Living Without

I have to give the Peace Corps credit, they have a pretty good system set up to minimize the amount of shock that one experiences for the first few months when starting out.

When you first arrive, all the real comforts of America disappear. You have to live with a family that hardly speaks your language, the food is like nothing you've ever eaten, and you eat it twice each day, the toilet is a hole in the ground, and the electricity and water are about as dependable as a good Keanu Reeves performance. But you're surrounded by Americans who, after a couple weeks, become friends. Since you spend 10-12 hours each day with these people, they're there to reminisce with you, vent to, and listen to, so all the changes aren't too bad.

So you spend 10 weeks getting used to that new lifestyle, then the Zambian comforts are removed: friends, and any form of electricity or running water. In all honesty, it’s not that bad. I really never wish that I had electricity, or more accurately, I never feel like I need electricity. I’ve come to find that it’s more annoying to be at the PC house, where we have electricity, when the power is out. Running water is never really an inconvenience. I’ve got it lucky though because my furrow runs very close to my house. Some volunteers have to walk 2 or 300 yards to their water source though.

So far I’ve made the transition pretty easily for the most part. Below is a short list of things I miss most about home. This list is in no particular order.

Friends and family (collective awww), a variety of beer, snowboarding, Quizno’s, mom’s cooking, driving/convenience of a car, draught beer, TRL, new and good music, bowling, big breakfasts, disc golf, and South Park.