How Did I Get Here?

    Today marks 1 year since I received my official invitation to serve as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Kyrgyzstan! In honor of this, I thought I would make a post all about how I ended up here in Kyrgyzstan. Also, over the past year, I've noticed that the number one thing people say to me is "How did you find Peace Corps and Kyrgyzstan?" 

   

   I discovered Peace Corps during the Fall of my freshman year of college at TCU (Go Frogs). I attended a seminar all about the ethicality of service and the fine line between volunteering and "voluntourism." As someone who volunteered every weekend during high school and never thought anything of it, the seminar really opened my eyes to the potential harm that can occur even while you think you are doing something "good."  At the seminar, there was also a raffle for a book called "When Helping Hurts: How to Alleviate Poverty Without Hurting the Poor and Yourself." I ended up winning and took home the book thinking that it'd sit on my bookshelf until I had time for it. Well, I actually ended up reading it all that night. Unrelated, but a year later I met someone during a Zoom meeting and casually mentioned the book and the impact it had on me. That someone turned out to be the son of the author, who then texted his dad to let him know that people actually read his book. Anyway, after finishing the book, it sent me into a mental spiral of how I was going to spend my future days. I always knew I wanted to go into a profession that at its core was meant to serve others, but now I was unsure of how to actually achieve that. So...I did what every person does and started looking things up on the Internet. It was there I found the Peace Corps. This sounds cliche, but almost immediately after reading about the Peace Corps and what they stood for, I knew it was what I wanted to do after graduation (which at that point was 3.5 years away). 

    This was in the Fall of 2019 and a short time later the COVID-19 Pandemic hit, Peace Corps shut down and volunteers around the world were evacuated with no clear timeline for a return. Throughout, the following year, I kept monitoring the Peace Corps and their updates on when they anticipated volunteers returning to their site. However, I also began accepting the idea that it may not be something that I would be able to do immediately after graduation. 

    Beginning in 2021 (my junior year of college), Peace Corps posts around the world slowly began to reopen and welcome volunteers back in-country. With this, my dream of becoming a Peace Corps Volunteer after graduation was once again alive and well. During this year, I started to do more serious work and research into the Peace Corps: attending web seminars, connecting with a recruiter, talking to former volunteers, and reading every blog a volunteer has ever written (if there is anyone reading this thinking of applying: hi!)

    When you apply to the Peace Corps you typically have two options: you can apply to a specific position in a certain country (for example a TEFL Co-Teacher in the Kyrgyz Republic) or you can apply "Serve Where Needed Most." This is where you give Peace Corps Headquarters your application, and they decide where they believe you will be best (you can also give your preferences on certain types of jobs or general areas of the world.) Peace Corps also recommends that you apply 1 year before when you would like to depart for your service. For me, I knew I wanted to leave as close to June 2023 as possible. With that, I am pretty sure I submitted my application the day that positions opened for Summer 2023 departures (Mid-May 2022). I also applied "Serve Where Needed Most" with preferences to work in either the education, youth in development, or health sectors. I didn't have a preference on where in the world I would like to serve, all I knew was that I would go anywhere Peace Corps said as long as it meant I could be a volunteer. Another fun fact about my Peace Corps journey, I never seriously mentioned it to anyone in my life until I actually submitted my application. Of course, I had mentioned it casually over the past 3 years to certain people, but no one really gave it any thought until my application was actually submitted and they realized I was serious about being a PCV. For those thinking of applying, I don't know if I recommend this particular strategy...

    Anyway, two weeks after submitting my application, I was in Las Vegas (lol) for my family/friends'  annual "everyone who turned 21 that year goes to Vegas" trip. It was there I got an email saying I was being considered for the TEFL Co-Teacher Person in the Kyrgyz Republic. The first thing my friends and I did: look up where that was (I know, not my best moment, but now you won't find a bigger fan of Kyrgyzstan than me). A few weeks after that I received an interview invitation. I had my interview in early July 2022, and to say it was the most stressful 90 minutes of my life would be an understatement. Afterward, I remember telling people that my interviewer knew more about me than I knew about myself. I was also convinced afterward that it had gone so horribly that there was no way I'd ever be offered a position. Despite this feeling, they told me I would hear back by December 1st, 2022, or if I was lucky, possibly earlier.  

