A new group of Peace Corps volunteers are getting ready in America to start an adventure similar to mine. In a few months Group 127 will get on an airplane fly to America and begin the Peace Corps Thailand adventure. I can't believe it, it seems like I just walked off that airplane myself. Here is a letter I would write to myself one year ago on the beginning of my Peace Corps journey.
Dear 2013 Peace Corps Trainee Kaya,
Congratulations making it off the plane. I know you weren't sure if you could even make it that far. It's ok, over this year you will realize you are stronger than you ever knew. From the moment you get to Thailand you will be sick you will fight through this and learn the spoons theory to help you make sense of just never having as many spoons as you need or as most people have. You will make friends with some amazing people. You lucked out big time by getting the best roommate ever, soon you will know how perfect of a match it is when you go back to your hotel room exhausted and just listen to the Grateful Dead with Lauren Anderson. Little do you know that your roommate from staging will be your roommate for every Peace Corps Thailand event here on out.
You don't realize it now, but getting your MSW (Masters of Social Work) totally changed you. Becoming aware of your own privilege and oppressed identities, microaggressions, and social justice has opened your eyes and you can't ever turn blind eye again. You will realize that for the past two years you have been very fortunate to live in a bubble where people call out each other and hold one another accountable for oppression, not everyone in the world is like that. You will make friends with people in Group 126 that you would probably never have been friends with in America. You will all get on each others nerves, but honestly what else can you expect. You will spend 10 weeks with these people seeing them 6 days a week for at least 8 hours a day....seeing anyone that much is a lot even someone you love let alone stranger. After you get sworn in you will miss every last person no matter how much they got on your nerves in training.
Kaya you really luck out in the host family department. I know that you are asking all the current volunteers about their housing situation because you already know that you want to move into your own house. I'm going to let you in on a secret, you score a housing situation better than you could have ever thought and you still live with a host family. Also you will get 3 dogs who all have names of Thai drinks you will be scared at them at first and they will almost eat you but you never end up actually getting hurt and they fall in love with you. Your host family during PST (Pre-Service Training) will become your family faster than you could have imagined. They will be a perfect match for you. You end up first coming out to your host sisters week 3 of PST at a KFC...its great. You have the best little host sister in the world and Matthew will become a part of your family too. Weeks during PST will be hard but soon you will discover "Sunday Funday" and you and Matt will become the best of friends. Your second host family will be nothing like your first and no one will tell you this. When you first arrive at site it will be like ripping a band aid off and you will feel very alone. Actually if I am being honest with you the hardest part of your experience will be your first month at site. You will grow so much and you will survive. I know that you want to learn how to be alone with yourself and fall in love with Kaya, you get plenty of time to do that. You actually get in touch with your introvert side and start needing alone time. You will be lonely but you will make friends. The first month with your new host family will be so awkward. Like I said this will be the hardest month, but once you start picking up Thai more you will realize how amazing your host mom is! Seriously you have the best host mom ever, just keep your chin up kid!
Learning Thai will frustrate the hell out of you. You will have a break down day 3 of being in Thailand and cry during a Language lesson and scare your poor Thai teacher by breaking face. There will be some people in your group that pick it up so easy and this may discourage you. You will learn that some people are just really good at picking up languages and you Kaya... just aren't one of those people. You will not pass the Language test the first time but you won't care. Actually as it turns out in your town people will speak Khmer, Laos, Sohi, and Thai so it won't really matter that you didn't make it to Intermediate Low level of Thai. You will go to site and start from basically square one with Language. Its ok you will be eventually get it, you pass the language test with an Intermediate Low at Reconnect 6 months into your service.
I know that you say that you don't have any expectations now but...you do. Deep down inside I know that you want to be placed in Southern Thailand because...beaches, am I right. Well I hate to burst your bubble but you end up no where close to a beach. Actually on the day you find out your site you look on a map and think you are on an Ocean and then you realize....its not an Ocean it is Cambodia. You are placed in Issan on the Cambodian boarder. You will not be happy about being placed in Surin at first because, like I said, you had some expectations. You will create worries in your head about your site and none of those worries will be valid. Actually you will come to learn that you were placed at the most perfect site for you. Issan is the culture capitol of Thailand, there will be parites every week in your community for another holiday. The people of Surin know how to party. They are the best people in Thailand. You will be yourself from day one showing your tattoos and piercings and no one will bat an eye. Not only will you get to experience Thai tradition but Khmer culture as well! Trust me when I say that you end up right where you are supposed to be, but there will be heartbreak...Matthew will be placed really far away from you. Actually you end up being the only Group 126 volunteer in Surin, but don't fear. You get placed by someone who becomes one of your best friends and greatest support system in Thailand. Just wait until you meet Meredith!! You will know you love her when you go into town to meet her for a burger and a beer and she is wearing the cute David Bowie shirt. She is amazing and your host mom falls in love with her too!
You will come to detest the question.."So what are you doing in Thailand?"....you wont actually have any projects come to fruition in Thailand until 10 months into your service. Don't worry about that, just focus on spending time with people and becoming a part of your community. You will go to some weird things and see some crazy stuff...enjoy it. Just wait it keeps getting better. Soon you too will just say Oh, Thailand!
Right now, just focus on spending time with all the people you love back in America. You will have plenty of time to worry about Thailand in Thailand. Snuggle with your mom as much as you can, seriously anytime that woman is around just hold her. Go out with your friends. Pet your dog so much your hand gets numb, you will miss Sebastian just as much as you think you will but don't worry he falls in love with your mom... but he doesnt forget you. His ears will perk up on Skype dates with your mom and he will learn the Viber ring tone is you calling. I know you are beginning to realize how amazing and perfect Katie is.. just wait she gets better. She is always with you, the distance will be hard but she is always there. Eat all the food you can in America. Don't worry about getting in shape or blah blah blah for Thailand, eat. Eat all the cheese you are going to be missing. Rub butter all over your body because you won't see it again for a long ass time.
Most of all enjoy the ride. You will soon realize you have absolutely no control in Thailand. Throw up your hands and go. You are about to go on a better adventure than you ever could have expected. The crazy stories you will be able to tell a year from now will be amazing.
Love,
Your slightly older 2014 PCV Kaya
Awesome. Beautiful. Just like you, ayaK!!!
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