Peace Corps Test

Here is my post on Nic's peace corps blog after spending a week with him.


Hello, my name is Ryan, and I have known Nic for about 18 years now. I applied to the Peace Corps and have been waiting to get my assignment. I am not sure that the Peace Corps is in my future, but I was interested enough to apply and spend a week with Nic in Kenya. I am incredibly luck to have this opportunity and cannot thank Nic enough for letting me interrupt his life for a while week.
I do not know what to say about my time in Kilisa Village. I have done my best to not try to interrupt what is going on here while being whatever help I can to Nic and the community. I have done lots of water pump trouble shooting and discussing economics with Nic.
I cant imagine have been raised in Kilisa Village. Being breast-fed in the meeting room of the KVDC, building forst our of bricks in between shops, and going to school for 10 hour days are normal life here. The people are beautiful and I will remember the smiles and brief conversations with those who are willing to speak english, which greatly outweigh the unwelcomness that I have also received.
Nic is much stronger than I am in the difficulties that he has dealt with in this project. I do not envy his position. It is great to see someone put their heart and soul into a community that is struggling. Struggling may be the wrong word. Life is harder here.
As I explore, I become less sure about everything. I hoped that by the end of this week, I would know that I definitely wanted to join or avoid the Peace Corps. But, I still find myself totally unsure of what my future will hold. I plan on visiting Nic in a month again, but in that time I doubt I will have reached any new conclusions. Then I will go to Europe, will I find what I am looking for there?

Now I am in Tanzania preparing to climb Kilimanjaro. Check out GO's website for what I will be doing for the next 2 months http://www.groundworkopportunities.org/kilimanjaro/index.htm