Why I want to join the Peace Corps

So, I mentioned my amped up efforts toward researching and deciding whether or not to do the Peace Corps earleir today, which got me thinking. During these past couple weeks I've talked to a lot of people about this decision that I've got to make in the next little while, and I've found myself faced on more than one occasion with a specific question. "Sarah, why do you want to join the Peace Corps?" Now, I've wanted to do the Peace Corps so much for so long that the specific reasons have kind of melded into just a general feeling that this would definately be an experience for me, but when faced with the question, I often stumble and hem and haw, and leave out a lot of important things that I've thought about. So, in the interest of everyone else's interest (if that makes any sense), here is my best explaination for why I want to join the Peace Corps.

It really boils down to two different things. One: I want to help other people. Two: I want to help myself.

First things first, the fact that I want to help other people. I think I was born with a natural sense of empathy for people. As long as I can remember, I've always found it very important to help people out when they needed it, and to establish really solid personal relationships when I can. It could be argued that I'm already devoting my life to helping people by becoming a teacher, and that joining the Peace Corps is probably unnecessary and too extreme. The thing is, I've always kind of seen myself as a citizen of the world, rather than just an American. My obligation doesn't stop at the Canadian and Mexican border. Just because someone happened to be born across the Atlantic doesn't mean that they don't deserve help any more than someone living down the street from me. In fact, I would argue that the people that would benefit from my service in the Peace Corps probably need whatever I can offer them far more than most people in this country.

See, citizens of this country have a major head-start in the world merely by having the fortune of being a citizen of the US. We are all entitled to 13 years of free education in the best possible, and least restrictive environment. We are taught by professionals who have at the VERY least a 4 year professional degree under their belts. Most have or are working toward more. Throughout our education we have access to technologies and luxuries that other people can only dream of. We have the benefit of living in a country advanced enough and wealthy enough to provide its citizens with aid when they hit a rough spot in their lives. Granted that's not to say that we don't then expect those receiving aid to help themselves out of that spot too, but we are more than willing to give them a boost. We are all fortunate enough to live in a country that isn't devastated by famine or drought, or ravaged by civil war or epidemic.

I don't see any reason why we are more deserving of this than any other person on the face of this planet. For most of us, we were merely born into our good fortune, while others on this planet were born into much less than good fortune. I figure, since I've had an abundance of good fortune in my life, it is only natural for me to try to improve the fortunes of others who might not otherwise get that boost.

Secondly, my desire to help myself. After my experience the summer after my junior year in high school, travelling to Germany through a school group, I've caught an incurable travel bug. I want to GO places! I want to SEE things! I don't want to be stuck in the Midwest for the rest of my life without ever having experienced what life is like elsewhere. I think that it's incredibly important to experience life outside of one's own comfort zone for a while. The old philosophy of walking a mile in someone else's shoes couldn't be more relavant as this world becomes less compartmentalized and more globalized. I wanted to study abroad so badly during my college career, but with the transfer from GAC to MSU, and being an education major, the best I could manage was spending a month in Ireland. I don't feel like a month is nearly long enough to really get a taste of what life is like outside the US.

Now, I feel like I really have the chance to do that. Not only would I get the opportunity to live someplace else, but I'd get to do what I love doing! I'm young! When I graduate I'll have very few obligations and reasons to not go. I won't have a career established, I won't have a family started, I won't have put down permanent roots in any one city. What a perfect time for me to have such an adventure! What awesome stories I'll have to tell my kids and my grandkids some day. What awesome experiences I'll have for the rest of my life to draw upon! When I'm old and looking back on my life, I want to look back and think "Whew! was that GREAT or WHAT?!?" I realize that I'm awfully young to be thinking about what I'll be thinking about when I'm old, but I think, if I start now, I can fill my life with great experiences and great opportunities rather than squandering my time.

So that's the closest I can get to describing why I really want to do this. It's not exactly what I feel in my heart when I think about doing this, but it's as close as I can get with words.

A few more points of interest for those interested:
-The Peace Corps does everything it can to assure the safety of its voluteers. Each volunteer goes through a rigorous three month language and training session, most likely involving a home-stay and immersion in the language and culture.
-Volunteers in the Peace Corps are given a monthly allowance that allows them to live at, or a little above, the level of the people they are living with. Also, they are given 2 vacation days per month (a total of 48 over the 2 year period).
-The Peace Corps provides medical and dental care to all of its volunteers through regular check ups.
-Volunteers are checked on regularily throughout the time of their service by Peace Corps employees to ensure safety and a successful experience.
-Returning volunteers are give 6,000 dollars in adjustment money that can be spent however the idividual feels most appropriate
-There are scholarship programs available to Peace Corps vets as well as a program to earn a Master's degree while volunteering.
-Peace Corps vets gain numerous career building opportunities.

Ok enough's enough for now. It's bedtime for me. Let me know if you have any questions!