[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] It was half of the day. So for, you know, we had like two classes a day, so I would say four hours.

[Assistant] Mm hmm. Did you have other components of training, any kind of physical exercise or hiking or anything like that?

[User] Not, no. Not anything formal. You know, because we were at somewhat of an altitude. So there was a lot of people who weren't used to altitude. It wasn't that bad. But you know, and we were walking back and forth to where we were staying in and the training center, so there wasn't anything formal for exercise. No.

[Assistant] And what about the people who, the other trainees who are in the health program, for example? How many were you in the health program and did you enjoy their company? Did you make friends or were you all sort of operating independently or?

[User] So there was 12 of us and there were actually two couples. So before I went to Peace Corps, you know, because I was already in my forties, I thought, oh gosh, I'm going to be like the old lady in the group, but I wasn't. There was one person older than me. Two people older than me. And the other, there was three other ones who were somewhat my contemporaries, you know, we were a little bit, you know, five, 10 years, at least five years younger. So I was surprised that there was that many of us who were older. And one, two, three, four of us were already are RNs. So that, you know, we bonded pretty almost instantly, instantaneously.

[Assistant] We meaning the 12 of you?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] So there was 12 of us and there were actually two couples. So before I went to Peace Corps, you know, because I was already in my forties, I thought, oh gosh, I'm going to be like the old lady in the group, but I wasn't. There was one person older than me. Two people older than me. And the other, there was three other ones who were somewhat my contemporaries, you know, we were a little bit, you know, five, 10 years, at least five years younger. So I was surprised that there was that many of us who were older. And one, two, three, four of us were already are RNs. So that, you know, we bonded pretty almost instantly, instantaneously.

[Assistant] We meaning the 12 of you?

[User] The 12 of us, but especially the nurses, the RNs. You know, RNs can I guess be maybe a little snobby at times, I don't know. I never felt like I was snobby, but maybe. You know, like I said, I had to learn how to, you know, be a health care worker. Not so much an RN, which was fine. So, you know, we did really well, and a couple of the people in our group had already, were Spanish speakers, so that helped too. They were able to, you know, we were able to use them as kind of resource, like, how would you say this kind of medical thing in Spanish, that kind of thing and that kind of stuff. Yeah, yeah, that was nice. Yeah, that was really nice. I enjoyed that and um. I mean, I can fast forward because this, we're talking about my friends from that group. So we all stayed in pretty close contact. Well, we tried to visit each other when we could.

[Assistant] Why don't we do this part now, the what it was like to be in country in your assignment?

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] Unless there's something else you wanted to tell about training.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] The 12 of us, but especially the nurses, the RNs. You know, RNs can I guess be maybe a little snobby at times, I don't know. I never felt like I was snobby, but maybe. You know, like I said, I had to learn how to, you know, be a health care worker. Not so much an RN, which was fine. So, you know, we did really well, and a couple of the people in our group had already, were Spanish speakers, so that helped too. They were able to, you know, we were able to use them as kind of resource, like, how would you say this kind of medical thing in Spanish, that kind of thing and that kind of stuff. Yeah, yeah, that was nice. Yeah, that was really nice. I enjoyed that and um. I mean, I can fast forward because this, we're talking about my friends from that group. So we all stayed in pretty close contact. Well, we tried to visit each other when we could.

[Assistant] Why don't we do this part now, the what it was like to be in country in your assignment?

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] Unless there's something else you wanted to tell about training.

[User] Um, if it comes up, if I remember.

[Assistant] Yeah, let's explain. We'll come back to your after Peace Corps years and the bonds that you created that still affect your life. But tell us now how you learned about your assignment and what was your assignment, et cetera.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] Unless there's something else you wanted to tell about training.

[User] Um, if it comes up, if I remember.

[Assistant] Yeah, let's explain. We'll come back to your after Peace Corps years and the bonds that you created that still affect your life. But tell us now how you learned about your assignment and what was your assignment, et cetera.

[User] OK, so that's.

[Assistant] That was three months, after training?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Um, if it comes up, if I remember.

