Five Ways Serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer is a lot like Bilbo's story in "The Hobbit"
It is no secret that I am an ultimate, die-hard The Hobbit fan. It doesn't matter if it is the book or the movie series, the story line and characters get to me every time. I recently decided to re-read the book and I cannot help but, naturally, find parallels between my life and that of Bilbo Baggins'. As a Peace Corps volunteer, here are the similarities that I have found between service and Bilbo's story.
1. We partake in an unexpected journey
It is custom for individuals applying to be a volunteer to be placed in any (dependent on the selected sector of application) of the 60+ countries where Peace Corps volunteers serve without knowing about their placement country until receiving an invitation for an interview. The application process recently has allowed for volunteers to have a say in where they would like to go, but it is not a guarantee that someone will get their choice for a country. It is not unheard of for volunteers to be placed in countries they know little about.
For those of you who know Bilbo's story, he is whisked away into adventure less than 24 hours after first learning about it. He knows very little about the details pertaining to his company or what is in store. The fact that he chose to go is a surprise to everyone, including himself. Thankfully, Peace Corps volunteers have more time before departing on their journey. Though takes much planning and preparation to become a volunteer, there is still a great deal of unknown. What will my job be? Where will I live? Will I learn the language well? One of the best attitudes a Peace Corps volunteer can maintain is one with low expectations because it allows for less disappointment and more opportunity to learn.
2. We meet new, strange friends
It probably never crossed Bilbo's mind that he would ever befriend a group of unruly dwarves. Hobbits and dwarves simply have no business in which they would need to mingle with one another. But the dwarves came to Bilbo seeking his assistance and, however unlikely it may be, together they formed the company that would eventually claim back the Lonely Mountain. Slowly, and not without a few disagreements, Bilbo and the dwarves form a special bond created by the nature of their journey. They relied on one another to stay alive and shared experiences that no one else could understand outside of their company. The same could be said for Peace Corps volunteers.
The first time all of the volunteers meet face-to-face is a few days before departure. We discover that we come from all over the country with different ages, interests, backgrounds, beliefs, etc. For some it is instant and for others it takes a bit more time, but friendships develop nonetheless. Some people find life-long friends and others even find spouses. It is through the chaos of our service and similar, shared experiences that we find strength in one another's company. There is seeingly no reason for why any of us should become friends outside of the Peace Corps.
3. We travel to foreign places
It is very safe to say that Bilbo never left the Shire until his desire to go on a great adventure overcame his in-born nature to live a comfortable life. Bilbo was going to go to places that he did not know existed outside of the stories. It was the thrill of this journey that propelled him out of the door. With any adventure to foreign lands, there are challenges. Bilbo met all types of people (and creatures), lived without his usual comforts, and was forced to make difficult decisions. On many occasions, Biblo would reasonably long for the familiar and wondered why he even decided to leave his quaint hobbit-hole.
As previously mentioned, a Peace Corps volunteer has time to read about his/her country of service before leaving America, but nothing can fully prepare someone for the unfamiliar sights, smells, tastes, and sounds of a new place. It is exciting to experience a different lifestyle and this excitement for the unknown is one of the key factors someone may apply to become a Peace Corps volunteer. No adventure is without its challenges, however. There are days I wish I could go home for only a few hours to eat a good meal at Panera Bread. It is human nature to miss the familiar, especially when the challenges remind us about how good we may have had it back home. This is why it is important to have a supportive group of people around us. I also like remember the reason why I started on this journey.
4. We have the right qualifications
Peace Corps has a very detailed application process to ensure that it gets some of the best volunteers. There are some basic requirements in order to apply to ensure that not just anyone is applying for any sector that sounds cool. Yet, there are still ways in which we are lacking some important skills. Peace Corps provides a rigorous training for the first three-months prior to service in order to help make up for some of those deficits, such training in the local language and culture. But there are times when we are asked to do crazy tasks at site that we have never done before in a context that is not always comfortable. How are we qualified to handle those moments? Here is where we are similar to Bilbo.
