As I peered into the almost full colectivo, I judged each empty seat by how comfortable I thought it would be. Normally, I’m not too picky, but I had a slight headache and my mouth was in pain after an emergency trip to the dentist to replace my permanent retainer that had half-popped-out two days prior. A man, who appeared in his forties or fifties, offered me his window seat in the third row, saying he’d happily move to the middle seat to sit next to his friend. Grateful, I climbed aboard, ready to zone out for the next two hours.
But, life had other plans for me.
As the car started, the man’s friend asked me if I was in Peace Corps, followed by what State I’m from… in English. Surprised, I made small talk and found out that he had lived in Maryland for ten years and only recently returned to Peru. What I figured would be a 10 minute chat turned into a two hour conversation about life, volunteering, traveling, and faith.
I quickly learned that the man whose seat I had taken was named David and, his friend who had lived in the US was Johnny. David, though he had studied accounting, did social work. Johnny had delivered seafood in Maryland before coming back to Peru. Both men had seen me before in the municipality and more or less knew about Peace Corps.
David did most of the talking, while Johnny would interrupt with English words, foods he missed (like Philly Cheesesteaks) or funny observations about people in the States. Johnny was eager to get back to the US and couldn’t understand why I had left. David on the other hand was fascinated that Peace Corps volunteers choose to leave their homes and live in other countries for two years. He told me that he wished he had traveled more, but family has always been his priority and he couldn’t leave his for a significant amount of time. He also had to take care of his parents before they passed.
While David hadn’t lived too far from his parents, and never outside of his country, he seemed to understand and appreciate the sacrifices that Peace Corps Volunteers make. He talked about how difficult it must be to sleep in a bed that really isn’t our own, adjust to a lifestyle different from what we’re used to, and do work that often goes unnoticed. I chimed in that, while yes, we give up a lot to be here, we also learn from our host country nationals, and we often leave our service with a better understanding of the world. He seemed to appreciate that, but continued to be in somewhat of an awe of how giving Peace Corps volunteers are.
David’s admiration and gratitude for the sometimes thankless work volunteers do came at a perfect time for me. No, I’m not in a rut and didn’t need encouraging words to pull me out. But, I am closing my first year in Peru, and I have been reflecting a lot on what my time here has meant to me. Have I had an impact on anyone? Has my work been meaningful? Am I growing as a person and learning? David’s kind words reminded me that, sometimes, I won’t see the small differences I’m making. Nor will I always be recognized for tasks I complete. It’s also not always the people we expect to notice us, who do. Without realizing it, David was reassuring, reinforcing why I am here.
And, at the end of our two hour trip, David invited me to spend Christmas (which is still more than 6 months away) with his family, since he knows I won’t be able to spend it with my own.
Brittany McGee 