What’s Next
I’m moving to Indonesia!
I’ve inevitably told quite a few people about my post-grad plans already, but I want to say it again here to clarify and to explain what everything entails when I move to Java in September to teach English with the U.S. Peace Corps.
Crazy, right?? It still sounds crazy to me, at least. So, what is the Peace Corps?
What is the Peace Corps?
The Peace Corps is “a service opportunity for motivated changemakers to immerse themselves in a community abroad, working side by side with local leaders to tackle the most pressing challenges of our generation.” Their mission is to promote world peace and friendship by fulfilling three goals:
- To help the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women
- To help promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served
- To help promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans.
The Peace Corps was founded as a government agency by President Kennedy in 1961. Since then, over 220,000 Americans have served in 141 countries around the world. Volunteers can serve in several different fields: agriculture, community economic development, environment, health, youth development, and education. Since I have an English degree, I was placed in the education sector as an English teacher. Read more about the Peace Corps here!
Why’d I Apply?
Last September, at the beginning of my senior year at OSU, my best friend Lauren and I were looking through the Peace Corps website for available positions because we both had a strong desire to commit the next couple years of our lives to service abroad. Three weeks after I applied and interviewed, I got accepted! That’s ridiculously fast, though. It took Lauren around six months to get accepted. (She’ll be serving in Botswana as a health volunteer.)
You can apply one of two ways: in a general pool, where the Peace Corps places you in a country and a sector based on your skills, experience, and interests (this was, until recently, the only option). Or, you can choose the position and country you want and apply directly to that. I ended up applying for the random option, because I wasn’t quite sure where my skills fit, and I was willing to go anywhere in the world.
My passions for service, education, and women’s equality translate well to the Peace Corps’ goal to change lives as a “service opportunity for motivated changemakers.” Although I know I can’t foresee all of the potential challenges of serving abroad, I’m ready to embrace the discomfort in order to provide local support for a much greater cause long-term.
About Indonesia
The Republic of Indonesia is the world’s largest island country, with over 17,000 islands. Its population is 261 million people, making it the fourth-largest populated country in the world and the most populated Muslim country.
Java is the “main” island of Indonesia, home to half Indonesia’s population, which also makes it the world’s most populated island. Its capital, Jakarta, is the second largest city in the world (after Tokyo). The country is a presidential, constitutional republic with an elected parliament. They gained their independence from the Dutch, during the decolonization of Asia, in 1949.
Today, Indonesia is a diverse, vibrant country (both of people and the environment), and I can’t wait to live there. Read more about Peace Corps in Indonesia here!
How Service Works
The Peace Corps is a 27-month commitment. The first three months of service are intensive language and skills training alongside the other volunteers (in Indonesia’s case, that’s about 80ish volunteers a year). This means that from late September to late December this year, I’ll be in “class” pretty much all day, every day. Then, from December 2019 to December 2021 (the 24 months afterward), I’ll be placed at a site (with a host family) somewhere in East or West Java to teach high schoolers English.
I think I got incredibly lucky with my placement in Indonesia. I was interested in serving in Southeast Asia anyway, I’m excited to learn Bahasa Indonesia (one of the most widely spoken languages in the world), and I feel like the position of “English Teacher and Teacher Trainer” fits my skill set well. The four goals of my job will be to 1) improve student learning in English, 2) enhance students’ life and academic skills, 3) increase Indonesian teachers’ English fluency, and 4) improve teachers’ instructional capacity.
For the teacher-trainer part, I’ll be teaching English alongside an existing teacher at a secondary school, where I can fill in the gaps of teaching skills they may not have and vice versa. I’ve basically spent the last year at OSU doing exactly this, with my job as an in-class Writing Associate, by strengthening professors’ language- and writing-teaching abilities. During service I’ll also be working toward the TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) certification.
We also have opportunities to do secondary projects and community involvement, such as clubs or activities for reading, art, sports, girls’ empowerment, life skills, health, and the environment.
Current volunteers recently sent me a packing list and under “what not to bring” they listed: Hopes, Dreams, Expectations. Ha! I’ve heard from past volunteers that “changing the world” really means the small, everyday victories in your classroom or village. The Peace Corps’ unofficial motto is “the toughest job you’ll ever love.” I’m excited to tackle this challenge (pending government medical clearance).
What I’m up to Now/What I’ll Do Afterward
Since I don’t leave until September 19th, I’ll be in Cincinnati all summer with my family. (I need to soak up as much time with them as I can!) I’ll be working my typical summer job at the alterations shop making t-shirt quilts (hit me up if you want a t-shirt quilt), reading books I didn’t get to during the semester, and doing some freelance writing for my previous internship at Great Lakes Publishing. I’m trying to relish the calm before the storm. Let me know if you’d like to grab tea or a beer before I head out.
I’m not sure what the future will hold for me after the Peace Corps. I might go back to school for my Master’s in International Studies, Public Administration, or Journalism (or something completely different, idk), or I might launch right into a writing/editing job if I can. OR maybe I’ll completely change direction. Who cares! I’m optimistic.
What YOU Can Do
Finally, I’d like to address some of the concerns I’ve received about me doing this. I’ve gotten every kind of response, from literal blank stares to “where’s Indonesia?” to unconditional support. I understand that the inquisitive looks and the unwarranted advice and the concern for my safety can come from many different places, like love, misunderstanding, or discomfort.
The negativity hasn’t been as prominent as the positivity, but I just want to say that even though this opportunity is not one you’d personally want to do, doesn’t mean it’s one I don’t want to do. Yeah, maybe it’s crazy and will be too much. But over the last few years, I’ve learned the value of movement in my life and what it means to live a life of curiosity, and this is what that looks like for me. And if I hate it and come home? At least I figured that out myself.
So, if you’d like to follow along on this adventure, feel free to follow @peacecorpsindo on Instagram or their Facebook page! Also, I’m going to try to switch the focus of this blog to my Peace Corps life starting September 19th. Until then, I’ll be posting normally here as much as I can about my usual stuff.
And once I’m there, feel free to send me cans of Skyline! 🙂
