Today was one of Peace Corps Romania training coordinator’s last day, who, after 10 years, has decided to embark in a new journey. She wrote a beautiful email that, with her consent, I would like to share. Working for Peace Corps is rewarding to all; whether you are a volunteer, host country counterpart, program director, country director etc. (Romanian translation below)
Astăzi a fost una din zile Corpului Păcii România de formare coordonatorului trecut, care, după 10 de ani, a decis să se angajeze într-o nouă călătorie. Ea a scris un e-mail frumos care, cu acordul ei, aș dori să vă împărtășesc. De lucru pentru Corpul Păcii este plină de satisfacții pentru toți; indiferent dacă sunteți un voluntar, țara gazdă counterpart, director de program, director de țară etc. (Traducere în limba română de mai jos)
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Dear friends & colleagues,
Some of you already know and some of you are about to learn that this is my last week with the Peace Corps – the end of a fabulous experience! Remarkably, I am wrapping up my Peace Corps service at around the same time I started this adventure 10 years ago – August 24th. It was time that marks an experience that has come to a full circle and it will always bring back memories filled with wonderful people and friends, projects, big smiles, happiness, respect, trust, support and shared responsibility.
I am leaving behind a place where I witnessed wonderful memories and leaned about my colleagues’ exceptional involvement and service. They were the ones that always helped, tried, extended a helping hand, built, learned while in my country; together we all learned from each other what we knew best and gave back to the community. All the volunteers and colleagues showed me the most important facet of human life – people putting to use their professional training and took on the responsibility of transferring their knowledge while being part of a culture and an area with little knowledge. Yet, they always seem to know the needs of the group they support.
Peace Corps and the philosophy behind it deeply marked and enriched my person and career. Now I know that professional growth can be measured best against the human touch. That’s the most important criteria. I take great pride of being part of an enthusiastic group of people and working together for the benefit of others. All of us are this way and believe that together we were and will always be very proud to be part of this organization.
It was here that I became more open: I met people with a different cultural identity and an immense capacity to adapt to totally different surroundings. It was the Peace Corps that offered me the chance to meet and fall in love with the cultural beauty of others. It was my opportunity to discover from the eyes of others the beauty of everyday things that can be done when others show us how to get them done.
Peace Corps it was the place where I did “different” work with people for the people, work full of inspiration and the kind of fresh air and positivity that goes beyond the ordinary professional office jobs. It was a place where I learned a lot, offered a lot and from where I am departing so much more humanely enriched. I don’t believe that there is any other place where I could have learned about the power of working (anywhere in the world, on different geographical coordinates) if not for the many examples of my American colleagues. Now I have confidence that I can personally integrate myself on working with people from different cultures that I can adapt to the needs on the ground and to give back all the things that are expected from a volunteer.
The Peace Corps world it was the arena where I learned to give up on the stereotypes associated with weasel words or the ones deeply anchored on a profession matrix. It was here where I let my inspiration and patiently awaiting thoughts go free towards putting together projects that I thought would never work for my country. This was an audacious mission – yet, now I can proudly say that from all the jobs that I had in the past or will hold in the future, this was the best and most loved for me. A true the toughest job I’ll ever love!
I am certain that I’ll be missing it and crave the Peace Corps work for the time to come. I’ll miss the people that I worked with and supported me. Their professional destiny is my inspiration and I’ll always cherish their friendship. My Peace Corps people where my Romanian co-workers, project partners, friends, volunteers and the American supervisors that brought tears to my eyes…tears of passion, tears of frustration, tears of pride. Next to them I took on great professional challenges, together we took on initiatives and projects aimed at supporting the great Romanian cultural and social potential. I’ll always remember and value my American colleagues with their vital energy and positivity. My THANKS to all of them!
I am leaving the Peace Corps, but the Peace Corps will never leave me! I do wish that someday, my nephew Ethan and niece Colbie will have the curiosity to dissect and discover the meanings behind my letter simple words.
Wrapping up my Peace Corps life, I am thinking that a life change always works best when you cash in what you have gain from your past. As such, coming fall I’ll close the door on the full time employee career and temerariously get back to one of my old careers paths – environmental protection and sustainable energy consulting project . Before embarking on the journey, I’ll be taking a short sabbatical to reevaluate my priorities, reflect and relax next to my overseas-based family. I’ll be letting the working grounds unattended for a while – yet, just long and far enough to afford for some self-regeneration next to the ones dear to me.
