Why I left a six-figure job for Peace Corps Service

There’s nothing like doing taxes as a Peace Corps volunteer to remind you how much your life has changed.  And to give you heart palpitations as you realize how much you’ve missed out on in both earnings and retirement account contributions.  I chose to leave behind a comfortable life with a great apartment, a great job, the ability to buy whatever I wanted, whenever I wanted, and easy access to a national park with great hiking trails for Peace Corps service.  As I look at my US bank account after two years of withdrawals and zero deposits, I have to remind myself that my reasons for leaving that comfortable life were valid.  

I have a history of moving around every few years, always on the move for professional growth and a new adventure.  That sense of the unknown has always been a magnet for me.  I like to be challenged and not have things get too routine.  You could say I’m commitment-phobic but I like to think I’ve just got a lust for life and exploring new places.  Every time you go somewhere new, there are endless possibilities for what can happen and where your path might diverge.  I approached Peace Corps service with that same mindset but with a slightly different edge since I would be living in a foreign country and learning a new language (i.e. with way more anxiety).

 Living only a few hours away from this was pretty great.

Travel to this beach retreat only cost me $16 roundtrip!

These mountains weren't super hike-able but it was great to see them every day.

I was inspired to take advantage of the fact that because I had not acquired all of those "typical" things that most people achieve in their 30s (i.e. a spouse, kids, a house, etc.), I was free to make a big change and put myself on a new course.  I was inspired to do just that thanks to King County's equity and social justice employee trainings which made me realize just how safe I had been playing it, even with all those moves.  

As a volunteer, I got to experience being a minority for the first time in my life, and to recognize just how much privilege I have – even as a minority in Mexico – due to my skin color, nationality and level of education.  If you've never found yourself in that position before, you should try it.  It might be a little scary but it can only help broaden your perspectives.  I got to experience how confusing it is to have people make assumptions about you based on stereotypes associated with your nationality, gender, etc. that have nothing at all to do with you as an individual.  I also got to see how profoundly different Mexico is in person vs. as portrayed in the media.  I participated in the Peace Corps Mexico Diversity & Inclusion Network and heard about first-hand experiences and struggles from my fellow volunteers related to being LGBTQ, people of color, women, older volunteers, etc. both in Mexico and in the US.  Long story short, I got some really good experience related to diversity and equity that I hope can serve me well working on future sustainability programs and help me be a better ally.   

I loved seeing decorations like this pop up every couple of weeks.

I've learned that I definitely need a bright door on my future home.

If you like learning new things about yourself and having periods of introspection, Peace Corps service will give you loads and loads of time for that stuff.  It can be exhausting, but it’s good for you.  It’s also good to have some time on a really limited budget to help you break that oh-so-beautiful cycle of consumption that tempts us all.  After two years of living on only 5% of my previous salary, I have a very different relationship with money.  As a volunteer, I could cover my housing, food and transportation costs, while living at the local level, for around $200 a month.  I had to be smart about budgeting, but I never wanted for anything and could afford the luxury of internet.  My monthly expenses ran at:

• around $100 a month in rent for a 2-bedroom apartment,
• less than $2 a month for electricity,
• around $65 a month for groceries,
• under $20 a month for internet,
• less than $2 a month for drinking water, and
• under $9 a month for gas. 

I could have spent my monthly expenditures in Mexico in one day back in the US, with one trip to Whole Foods.  Think about that the next time you’re questioning why people might be willing to do anything and everything to come to the US. 

Images from Mexico.

I don’t know exactly what I hoped to find as a volunteer, but I will say that I’m glad I took the risk.  I recognize that it was a wee bit crazy to leave a great, well-paying government job and all the security that entails, and I did miss that job and the people I worked with in Seattle.  I missed a lot of things from my former life in the US during my time in Mexico, but I also felt reenergized and soooooo ready to be an uber-productive employee again!

Life as a Peace Corps volunteer was the ultimate adventure and it convinced me that I'm ready to stay put in one spot for a few years, and it encouraged me to find a spot within driving distance of family.  I’d like to invest in some furniture that I could have for 10+ years, and maintain that sense of community from Mexico back here in the US.  I’d like to travel and explore more of the world, and be a better, kinder, more patient person.  Don’t get me wrong, I’d also like to get back to that six-figure salary, but that's not priority #1 right now.  I wanted to return to a strong sense of community, a vibrant, local food market, accessibility to family, and a reasonable cost of living.  I was lucky to find that with an awesome job and new home in the midwest that I never would have found without Mexico.  As Rihanna herself once said, this what you came for. :)  Thank you all so much for reading! 

Adjusting to life back in the US

Before I left Mexico, Peace Corps staff spent three days talking with us about how to reintegrate into US culture and daily life.  I’ve been back for three weeks, and had my first full on freak out moment in Target this weekend when trying to select a bottle of olive oil.  Do you know how many different brands, types and sizes of olive oil are available at Target?  Way too f'in many.  I had a strong longing for the days of choosing between 2 options, at most, at Pepe's Grocery Store.  After staring at the wall of oil for about 5 minutes with a quickening heart rate and increasingly audible breathing, I finally just grabbed the closest jar of coconut oil and jetted out of there.  