[Assistant] Yeah, let's explain. We'll come back to your after Peace Corps years and the bonds that you created that still affect your life. But tell us now how you learned about your assignment and what was your assignment, et cetera.

[User] OK, so that's.

[Assistant] That was three months, after training?

[User] It's kind of like the Yemen experience.

[Assistant] All right. Sounds like a good story.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Tomas, his name was Tomas. So Tomas and I took off and went back to Guayaquil. He said, I'm going to find you a place to live. OK. I was still, you know, I was still going to give it my best.

[Assistant] Yeah.

[User] Tomas and I went all over the place for like an entire day. And even with his, he's the Ecuadorian and explained everything and said, you know, this is why we're here. You know, this is who we're going to work for and blah blah blah. And they just go, oh no, we don't really, you know, we just don't have a place, whatever. Well, actually, it wasn't Guayaquil. We had gone to Guayaquil, but that was where I had interviewed with that woman, she wanted me to talk to people. The actual little town, which is right outside of Guayaquil, is called Jipijapa. It's a cute little name, isn't it?

[Assistant] Isn't it.

[User] Spelled with J. So it's like Jippy Japo. We, you know, we were always making kind of jokes about Jippy Japo. So we were in Jipijapa, and, you know, we ended up sitting, at the end of the day, we were sitting on a park bench. And he said, I don't, I don't think you're supposed to be here. He said, no, we're going to go back and we're going to tell him, no. You're not, you're not coming here.

[Assistant] Let's think about it. Or do you have any idea of why there was no housing for you? Do you think the landlords were afraid to have a North American live in their housing?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Tomas and I went all over the place for like an entire day. And even with his, he's the Ecuadorian and explained everything and said, you know, this is why we're here. You know, this is who we're going to work for and blah blah blah. And they just go, oh no, we don't really, you know, we just don't have a place, whatever. Well, actually, it wasn't Guayaquil. We had gone to Guayaquil, but that was where I had interviewed with that woman, she wanted me to talk to people. The actual little town, which is right outside of Guayaquil, is called Jipijapa. It's a cute little name, isn't it?

[Assistant] Isn't it.

[User] Spelled with J. So it's like Jippy Japo. We, you know, we were always making kind of jokes about Jippy Japo. So we were in Jipijapa, and, you know, we ended up sitting, at the end of the day, we were sitting on a park bench. And he said, I don't, I don't think you're supposed to be here. He said, no, we're going to go back and we're going to tell him, no. You're not, you're not coming here.

[Assistant] Let's think about it. Or do you have any idea of why there was no housing for you? Do you think the landlords were afraid to have a North American live in their housing?

[User] You know, I mean, sure, it could have been. I mean, as a woman, I don't know that I would pose much of a threat.

[Assistant] No, but be a target yourself and cause trouble for them. You don't know?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] You know, I mean, sure, it could have been. I mean, as a woman, I don't know that I would pose much of a threat.

[Assistant] No, but be a target yourself and cause trouble for them. You don't know?

[User] Well, because I didn't really know the culture. So the culture in the coast is different than the culture in the mountain area. So I didn't have a good feel of the coastal climate, so to speak. I do know that one of my buddies from my training group, one of the other nurses, she ended up. I think she was near Guayaquil also. And so then later, I heard about the difference in the culture between the coast and the mountain area. So yeah, it was a lot. It was, you know, the coast area is a lot faster and, you know, more open. And you know, it's a hotter, hotter climate, where in the mountains, you know, it's more subdued. You know, you're in more heavy clothing. That's part of it anyway. But yeah, it could have been. Maybe they just didn't want a North American in their home because they would, you know, for the same reason the guy came up behind me and slit the watch off my wrist. You know, maybe I had things that somebody might want to break into their house and get. So, um.

[Assistant] So Tomas took you back up the mountain.

[User] Yeah.

