Can you guess what question I’m asked most often in Moldova, especially by other Americans? It’s this: How have I found it different being a Peace Corps volunteer now compared to when I served in Nepal four decades ago? My short answer is that the experience feels very familiar. As before, I’ve left my family … Continue reading Peace Corps: Now vs. Then
If you think Americans sign up to become Peace Corps Volunteers because they’re altruistic and want to help people around the world, you’re right but not completely right. A national survey of more than 11,000 Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) several years ago found their top three reasons for joining were “wanting to live in … Continue reading Why PCVs Serve
This is my 200th post on Not Exactly Retired, which I started in mid-2015. As we’ve traveled around the United States, spent time in Nepal and served as Peace Corps Volunteers in Moldova, the blog’s audience has kept growing, with more than 26,000 visits so far. Thanks to all of you who have joined us on … Continue reading 200 Posts: Top Ten
What’s it like to be an older Peace Corps volunteer in Moldova, in eastern Europe, or in more than 60 other countries around the world? Not Exactly Retired celebrated its 100th blog post with a special series sharing the experiences of some of Moldova’s older volunteers. Here are the four stories from the series: Insights … Continue reading Older Peace Corps Volunteers
If foreign tourists only visited New York City, they wouldn’t understand upstate New York, much less the rest of the country. Likewise if they visited my home town of Durham but skipped the rest of North Carolina. The same is true here in Moldova, even though the whole country is only slightly larger than Maryland. … Continue reading Visiting Gagauzia
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