Reflections from a Departing Health PCV
By Anna Montgomery
Photo courtesy of Ahmed Naguib
Farewell. Have you ever really thought about that word? Usually, we simply use it as a synonym for goodbye. Recently, however, I‘ve been thinking that its meaning goes beyond the obvious. This is especially true as, we, the first group of PCVs back to Rwanda, prepare to leave. I‘ve changed the word a bit though, from farewell, to fare well.
To my fellow group 1s: You will very soon be Returned Peace Corps Volunteers, RPCVs! May you fare well under your new title. May the lessons you learned and the experiences you had as PCVs be more than just memories. I hope they become a springboard of sorts, sending you off with a flying start to a wonderful future. Close of Service time is here. But as Mara said during our conference, COS also means continuation of service. Don‘t give it up when you return to the States! Lots of things are about to change; reverse culture shock is in store for us. You‘ll have hot water (any time you want), avocados will seem ridiculously expensive, it will be ok to smell your food, and please remember that it will no longer be ok to pick your nose. However, I hope one thing stays the same. Service. Keep reaching out to others, invest in your communities wherever you are, change the world, and fare well.
And to all you PCVs still in service: I say the same to you, farewell, fare well. Your service won‘t always be easy, nor will it always be enjoyable, but it will be worth it. During our COS conference a Ralph Waldo Emerson quotation was shared with us. It‘s a definition of success that lined up so perfectly with Peace Corps service that I wanted to share it with you guys as well. "To laugh often and much, to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children, to earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends, to appreciate beauty, to find the best in others, to leave the world a bit better, whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, a redeemed social condition, to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is to have succeeded." So I say farewell, fare well, I know you are going to succeed!
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