    Due to the latter statement, naturally, this meant I checked my email obsessively every single day from July to September hoping for an update. Every day without hearing anything was worse than the day before, and it reached the point that I had convinced myself I would never hear anything (dramatic). However, finally, on September 23rd, 2022, when I was entirely sure I would never become a volunteer, I got the email saying "Congratulations." Funnily enough, I was out of town that weekend in Austin, Texas. I was spending the weekend with my best friend since 5th grade, Adrienne, and we were planning to have an entirely Harry Styles-themed weekend (including going to see the movie "Don't Worry Darling" and going to multiple of his concerts). We were in Target and I'm pretty sure I was rambling to her about how Peace Corps would never happen when I received that "Congratulations" email. From there, I don't think I read anything else, instead, I sat on the ground in Target, cried, and then called my mom (who was in Las Vegas at the time...a lot of my Peace Corps journey centers around Las Vegas and Harry Styles). As monumental as this moment was, the reason we were at Target was to buy snacks before going to the movies, and I had about 20 minutes to let as many people know as possible before the movie started. I ended up calling a few people in the car, texting others, and then putting a mass announcement up on my private Snapchat story (pictured below). I then turned off my phone for 3 hours. Safe to say when I turned it back on, I had hundreds of messages ranging from "Congratulations" to "Are you alive? Answer your phone." 

The picture that I used to let all of my friends know the big news

    I also need to take the time to show you the photo proof of me sitting on the ground in Target immediately after finding out. Shoutout to Adrienne for this picture. Even though Adrienne has admitted to me that she never reads this blog, I do need to take the time to say that along with Harry Styles and Las Vegas, she also played a significant role in my Peace Corps journey. If we're lucky, we only really see each other 2 or 3 times a year. However, I happened to be with her when I both received my official invitation and the original email saying I was being considered for Kyrgyzstan. I can't think of anyone I would've rather had with me for either of these moments. She has supported every idea, insane or not, that I've had since 5th grade (including Peace Corps, doing the worm at every opportunity, cutting her own bangs in my bathroom senior year of high school, traveling around the US to see Taylor Swift as many times as possible, etc...) I am also a big believer in fate and people being where they are meant to be, so I don't think it was an accident that we were together in those moments. 

Proof

    After receiving my invitation, I quickly accepted (note to future applicants: once you receive your invitation you only have 3 days to decide), and then spent the weekend celebrating at the Harry Styles concert (hearing "Matilda" hurt on a level that I did not think was possible and I cried a lot). From there, the following 9 months until my departure date were a whirlwind, including legal clearance, medical clearance, telling everyone I knew, taking my MCAT (gross) to be ready for after PC, doing everything to prepare to move to Kyrgyzstan, and becoming an aunt the night before I left. I can write a more in-depth post about all of these things later, but for now, that's the abbreviated version. I also graduated from the best college in the world (riff ram) in May 2023 with my B.S. in Speech Pathology and B.A. in Biology. Then, roughly 3 weeks post-graduation and almost 4 years after first learning about Peace Corps, I was on the plane to Kyrgyzstan. And now here we are, one year later. 

    So that's my Peace Corps journey leading up to actually being in Kyrgyzstan. I know that everyone's  journey to Peace Corps is different, but if there's anything else you want to know feel free to let me know either on here (https://emilyinkgz.blogspot.com) or on my Peace Corps Instagram @emilyinkgz (shameless plug). Until then, enjoy this picture of Adrienne (we'll see if she reads this) and me celebrating my PC invitation at the previously mentioned Harry Styles concert :)

   

Month 3: "Begin Again"

 It has officially been 3 months in Kyrgyzstan, so it’s time for another month recap with all the little stories I haven’t had a chance to tell yet. This month has by far been the busiest and the fastest month yet. We started the month as trainees still living in our training villages and ended it as volunteers spread out all around Kyrgyzstan. To say a lot happened would be an understatement. If you haven’t read my latest posts with the newest life updates, you should check those out. Until then, here’s a few things that have happened that are never before seen on the blog: 

• We had our official Kyrgyz Language Test
• It was at the end of our 2-month training where I went from knowing 0 Kyrgyz to being able to survive on my own
•  All I have to say is I'm glad it's over (although my Kyrgyz lessons are not)

• I went to a wedding
• This was during my last weekend in my training village and it was super special because my host parents were the "Okul Apa and Ata" (equivalent of the Bride and Groom's Godparents)
• Fun Fact: in Kyrgyzstan, the Okul Apa and Ata are responsible for buying the wedding rings (therefore, I did try on the bride's ring at my house beforehand)
• This was a very traditional wedding at the Groom's house with several ceremonies involved
• First, the bride was behind a curtain with her hair tied up in a white scarf - it is tradition that the bride should remain there until later in the night
• There were several presentations involving jewelry
• First, the groom's sister in law presented the new bride with a pair of earring and placed them on her
• Second, my host parents presented them with their rings, making them officially husband and wife

The Wedding Setup (my host mom loved to take pictures of me at every opportunity) 

• I made apple turnovers
• This was a very big deal for me because I made the dough from scratch and had no way to measure anything AND they actually tasted good

The Aforementioned Turnovers

• So many goodbyes
• Now that my cohort is officially volunteers, we are all spread out around Kyrgyzstan and after spending nearly every day with them for 11 weeks, saying goodbye at the end of the Swearing In Ceremony was harder for some people (me) than others (everyone else)