[Assistant] How long did it take you to go from Guayaquil to Quito and then Tumbaco?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Well, because I didn't really know the culture. So the culture in the coast is different than the culture in the mountain area. So I didn't have a good feel of the coastal climate, so to speak. I do know that one of my buddies from my training group, one of the other nurses, she ended up. I think she was near Guayaquil also. And so then later, I heard about the difference in the culture between the coast and the mountain area. So yeah, it was a lot. It was, you know, the coast area is a lot faster and, you know, more open. And you know, it's a hotter, hotter climate, where in the mountains, you know, it's more subdued. You know, you're in more heavy clothing. That's part of it anyway. But yeah, it could have been. Maybe they just didn't want a North American in their home because they would, you know, for the same reason the guy came up behind me and slit the watch off my wrist. You know, maybe I had things that somebody might want to break into their house and get. So, um.

[Assistant] So Tomas took you back up the mountain.

[User] Yeah.

[Assistant] How long did it take you to go from Guayaquil to Quito and then Tumbaco?

[User] You know, that's a long ride. It's a long ride on the bus, it's 12 hours or so. It's a long ride. Yeah, and they have these busses that they call them lujo busses, and they're supposed to be the best bus because they're nice. They're like a big, nice Greyhound bus. But they were to me, they felt like a boat. And when they're going around these curves and stuff, it was like being on the ocean and with the waves. And I was always like going, I think I'm going to not make it. I am. It was crazy.

[Assistant] So Tomas takes you back.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] You know, that's a long ride. It's a long ride on the bus, it's 12 hours or so. It's a long ride. Yeah, and they have these busses that they call them lujo busses, and they're supposed to be the best bus because they're nice. They're like a big, nice Greyhound bus. But they were to me, they felt like a boat. And when they're going around these curves and stuff, it was like being on the ocean and with the waves. And I was always like going, I think I'm going to not make it. I am. It was crazy.

[Assistant] So Tomas takes you back.

[User] So Tomas takes me back and he said, I'm telling him you're not going to Guayaquil, you're not going to Jipijapa, it's a done deal, so don't worry about it. I said, thank you, Tomas. Because I just, you know, there is a part of me generally that I, you know, I know when things are right and they're not right for me and it just didn't seem. Like the thing with Yemen. I just knew that wasn't right. That was not where I was supposed to be.

[Assistant] Yeah.

[User] So the program director said, you know, OK, I have another place, but I'm going to go with you. So him and I went and we went to a place called Juan Montalvo. And it was a teeny tiny little town at the end of a mountain road actually not too far from Colombia. About a 45 minute bus ride.

[Assistant] What was the largest city?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] So Tomas takes me back and he said, I'm telling him you're not going to Guayaquil, you're not going to Jipijapa, it's a done deal, so don't worry about it. I said, thank you, Tomas. Because I just, you know, there is a part of me generally that I, you know, I know when things are right and they're not right for me and it just didn't seem. Like the thing with Yemen. I just knew that wasn't right. That was not where I was supposed to be.

[Assistant] Yeah.

[User] So the program director said, you know, OK, I have another place, but I'm going to go with you. So him and I went and we went to a place called Juan Montalvo. And it was a teeny tiny little town at the end of a mountain road actually not too far from Colombia. About a 45 minute bus ride.

[Assistant] What was the largest city?

[User] The largest city was called Mira. And we were only about, from there, about a half an hour to Otavalo. So it was, yeah. So I went there and, again, the housing was an issue. There was one person in this little tiny town that had a room. And so that's where I stayed.

[Assistant] Had your village, Juan Montalbo?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] So the program director said, you know, OK, I have another place, but I'm going to go with you. So him and I went and we went to a place called Juan Montalvo. And it was a teeny tiny little town at the end of a mountain road actually not too far from Colombia. About a 45 minute bus ride.

[Assistant] What was the largest city?

[User] The largest city was called Mira. And we were only about, from there, about a half an hour to Otavalo. So it was, yeah. So I went there and, again, the housing was an issue. There was one person in this little tiny town that had a room. And so that's where I stayed.

[Assistant] Had your village, Juan Montalbo?

[User] Juan Montalvo.

[Assistant] Juan Montalvo ever had a Peace Corps volunteer before? Never?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] The largest city was called Mira. And we were only about, from there, about a half an hour to Otavalo. So it was, yeah. So I went there and, again, the housing was an issue. There was one person in this little tiny town that had a room. And so that's where I stayed.