The number one factor that the others saw in Bilbo to serve as a burglar in their company was not that he was a great thief (having never stolen anything in his life), but that he was a small hobbit and Smaug would not easily detect him. But there was more to Bilbo's hobbit-nature that made him a good applicant. Bilbo was willing, above all else, to be a part of a company that had the odds stacked against it. In the movie series, Thorin Oakenshield states that he had no doubts in his small, unimpressive group because they answered his call; they all had willing hearts and he would rather have them than the best warriors because they were loyal to his cause. And this is exactly what makes a Peace Corps volunteer great. We do have specific qualifications that allow us to make the cut, but it is our willing attitude to use the knowledge and skills we do have, especially in ways we may have never anticipated, that makes us most qualified for the job.
5. We are changed from our journey
In order to encourage Bilbo to help the dwarves, Gandalf has a pep talk with the hobbit. In the movie series, Gandalf tells Bilbo that adventures are not in his storybooks but out in the world. He does not guarantee that Bilbo will come back from the journey, but Gandalf is certain that, if he does return, he will not be the same. And he could not have predicted a truer outcome. In the beginning of his story, we can see a hobbit who is overly concerned with his mother's dishes, unwilling to take risks, and wants nothing more than to keep his current routine in Bag-End. By the end of his adventure, Bilbo is a different hobbit; he is loyal to his friends, courageous, and a little bit unpredictable. It is the nature of the challenges he faced on his journey that caused Bilbo not only to re-evaluate his priorities but take actions that subconsciously changed his behaviors.
There is no doubt that Peace Corps service changes its volunteers. From the very beginning, we are learning new languages and cultural norms that broaden our perspectives. We make new friends, who may have different beliefs about the world, and share our stories with one another. We encounter challenges that force us to examine who we are as people. We have learned to live a new lifestyle different from the life we lived in the United States. All of these experiences cannot help be redefine us. Everyone responds to their Peace Corps service differently, but I am sure that we all carry the lessons we learned from our service wherever we may go.
1. We partake in an unexpected journey
It is custom for individuals applying to be a volunteer to be placed in any (dependent on the selected sector of application) of the 60+ countries where Peace Corps volunteers serve without knowing about their placement country until receiving an invitation for an interview. The application process recently has allowed for volunteers to have a say in where they would like to go, but it is not a guarantee that someone will get their choice for a country. It is not unheard of for volunteers to be placed in countries they know little about.
For those of you who know Bilbo's story, he is whisked away into adventure less than 24 hours after first learning about it. He knows very little about the details pertaining to his company or what is in store. The fact that he chose to go is a surprise to everyone, including himself. Thankfully, Peace Corps volunteers have more time before departing on their journey. Though takes much planning and preparation to become a volunteer, there is still a great deal of unknown. What will my job be? Where will I live? Will I learn the language well? One of the best attitudes a Peace Corps volunteer can maintain is one with low expectations because it allows for less disappointment and more opportunity to learn.
2. We meet new, strange friends
It probably never crossed Bilbo's mind that he would ever befriend a group of unruly dwarves. Hobbits and dwarves simply have no business in which they would need to mingle with one another. But the dwarves came to Bilbo seeking his assistance and, however unlikely it may be, together they formed the company that would eventually claim back the Lonely Mountain. Slowly, and not without a few disagreements, Bilbo and the dwarves form a special bond created by the nature of their journey. They relied on one another to stay alive and shared experiences that no one else could understand outside of their company. The same could be said for Peace Corps volunteers.
The first time all of the volunteers meet face-to-face is a few days before departure. We discover that we come from all over the country with different ages, interests, backgrounds, beliefs, etc. For some it is instant and for others it takes a bit more time, but friendships develop nonetheless. Some people find life-long friends and others even find spouses. It is through the chaos of our service and similar, shared experiences that we find strength in one another's company. There is seeingly no reason for why any of us should become friends outside of the Peace Corps.