A rare sunny, dry day in my new town.

My brother calls this picture "Midwest Snapshot."  I call it my new neighborhood with nice, wide sidewalks to walk on every day!

In addition to relearning how to deal with a ridiculously unnecessary number of options for olive oil, I've also reacquainted myself with how to use a washing machine, how to drive, how to use the chip reader for my debit card, how to fill out a timesheet, and how to use an oven.  It may sound weird, but as someone who has an unnatural aversion to a smoke alarm going off, I really loved that houses in Mexico lacked that safety feature.  I also found myself thinking that if all the windows and doors in US apartments had bars, I'd feel a lot safer, which was definitely not my design aesthetic pre-Peace Corps. 

In general, it’s been a surprisingly smooth transition back to the working world and US culture.  I think that’s mainly because I’ve been super busy, traveling to four states, sleeping in five homes, staring a new job and working 90 hours during that time.  Based on my experience thus far, being busy has been good for helping to ease the transition and keep any feelings of longing at bay.  I’ve experienced multiple days with highs in the 30s, three days of snow, and several days of pouring rain back in the US, which has been rough after two years of basically 80-degree weather every day.  

Spring making it's way, despite the snow.

One of many places I've walked to. 

I’ve also been adjusting to the fact that everything I need is no longer located a short 10-minute walk away, and that I can’t just hop on a bus that’s available four times a day to get to Puerto Vallarta.  I’m now listed as “Walkabout” in my brother’s phone because I walked 40 minutes from the doctor’s office to his house after my TB test.  Nobody could believe that I would rather make that walk than call someone to pick me up.  Seriously, I cannot stress enough how many conversations were had by my family about how I walked somewhere.  

Here in my new town, I’m dedicated to making it as long as I can without owning a car by utilizing every available transportation option I can find, including:

• Walking 3.5 miles per day to get to/from work,
• Taking the local bus, which has a stop on my street,
• Using Uber for longer-distance/late night/pouring rain trips,
• Signing up for Zipcar, the only car sharing program currently available in town, and
• Buying a new commuter bike which is currently getting geeked out with fenders, a plush saddle and a basket.  I’m super excited to start bike commuting again for the first time since 2004! 

I'll soon be riding along this protected bike path with my new bike!

Art along the main bike path in town. 

The employee at the bike store talked to me for about 30 minutes about local environmental issues, how he read about me in the local paper, and tips for biking in and exploring my new town.  I cannot tell you how many warm and friendly interactions I’ve had like that over the last two weeks, because I’ve had at least one every single day.  When I first arrived in Mexico, I was overwhelmed with the warmth and kindness that greeted me (and sustained me for two years).  I didn’t think that I would encounter that level of hospitality back here in the US, but I was wrong!  Here are just a few examples of the awesome interactions I’ve had in my first two weeks in the Midwest.  

• When I arrived at my Airbnb, the hostess immediately gave me a dinner plate with chicken, couscous, edamame and watermelon. 
• On my second morning, my Airbnb hostess made me pancakes and coffee and offered to throw a community party (taking place next week) for me so I could get to know all the different people and groups working on sustainability. 
• When I found an awesome apartment that wasn’t available to rent until August, the landlord offered me a three-bedroom house at the same price to rent for the summer.  If you want to visit me, this summer would be a prime time! 
• My first day at work, I arrived to find a bouquet of tulips, a welcome sign and the world’s most amazing invertible umbrella ever!  In a sign of pure kismet, I received that umbrella the day after mine was destroyed by a wild array of rain and snow encountered in my first 36 hours in Indiana. 
• After my first community meeting, one of the participants invited me to attend a community volunteer awards program with him and his wife and then gave me a ride home in the pouring rain. 
• When I discovered that the water didn’t get turned on in my new rental house for the weekend, my Airbnb hostess invited me to stay for as long as I needed for free.
• My boss drove me and all my luggage to my new house last weekend, and then he returned with a table and chairs from his house when he realized that I literally was moving into a house with only clothing and decorations from Mexico. 
• New friends have given me tickets to see Salman Rushdie talk, watch movies at the Banff Film Festival, and listen to a panel on technology for social good. 
• I got some awesome love from the family in Arkansas as well: everyone bought me food and drove me around, one family friend gave me money for an “adjustment allowance,” and my cousin Sadie gave me a dish set!   

Getting a warm, midwest welcome!

In addition to this collection of things, I also now have a bed!

My backyard for the summer. 

Sooooo many food options! Although no tasty street tacos :(

There are a lot of things I miss about Mexico, but I’m trying to stay focused on all the great things I have access to now, like showers with instant hot water and strong pressure, the ability to wash my clothes at home - not by hand, the ability to roast vegetables in an oven, the ability to push a button to make my home instantly warmer or cooler, and the freedom to walk inside without shoes on.  I’m also drinking tap water like a total baller and sleeping on a real bed that I am 100% confident will never produce a surprise scorpion or lizard.  I may not get to see all the people I love in Mexico, or wear sandals anymore, but I can eat all the kale and sweet potatoes I want again, and that is worth celebrating!