Documentation of Goodbyes

• I watched Rihanna's Super Bowl Halftime Show 6 times
• My new host family love's Rihanna (I mean who doesn't)

• Even though I haven't taught an official lesson yet (I've spent the past two weeks observing), the kids at my school are so excited for me to be there and can't wait to start learning 
• Seriously, the third graders have started applauding every time I walk in the room
• I'd like to imagine this is what it's like to be a D-List celebrity with a very niche group of fans

One of my student's message to me after class

 

That's all I have for little stories and moments from this month. With this, this month's post is titled "Begin Again" (and if we're getting specific: "Begin Again (Taylor's Version)").  Now that training is over and my life as a volunteer has begun, it is time for the real work and service to begin. A new host family, a new village, a new title and a new set of things to look forward during the next 2 years of service. 

Day of Knowledge aka The First Day of School

    I've been at my new village/permanent site for about 2 weeks now (go check out my previous post for some exciting life updates!) With this, I've also officially finished my first week of school as an English Teacher. Although we have spent the past 11 weeks in training for this very moment, nothing compares to being in the school for real. 

    It began on September 1st, an official holiday here in Kyrgyzstan, also known as the Day of Knowledge or Day of Learning. This marks the first day of a new school year for every single student in Kyrgyzstan. This is one of my favorite days that I've experienced in Kyrgyzstan so far. I think it's really important that this much emphasis is placed on education and schooling, so much so that it's a national holiday. It makes the beginning of the school year a big event and something to be celebrated. 

    At my school, we held an assembly early in the morning to acknowledge the holiday. When I first walked onto the school grounds, I was greeted by my fellow English teachers who had bread and borsook (fried dough) waiting for me. It is a tradition in Kyrgyzstan that you should have bread or borsook when entering a new place for the first time or starting a new phase of your life to ensure success and good fortune. From there, all of the students, teachers, and parents (over 1000 people) were gathered outside the school where the assembly began with a speech from the Director (equivalent to the Principal) of my school. During her speech, she introduced me to everyone and explained why I was there. After that, it was my turn to give a speech...in Kyrgyz. This speech was something I had written weeks ago with my language teacher and had practiced over and over in advance for it. I think it well...at least everyone clapped after every single sentence I said. Now I'm not sure if they were clapping because my Kyrgyz was amazing, my speech was really moving, or because the Director was standing behind me and forcing the crowd to applaud. 

The Ceremony Setup 

   After my resounding and groundbreaking speech, there was a ceremony where each 1st grade student walked into the square while everyone cheered as they are beginning their time at this school. After every 1st grader entered, students from the 11th grade (the oldest students) gave each of them a flower. Following this, there were several student performances. One boy played the Komuz (the national instrument of Kyrgyzstan) and another girl sang a traditional Kyrgyz song. 

    To conclude the ceremony, there was the ceremonial ringing of the first bell of the new year. This was probably my favorite part of the entire day. It involved two younger students, a girl and a boy, sitting on the shoulders of two older students. They then ran around the crowd while the younger students rang a cowbell and everyone cheered. And maybe the best part of the entire thing, the two students were sharing one bell, and the entire time they were yanking it back and forth between them trying to be the one who was primarily ringing the bell.

    After the ceremony was over, I was under the impression we would have lessons that day. However, other than meeting some of the other teachers at my school (there are around 65 in total), there was nothing else scheduled that day. Although, it is technically the "first day of school," it is primarily a holiday, so there were no lessons and everyone was free the rest of the day. I ended up spending the afternoon with one of my host sisters at our Rayon Center (the main city in my Rayon/Region). The park in our Rayon Center also includes several amusement park rides, which although I did not ride, I watched kids ride over and over while celebrating their last day of freedom before actual lessons started. 

One of the Rides
Side Note: The park is called "Family" so the word "Family" was written all over the park

      Since the first day, we've now had a week of actual lessons.  For these first few weeks, I will just be observing their lessons and getting to know them, the school and the students. However, eventually, I will be co-teaching each lesson with the other English teachers (aka Counterparts). My school has 7 English teachers; however, I will only have 2-3 counterparts this first year. Although it has only been a short time, both the teachers and students are very excited for me to be there and cannot wait to start working with me. Seriously, I can't walk anywhere in the school without getting stopped by 15+ kids, and one of the classes has taken to applauding every single time I walk into their room for a lesson. I'd like to imagine that this is what it's like to be mildly famous and probably the closest I'll ever get to achieving that. On a serious note, this excitement has been a major reassurance and comfort to me. Ever since I found out I was coming to Kyrgyzstan (almost an entire year now!!), I've spent countless hours wondering what it would actually be like and if people would actually want me there/like me. So seeing everyones excitement and eagerness to get to know me has been a massive relief, and I cannot wait to begin teaching for real. 

    p.s.: I realize I've taken very few pictures since being at my permanent site...it's a work in progress so stay tuned for more