[Assistant] Had your village, Juan Montalbo?

[User] Juan Montalvo.

[Assistant] Juan Montalvo ever had a Peace Corps volunteer before? Never?

[User] No.

[Assistant] And how long had Peace Corps been in Ecuador by that time?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Juan Montalvo.

[Assistant] Juan Montalvo ever had a Peace Corps volunteer before? Never?

[User] No.

[Assistant] And how long had Peace Corps been in Ecuador by that time?

[User] That's a good question. I'm not even sure.

[Assistant] Well, when I was a Peace Corps volunteer in Colombia from '63 to '65, there was Peace Corps already in Ecuador. So I think that Ecuador must have had Peace Corps from about 1962, is what I'm guessing. '61, the first volunteers went to Colombia and I think it probably in '62, it began. So if you were there in '93?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] No.

[Assistant] And how long had Peace Corps been in Ecuador by that time?

[User] That's a good question. I'm not even sure.

[Assistant] Well, when I was a Peace Corps volunteer in Colombia from '63 to '65, there was Peace Corps already in Ecuador. So I think that Ecuador must have had Peace Corps from about 1962, is what I'm guessing. '61, the first volunteers went to Colombia and I think it probably in '62, it began. So if you were there in '93?

[User] Yeah, they, well, they probably.

[Assistant] More than 30 years.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] That's a good question. I'm not even sure.

[Assistant] Well, when I was a Peace Corps volunteer in Colombia from '63 to '65, there was Peace Corps already in Ecuador. So I think that Ecuador must have had Peace Corps from about 1962, is what I'm guessing. '61, the first volunteers went to Colombia and I think it probably in '62, it began. So if you were there in '93?

[User] Yeah, they, well, they probably.

[Assistant] More than 30 years.

[User] They probably, maybe some of them had heard about Peace Corps, but there had never been a volunteer in that town.

[Assistant] Let's tell us about that town.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yeah, they, well, they probably.

[Assistant] More than 30 years.

[User] They probably, maybe some of them had heard about Peace Corps, but there had never been a volunteer in that town.

[Assistant] Let's tell us about that town.

[User] So it was a town of about 80 families. It was literally at the end of the road. And there was a very small health clinic, you could say. It really wasn't a clinic. It was just a, you know, they call them puestos, just this little like little place where the person who ran it was the equivalent of like an LPN. And that's what her main job was, she did have a. They were farmers, but she didn't do the farming. She lived with her brother and he did the farming. And so we went there and, you know, it seemed OK. She was a little wary, though, because she had no experience with North Americans, but she was willing. You know, she had a good heart.

[Assistant] And what was her name?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Mercedes.

[Assistant] Mercedes, OK.

[User] And that's who I ended up living with, in her house. So we worked together and I had a room in her house and, you know, we were, her and I were 24/7. She was very patient with me most of the time because again I was struggling with the language. And so for the first couple months, at least, no, maybe a little longer than that, I didn't walk out of the door without my dictionary. And whenever we went anywhere, people would ask her, you know, who's this and what are you doing? Why is she, you know, why is she following behind you everywhere you go? And she would, you know, she would explain. But as we as I studied and listened and learned a little bit more, there came a day when I really knew what they were saying. Way more than what I had started out with anyway, I don't know if I could tell you word for word, but you know, you get the gist. So whoever this person was said, started asking her questions about me. And all of a sudden I thought, well, I can answer that question. And so I said, well, ask me and they both look at me like what? So that was the day she quit having to talk for me, but she was very patient. She was really patient.

[Assistant] So many months into it was that?

[User] I would say it was probably six months, yeah, before I really felt really comfortable.

[Assistant] Like you could open your mouth.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] I would say it was probably six months, yeah, before I really felt really comfortable.

[Assistant] Like you could open your mouth.

