Ask any PCV and they’ll tell you that nothing really prepares you for the Peace Corps experience. In my three (almost four) months of Peace Corps experience, I would agree that this is true. However, I have learned some lessons from various life experiences that are applicable to my time in Samoa. Mostly, they came from a leadership program I did during college called INVST, and my time as a camp counselor. This is what I’ve learned:
Lessons I’ve learned from INVST
INVST is a two-year community leadership program which combines classroom learning with community work and summer service learning experiences. The mission statement goes something like this: “We believe in the possibility of a just and sustainable world. We develop community leaders who engage in compassionate action as a lifetime commitment” (close enough?)
Host family experience
INVST was my first host family experience, and I appreciate having that experience before coming to Samoa because then I had at least some idea of what to expect from my Samoan host family – mostly that conversation would be awkward.
Host families will take care of you in any way they can or want to
Sometimes this includes corn-rows, bright red jackets with ridiculous shoulder pads, and an impromptu quinceanera (sp?). Having seen Joy go through this in Mexico made it easier for me to go along with it when my host family in the training village insisted on dressing me 24/7.
Heat + humidity + sweat + sunscreen = gross and sticky
I lovingly called this “the El Paso stick” when we were there. It’s not quite as bad in Samoa since it averages about 80 degrees a day instead of the 100 we had in late July in Texas.
TIM – This Is Mexico
Similar to Fa’a Samoa, TIM is the Mexican way of life. It generally includes a slower pace of life, unexpected plans, delayed plans, or cancelled plans, and acceptance of a lack of strict schedules and commitments.
Go to the bathroom when you have a chance
As we were leaving a birthday party one afternoon in Mexico, I thought “I kind of have to go to the bathroom, but I can wait til we get home because it’s only about a 20 minute drive.” This was followed by a two hour detour to a lake, so we found someone who was kind enough to let me use the bathroom in their house.
How to flush a toilet by bucket
Not that this is a particularly difficult skill to learn, but it is generally a new skill to people from the US
Your relationships with others are of utmost importance
This goes not only for the people you are working with (co-workers, community partners, host family), but also your friends. Good relationships can get you a job connection, a donation, a shoulder to cry on, or lots of crazy stories. It is necessary to put effort into maintaining those relationships and helping them grow.
How to live without regular contact with people back home
How to wash clothes by hand
I have also learned three new methods for washing clothes by hand in Samoa, but I think the method I learned in Mexico was the most effective. Mostly because it included a washboard to help remove dirt, but I haven’t seen one of those in Samoa yet
How to be self-reflective and self-aware
Very helpful for figuring out where you are (not in the physical sense), how you got there, and what you can do to make it how you want it to be.
How to pack people into a vehicle
In Mexico, we fit 26 people into a 15 passenger van, which I still consider impressive, but it’s not quite the same as fitting 80 people onto a 35 passenger bus.
There is no such thing as too many books
100 pages, a whole book, or three books never last as long as you think they will and you inevitably run out of reading material. This has been remedied with a Kindle in Samoa. Problem solved.
Lessons I’ve learned from camp
Being a camp counselor is kind of a mix of being a the most enthusiastic mentor/teacher possible in a very unique setting, so the problems that arise are not always what you would expect, but a lot of the lessons I learned at camp apply to my time in Samoa.
How to expertly brush my teeth from a water bottle
Cheez-its, hair ties, and protein bars are worth their weight in gold
In Samoa, I would like to add peanut butter, cheese, and toilet paper to that list. All three are accessible here, but they are still luxury items.
I tend to get addicted to the music I hear most
At camp, this meant Lady Gaga and Ke$ha joined my regular playlists. In Samoa, it means Justin Bieber is acceptable. I give you permission to judge me, but only a little.
How to drive on non-main roads
Whether it is a dirt road, a field, or not even a path at all, I felt pretty confident about driving my Bug around at camp. Based on my camp driving, I would say I could take on about 80% of the roads in Samoa in my little Bug. Maybe less, I haven’t seen all the roads here yet.
Gossip spreads like wildfire in small groups
And really, when you run in such a small circle for so long, it’s almost impossible not to hear about what everyone else is doing. Fortunately, I somehow have a knack for remaining almost completely ignorant of gossip, so I doubt I know any juicy stuff about anybody.
How to handle the rain
At camp, we do everything in the rain. Except maybe have campfires, or if it is a truly torrential downpour, evening program might happen inside. But other than that, life always happened whether or not it was raining, which was a good lesson to learn because it rains a lot in Samoa. Life doesn’t always go on here, sometimes it pauses and waits for the rain to pass, but the rain is inevitable. I’m a little sad that my trick for staying dry at camp won’t work here though. At camp, I always wore my rain jacket with shorts and Chacos, so only the bottom part of my shorts got wet and my feet dried off soon enough. I don’t have that option here, so my rain jacket is not nearly as effective. Instead, I’ve adopted the use of an umbrella. I must admit, I have a newfound appreciation for umbrellas.
I am cold-blooded
I knew how to dress in layers throughout the day so that I always had on two or three layers on top I could remove throughout the day then put back on as it cooled off at night. I really don’t need layers in Samoa (at least not yet), but I have already put on my sweatshirt a few times because it got so chilly at night. If I already needed a sweatshirt during my first few months in Samoa, this confirms my theory that I am cold-blooded.
Wash your hands
It really does help
Drink Water
I never really drank water on a regular basis until my first summer at camp. Now I drink it like a fish. Water also remains the cure for everything.
How to ignore minor illnesses and injuries
This proved helpful when I was stung by a wasp the other day. Once I stopped thinking, “I’ve been stung by a wasp,” it didn’t bother me so much.
How to handle some bugs
Emphasis on SOME. At camp, this mostly meant moths. Anything bigger was either ignored or shooed away by someone who could handle it, generally a boy. In Samoa, most insects can generally be ignored, but cockroaches will NEVER be on that list. Don’t even get me started on centipedes, this is a brand new fear in my life.
How to make the most out of half a day in town
How to live with one hour of internet a week and no cell phone (so a cell phone here is a luxury)
Insect repellant is a hoax, it never works
Bring clothes you don’t care about because they will be destroyed
It doesn’t take a lot of effort to feel pretty when everybody already sees you all the time without putting any effort into the way you look
At camp, there’s no time. In Samoa, who cares?
Sometimes the best way to enjoy time off is by watching a movie on your computer
Chacos are the ultimate footwear
They are suitable in any climate and on any terrain. They are also the only sandals with which it is acceptable to wear socks, but only on certain occasions.
Of course, there's always more, so maybe there will be a sequel to this post someday
