Tag: Host Family

Winter Trip Part 1: Getting To Prague

Published on by Mark Jahnke

So, as you probably deduced by the combination of my absence, the holidays, and my most recent post, The Way Home, I went on a bit of a winter vacation! I planned this just under a year ago when my Peace Corps assignment became finalized in order to give myself something to look forward to over the first eight months of my service, and it was a great way to stay positive and motivated. I saw a fair bit more than I can cover in just a single post, so I’ll be breaking this up across a couple of days. Part 1: Getting To Prague Continue reading “Winter Trip Part 1: Getting To Prague” →

Mile 4: Adventure, Uncertainty, and Illness

Published on by Mark Jahnke

When you join the Peace Corps, you know that you’re going headfirst into an unknown of knowns. You know that you’ll get sick, but you don’t know when. You know you’ll have an adventure, but you don’t know how or where. You know you’ll have ups and downs, but you don’t know the nature of those challenges. In fact, inasmuch as we have been trained to know how to handle a pretty insane number of wild and wacky situations, many of which are genuinely likely to happen, not knowing if and when they will happen means that, at most times, you still feel completely immersed in the unknown. It’s the fundamental paradox of the Peace Corps.

I spent a lot of August wandering in that wilderness. Continue reading “Mile 4: Adventure, Uncertainty, and Illness” →

Orientation

Published on by Mark Jahnke

 

Our orientation was a complete whirlwind, but it’s a good thing that we had it to help us ease into the structure that is guiding us through the first two months of our time in this beautiful country. The hardest part wasn’t remembering everything, but remaining awake for the three days, the first of which began the second we touched down in country.

First off, family and friends worried about me will be happy to know that we have a great staff taking care of us here in the Kyrgyz Republic. They have thought of just about everything, and if they hadn’t thought of it pre-emptively, then they have things because of actual experiences that previous people have had. Not everyone will need a mosquito net or Tums, but we will be happy we have them when we do! This is definitely the softest landing I’ve ever had coming into an extended period outside the US.

Continue reading “Orientation” →