"To Never Have To Start Sentences With I Wish I Would Have"

I must say that I'm not much of a blogger, but much of my decision to join the Peace Corps has relied heavily on what I have learned from other Peace Corps members' blogs.  So here I am, another blogger, sharing my stories of what will be my life in Uganda and hopefully helping others decide whether the Peace Corps is right for them or not!  I also feel that it is important for me to keep a record of my adventure in words, but as I found out on my last African trip, I do not enjoy writing by hand.  Therefore, do to the fact that this may be my only record of my trip  and the fact that this may influence someone's descion to join the Peace Corps, I will try to do my best to be honest about my feelings.  

Many people have asked me why I have decided to leave my comfortable life here in America to live in a poverty stricken place such as Africa.  In response, many have received a half answer such as "If I don't do it now, I never will."  While this is certainly true, it doesn't actually answer the question at hand.  My reasons for joining the Peace Corps have to do a lot with the experiences I had during my last trip to Kenya.  The people I met in Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda were some of the most loving and kind people I have ever met.  They reminded me of the importance of slowing down and taking the time to talk with those that surround us each day.  Everyday on my walk to school I was greeted by multiple people and everyone had a smile on their face.  I loved that my students were eager to learn and loved going to Saturday school, not because their teachers made their subjects exciting, most teachers relied on remote memorization, but because they saw the importance of an education.  I loved that despite the hardships that these people face each and everyday they are not hardened by life's hardships, but instead thankful for what they do have.  One day I had asked my students in Kenya to write letters to my students in Indiana; it was only then that I realized the extent of their hardships.  Many students and their families were struggling to pay school fees, many students had lost mothers and fathers to AIDS and other diseases, while others barely had enough to eat each day, but I would have never known it by their attitudes and their outlook on the world.  They believe that America is one of the greatest countries in the world and most have dreams of attending school there one day.  They loved seeing pictures from my home and wanted to know everything about my country and the people that make it what it is today.  

When I returned home I shared my experiences with the 7th graders at Discovery Middle School whom I student taught before my departure.  They were also very curious about my Kenyan adventure, but mostly about my students at Kabula Secondary School.  One of my students was examining a picture of my Kenyan students acting goofy and said, "Hey, they're just like us!"  That one comment has also played a big part in my decision to join the Peace Corps.  I think its important for people to see people for who they are, not where they come from.  While its important for each of us to maintain our culture and be proud of where we come from, I think that it is more important for us to realize that we are all first and foremost human beings with the same basic wants and needs.  It was amazing that by looking at this one picture this student understood this idea. Despite the fact that these two students lived on different sides of the world, that they spoke different languages, etc., they still had a lot in common.

While I tend to make brash decisions, the long application process of the Peace Corps has given me a lot of time to think about my decision. Over the past six months I have gone back and forth a lot on my decision.  While walking to work in Chicago I often times passed an ad for the Peace Corps that read, "To Never Have to Start a Sentence With I Wish I Would Have..."  While I often times go back and forth between the benefits of the Peace Corps and what I would miss here in America, I know that that their ad is right.  If I don't go now, I will one day be saying I wish I would have.