Date: October 4, 2019
Hello, Awesome 207s!!!
I am so excited to write you this welcome letter. You’re about to embark on an incredible journey. But you know that, don’t you! It takes a special person to not only accept an invitation to serve in the Peace Corps but even just to apply. I’m glad you got through that process, along with all the hoops you had to jump through to finish all your medical tasks. It is all worth it.
You see, this is my 3rd Peace Corps country. I served in Thailand, then Mongolia, and now, Nepal. So, even though they were all different, it was worth any difficulties I had along the way. And I still feel that way today.
I wish I could give a long list of things to bring (or not bring), and things to expect (and not to expect). But the truth is every ‘service’ is different. I live in a rural community on the side of a mountain, but you might be in a semi-urban community next to the highway. My school is small with very few resources, but yours might be huge with tons of resources. My co-teachers are nice but not into learning new techniques or methodologies. But yours might be young and eager to learn everything you know. And even some of that could change during two years of service.
But there are a few pretty universal things. “Your” service will be as awesome as you make it. But whether good or bad, it won’t ever be “average.” I had a Country Director tell me once that most volunteers have huge ups and huge downs during service. He said as long as the ups are more than the downs, it’s a win. He said that’s what separates the work you do here (in Nepal) and the work you might do in the US – here it is never “average”! And I imagine many returned volunteers will say they miss that about Peace Corps.
You will have a dedicated staff who will be training you during your PST. And they will support you during your service. They are the superhumans who keep PC running. They put in long hours. They are on the road for what seems like half the year. And they always are available for a quick chat or to answer a question. You might not always agree with the way PC does things, but the people who you work with every day are top-notch. That goes from the country director down to the drivers. I honestly don’t know how they do it!
You’ll be getting a lot of these ‘welcome letters’. So contact me if you want to reach out and get some first-hand information before you board that plane”
FYI: I’m an older volunteer (61) who is teaching English in a rural school. My site is in the mountains about 4 hours outside of Kathmandu. I have been teaching EFL (English as a Foreign Language) for about the last 10 years in Asia. Half of that was as a Peace Corps volunteer. I have degrees in Mechanical Engineering and Physical Therapy. I’ve biked 10,000-miles across the US and thruhiked the entire Appalachian Trail. And I’m a Buddhist.
So, feel free to contact me anytime about anything. I know some of you have parents that are very concerned about you serving, and I’d be happy to talk with them too.
And can’t wait to meet some of you during PST.
Jim Damico, N206
Other Info/Suggestions/Comments
Check out my ‘Packing List‘ for some ideas on what to bring (and not bring).
Macbooks & iPhones
Everyone who brought a MacBook is glad they did. And some people who bought a cheap Windows laptop regret not bringing their MacBook. The environment is hard on any computer (I’ve already fried one power adapter), but I’m still glad I brought it. The same goes for my iPhone. PC will give you a dual-SIM Samsung to use but I brought my iPhone anyway – I’m used to it and see no reason not to use it. So, I put one SIM in my iPhone and another in the Samsung. That means I still have to carry both phones for safety and security, but to me, it was worth it.
Powerbanks
Bring at least one (or two or three) powerbanks. Electricity is such a random thing here. Sometimes, I go days with no interruption, but then other days, it is out a lot – sometimes for days at a time. And a powerbank has saved me a lot, both to recharge my phone but also my iPad (which I use when I can’t recharge my laptop).
Nepali language books
Peace Corps will give you several good books on Nepali as well as a dictionary, so don’t worry about books. And don’t worry about language. Although they want you to learn as much as you can as fast as you can, unless there are other issues, no one has ever been sent home because they didn’t learn as much language as they should have. Go into it for “fun” and you’ll learn a lot more, a lot faster.
Clothes
Don’t bring too much! Mildew is a real problem here and it is worst with clothes you don’t wear for long periods of time. For guys who will be teachers, no more than 2 sets of work clothes: blue shirts with black or navy slacks. PC will give you money to buy ‘official’ teacher’s clothes so these two sets you bring are for backup.
Gifts for host families and teachers
Some good gift ideas for host families are small glasses/teacups with your state/city logo. You’ll be drinking tea several times a day and your host family will love using the glasses/cups you gave them. I brought an all-in-one lantern (lantern, flashlight, powerbank, with magnets) and I use it all the time. And my host family uses it too. I wish I had had an extra to give my PST host family.
Bike stuff
If you like mountain biking, bring some tools, bike shorts, etc. Because you can get reimbursed to buy a bicycle here. Don’t bring a helmet because Peace Corps Nepal will give you one – it’s required! I brought spare tubes, patches, bike clothes, and tools. And glad I did. 🙂
PSS. The picture at the top of the page is of a few of my 5th graders. 🙂