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Dragii mei,
Acum, unii dintre voi stiu, altii nu: este ultima mea saptamana in care mai lucrez in Peace Corps si incheierea unei fabuloase experiente! In chip paradoxal inchei serviciul PC la acelasi timp in care l-am inceput – 24 august – un timp ce marcheaza o experienta perfect circulara si care imi va aminti mereu de oameni si prieteni frumosi, proiecte asumate, zambete, bucurie, respect, incredere, sustinere si egala responsabilitate.
Plec dintr-un loc unde am asistat la intamplari minunate si am ascultat intamplari exceptionale de implicare si daruire ale colegilor mei: ei au ajutat, au incercat, au intins o mana de ajutor, au construit, au invatat in tara mea; impreuna cu totii am invatat unii de la altii tot ce stiam noi sa facem mai bine in folosul unei comunitati. Voluntarii si toti ceilati colegi mi-au relevat latura cea mai importanta in viata unui om, care isi urmeaza propria-i pregatire profesionala asumandu-si responsabilitatea transferului de cunostinte in spatii si culturi despre care au informatii putine, dar stiu perfect ce nevoi are grupul unde ei vin sa lucreze.
Peace Corps prin filosofia sa mi-a marcat si valorizat personalitatea si cariera. Stiu acum ca exista ascensiune profesionala masurabila cel mai bine prin criteriul cel mai important – incarcatura umana. Mandria de apartenenta la un grup uman entuziast si cu cea mai mare disponibilitate, de a lucra impreuna pentru ceilalti. Fiecare dintre noi asa simt si cred – ca impreuna am fost si vom fi mereu mandri de apartenenta noastra la aceasta organizatie.
Aici am devenit mai deschisa, am cunoscut oameni cu identitate culturala diferita si cu o imensa capacitate de adaptare intr-un spatiu total diferit; un loc care mi-a oferit sansa de a intalni, de a ma indragosti de frumusetea culturala a celorlati, dar si de a fi descoperit cu ochii celorlati frumosul din lucrurile pe care le puteam face abia cand sunt relevate prin exemplul celorlalti.
Locul unde am facut o munca « altfel » cu oameni pentru oameni, o munca plina de inspiratie, de aer proaspat si pozitivitate care a spart frontierele muncii obisnuite de birou. Un loc in care am invatat, am oferit si de unde plec mult mai imbogatita uman. Nu cred ca as fi invatat altundeva despre puterea de a lucra, in orice loc din lume, pe orice coordonate geografice, daca nu as fi avut atatea si atatea exemple de experiente ale colegilor americani, Acum stiu ca ma pot integra si eu in munca cu oamenii din culturi diferite, ma pot adapta nevoilor si sa daruiesc ceea ce se asteapta de la un voluntar.
Este un loc unde am invatat sa renunt la stereotipile limbajului rece si incadrat in matricea fixa a unei profesii, si unde am dat liber inspiratiei si gandurilor rabdatoare pentru a pune pe picioare proiecte aparent fara sansa pentru tara mea– o misiune temerara dar care ma ajuta azi sa afirm ca aceasta a fost locul de munca al meu cel mai potrivit mie si cel iubit dintre toate cele pe care le-am avut si le voi mai avea. Cu adevarat «the toughest job I’ll ever love»!
Desigur ca acesta munca imi va lipsi si o sa ii duc dorul. Imi vor lipsi oamenii cu care am lucrat, care m-au sprijinit si al caror destin profesional ma inspira si a caror prietenie o voi pretui mereu; sunt colegii mei romani de birou, parteneri de proiecte, prieteni, voluntari si/sau supervizori americani care m-au facut sa plang de emotie, de frustare, de mandrie; alaturi de ei am acceptat provocari profesionale, impreuna ne-am asumat intiative si proiecte pentru a sprijini uriasul potential cultural si social romanesc pe care americanii – cu energia lor vitala si spiritul lor pozitiv – il vad mereu si il apreciaza mereu. Le multumesc tuturor !!!
I am leaving Peace Corps but Peace Corps will never leave me! Si desigur ca mi-as dori ca Ethan si Colbie, nepotii mei sa aibe curiozitatea peste timp de a descoperi si descifra ei insisi sensul celor ilustrate de aceste simple cuvinte.
Mai gandesc ca o schimbare in viata e bine sa fie facuta valorificand ce ai castigat. De aceea din acesta toamna ma opresc din munca salariata si ma reintorc temerar la o munca ceva mai veche a mea – consultanta intr-un proiect de mediu si energie durabila.
Dar asta nu inainte de a lua o pauza sabatica de reevaluare a prioritatile, de reflectie si odihna alaturi de o parte din familia mea peste ocean. Las o vreme «terenul muncii» nelucrat, dandu-i timp si spatiu geografic sa se regenereze langa o parte dintre cei dragi mie