3. We travel to foreign places
It is very safe to say that Bilbo never left the Shire until his desire to go on a great adventure overcame his in-born nature to live a comfortable life. Bilbo was going to go to places that he did not know existed outside of the stories. It was the thrill of this journey that propelled him out of the door. With any adventure to foreign lands, there are challenges. Bilbo met all types of people (and creatures), lived without his usual comforts, and was forced to make difficult decisions. On many occasions, Biblo would reasonably long for the familiar and wondered why he even decided to leave his quaint hobbit-hole.
As previously mentioned, a Peace Corps volunteer has time to read about his/her country of service before leaving America, but nothing can fully prepare someone for the unfamiliar sights, smells, tastes, and sounds of a new place. It is exciting to experience a different lifestyle and this excitement for the unknown is one of the key factors someone may apply to become a Peace Corps volunteer. No adventure is without its challenges, however. There are days I wish I could go home for only a few hours to eat a good meal at Panera Bread. It is human nature to miss the familiar, especially when the challenges remind us about how good we may have had it back home. This is why it is important to have a supportive group of people around us. I also like remember the reason why I started on this journey.
4. We have the right qualifications
Peace Corps has a very detailed application process to ensure that it gets some of the best volunteers. There are some basic requirements in order to apply to ensure that not just anyone is applying for any sector that sounds cool. Yet, there are still ways in which we are lacking some important skills. Peace Corps provides a rigorous training for the first three-months prior to service in order to help make up for some of those deficits, such training in the local language and culture. But there are times when we are asked to do crazy tasks at site that we have never done before in a context that is not always comfortable. How are we qualified to handle those moments? Here is where we are similar to Bilbo.
The number one factor that the others saw in Bilbo to serve as a burglar in their company was not that he was a great thief (having never stolen anything in his life), but that he was a small hobbit and Smaug would not easily detect him. But there was more to Bilbo's hobbit-nature that made him a good applicant. Bilbo was willing, above all else, to be a part of a company that had the odds stacked against it. In the movie series, Thorin Oakenshield states that he had no doubts in his small, unimpressive group because they answered his call; they all had willing hearts and he would rather have them than the best warriors because they were loyal to his cause. And this is exactly what makes a Peace Corps volunteer great. We do have specific qualifications that allow us to make the cut, but it is our willing attitude to use the knowledge and skills we do have, especially in ways we may have never anticipated, that makes us most qualified for the job.
5. We are changed from our journey
In order to encourage Bilbo to help the dwarves, Gandalf has a pep talk with the hobbit. In the movie series, Gandalf tells Bilbo that adventures are not in his storybooks but out in the world. He does not guarantee that Bilbo will come back from the journey, but Gandalf is certain that, if he does return, he will not be the same. And he could not have predicted a truer outcome. In the beginning of his story, we can see a hobbit who is overly concerned with his mother's dishes, unwilling to take risks, and wants nothing more than to keep his current routine in Bag-End. By the end of his adventure, Bilbo is a different hobbit; he is loyal to his friends, courageous, and a little bit unpredictable. It is the nature of the challenges he faced on his journey that caused Bilbo not only to re-evaluate his priorities but take actions that subconsciously changed his behaviors.
There is no doubt that Peace Corps service changes its volunteers. From the very beginning, we are learning new languages and cultural norms that broaden our perspectives. We make new friends, who may have different beliefs about the world, and share our stories with one another. We encounter challenges that force us to examine who we are as people. We have learned to live a new lifestyle different from the life we lived in the United States. All of these experiences cannot help be redefine us. Everyone responds to their Peace Corps service differently, but I am sure that we all carry the lessons we learned from our service wherever we may go.
xoxo,
Emilia
The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps.
The contents of this website are mine personally and do not reflect any position of the U.S. government or the Peace Corps.
Emilia i must say Uganda is at your heart and for sure you have always made all possible efforts to see that you have a positive input in the social development of our country, your efforts are being observed and i dont know how best to define you, However i only have one word to say and that is THANK YOU. Your such a blessing to my Country.
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