Natalie Garro, TESS 129 I’d cried. I’d cried regularly for months, for weeks. I’d cried nearly all day every day for three days before we got the email. I’d cried so much, […]
On the “Great Peace Corps Evacuation of 2020” (Named by Khun Michelle)
Heartbreak
Alison Reenock, TESS 131 It started 15 months ago when our flight touched down in Bangkok on that January 5th afternoon. We were all hot, fatigued, walking through the motions, a little […]
Still There
Moises Puentes, TESS 131 Its been almost three weeks since I was forced to leave the mountains I had begun to call home, and after a few days of traveling, as soon […]
COVID-19 Personified
The smell of alcohol pierces my nostrils. My co-workers frantically disperse hand sanitizer in pocket-sized tubes to prevent the spread of you. I live in the Land of Smiles, which your suffocating masks have smothered. You not only incited hysteria, you robbed us all of the intimacy of touch.
Letters to the People I had to Leave
Kayla Kawalec, YinD 132 To Mee: I have to write this one first, because there’s so much I want to say to you, and have always wanted to say to you, but […]
The Silent Homecoming
Emily Maginnis, TESS 131 It’s 5 am and I’m wide awake. Could be from the jet lag from Saturday’s flight, or just the unanswered questions building up in my head. Probably both. […]
Mae Dang
I did not know it at the time, but over the next weeks and months, this smile and the lovely woman who bears it would make this place my home.
How To Be Alone Together
Katie Basset, 131 YinD I had never lived alone before Peace Corps. In fact, I never had my own room until I was 19. When I was young, I craved solitude, little […]
Here
Sierra Drummond, TESS 131 I’ve recently enjoyed the comfort of other noise in my home Not directed at me but through me, an inescapable reminder of company, that I’m not alone I […]
International Women’s Day Photo Competition
A Poem by women To be a woman is to have superpowers. To create life. To be soft and strong. To be a woman is to be resilient. To have tenacity. To […]
Bees?!
Emily Maginnis, TESS 131 Yes, you read correctly. No, Paw Aw, they were not flies. No, host mother, they were not over sized moths will a strangely organized system of government. I […]
Black History Month: PCV Reflections
As we reflect on the end of this year’s Black History Month, we would like to highlight some of the experiences of our Black Peace Corps Volunteers. The following are brief snap-shots […]
Healthy Living: A Meditation on Self-Control
Ian Tramm, 131 YinD So. Food. It’s the best. Obviously. Everyone loves a good meal. You know what’s not nearly as good as food though? Discipline. Self-control. Saying no to dessert. Much […]
Tatted in Thailand: COS Tattoos
During Group 130’s Reconnect Conference in 2018 many of us decided on getting tattoos. Prior to that week I had also heard of volunteers from Group 129 who had gotten tattooed during […]
Group 130 Yearbook: We Loved and We Learned
As their service comes to a close, Peace Corps Thailand volunteers from Group 130 reflect and answer the question, “What’s one thing you loved and one thing learned during service?” Loved and […]
