck with me and has rung true is that the “Peace Corps Experience” is like a rollercoaster. About every six months, you feel the changes in crest and trough. The highs are the best you may ever feel, and the lows may be the worst. Going through a low, it was grounding to remember that this is normal, and with a great support system, I can “ride it out” to eventually start moving upward.
Sydney G., CII-21
Go visit your fellow PCVs at their sites. Of course integration is important and you should get to know your community the best you can. However, your mental health should always be a priority and sometimes familiarity in the form of culture and language can be a refresher and a reminder that you’re not doing this experience alone. I live in the Andean region and have found the bus transportation system to be very easy and efficient. Visiting other volunteers is a great way for me to escape my small community and share and vent about my experiences.
Sidney M., CII-19
Remember why you joined the Peace Corps in the first place. Things will inevitably get difficult, so remembering your “why” is key to helping you stick it through. I received this advice before I even joined Peace Corps. Now that I’m here, I’ve found that it can be easy to get lost in the day-to-day activities at site and forget what your initial motivation for joining was. Remembering that is the key to staying motivated through hardships.
Sofia, CII-21
Be yourself. This was actually advice from my host brother Arean Acosta on the coast. I was very excited and eager to be here in Colombia that I was behaving like an extrovert. I found myself getting burnt out. Later, we had a conversation about it and he recommended that I be myself. If I’m an introvert, be an introvert.
Mateo, CII-17
Making your happiness something to prioritize is critical to the longevity of your Peace Corps service. If you are unhappy, don’t do anything to find happiness, or solve the reasons behind your unhappiness, it will eventually bleed into your mental health and work. By finding the little and big things that make you happy, energize, and inspire you, you will unlock an ability to make a true impact on your own life and in your community.
Ellie, CII-21
Document your journey. Keep some sort of journal to reflect on your experiences and everyday life. After doing this for a while, you can look back on all the good and bad memories to help stay mindful and focused for days to come.
Jackson, CII-20
Enjoy it while it lasts. Two years might sound like a long time at first, but the truth is that it flies by. You also never know when something might happen to make it less than two years (case in point: getting hit by a car). As someone whose time was cut short, the worst thing is ending service wishing I had done more, so take advantage of every moment and opportunity you are given. Don’t push off ideas, plans, or activities for another day, because there might not be another day. That sounds dark, but it is true: enjoy the time while it lasts because it’ll be over before you know it!
Annabel, CII-19
Disclaimer: The content of this publication is generated by individual volunteers. The opinions and thoughts expressed here do not reflect any position of the United States government or the Peace Corps.