[User] That I could, yeah. Yeah. And I studied every day and I listened and you know, we watched TV and, you know, I worked really hard at, you know, most of the time when you learn a language, you learn, you understand more than that. It's easier to understand what people are saying than for you to say what you want to say, you know, so. And what I learned was one native language. We have, in this, probably in a lot of other countries too, but we have a lot of ways of saying things that are not directly translatable. And I had to stop thinking in those little colloquialisms, as you would say, and I would. So I had this slight delay of answering people because I had to first understand what they were saying, and then I would think about what I wanted to say. And then I go, no, there's no direct translation for that. And then I had to think about how I'm going to say that. So, you know, I kept thinking, they're going to think I'm really stupid, you know. But it's like, well, you know, I'm learning.

[Assistant] So that sounds like a kind of a watershed event when you were able to speak for yourself.

[User] Yeah, it really was.

[Assistant] And you demonstrated how much you were comprehending and then you were able to respond and then think out loud, so to speak.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] That I could, yeah. Yeah. And I studied every day and I listened and you know, we watched TV and, you know, I worked really hard at, you know, most of the time when you learn a language, you learn, you understand more than that. It's easier to understand what people are saying than for you to say what you want to say, you know, so. And what I learned was one native language. We have, in this, probably in a lot of other countries too, but we have a lot of ways of saying things that are not directly translatable. And I had to stop thinking in those little colloquialisms, as you would say, and I would. So I had this slight delay of answering people because I had to first understand what they were saying, and then I would think about what I wanted to say. And then I go, no, there's no direct translation for that. And then I had to think about how I'm going to say that. So, you know, I kept thinking, they're going to think I'm really stupid, you know. But it's like, well, you know, I'm learning.

[Assistant] So that sounds like a kind of a watershed event when you were able to speak for yourself.

[User] Yeah, it really was.

[Assistant] And you demonstrated how much you were comprehending and then you were able to respond and then think out loud, so to speak.

[User] Yeah.

[Assistant] So did that change your relationship with Mercedes?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yeah, it really was.

[Assistant] And you demonstrated how much you were comprehending and then you were able to respond and then think out loud, so to speak.

[User] Yeah.

[Assistant] So did that change your relationship with Mercedes?

[User] It did. Yeah, I think she was a lot happier that, you know, she didn't have to do all the talking and that her and I could actually have a real conversation. You know, we had been working on it a lot because I was with her all the time. But I think it was really good for her when I was able to, you know, speak to people directly. Yeah. Yeah, made a big difference, I think, for both of us.

[Assistant] It sounds like it. Now what were you actually doing with her every day? What were the kinds of things, programs that you worked on with her?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yeah.

[Assistant] So did that change your relationship with Mercedes?

[User] It did. Yeah, I think she was a lot happier that, you know, she didn't have to do all the talking and that her and I could actually have a real conversation. You know, we had been working on it a lot because I was with her all the time. But I think it was really good for her when I was able to, you know, speak to people directly. Yeah. Yeah, made a big difference, I think, for both of us.

[Assistant] It sounds like it. Now what were you actually doing with her every day? What were the kinds of things, programs that you worked on with her?

[User] So we went, every day we'd go to the to the little clinic. And so, you know, she would organize things. She had, twice a month, she had a day where pregnant women would come and we would do prenatal checks and stuff. So we did that. Any time anybody got sick or had an accident, they would come there and so she would take care of them. She, you know, she wanted me to help with, you know, cleaning. We did a lot of cleaning. We did a lot of sorting. We did a lot of trips to the, there was two schools in the town. Even though it was tiny as it was, there were two schools. There was a grade school and a kind of like a middle school. So we, you know, would talk to the teachers. It was interesting because once I started, you know, talking more with the kids, they wanted to come and see me. And I had all these, you know, they give you all kinds of fun things to play with. And I had all kinds of paper and pencils. And, you know, so the kids were coming and I was doing little projects with them.

[Assistant] To the puesto de salud?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yeah. Which kind of reminds me of a really funny story when I first got there. So each town has a celebration of their, the blessed Virgin Mary, but each of them have a different name, and I think the one from Mira was called the Charity Virgin or something like that. And so once a year, they have the days when they have a lot of processions and prayers and, you know, honoring of that particular, of their particular version of the blessed mother. And I hadn't been there that long, but they, because I lived with them, you know? And she didn't want to leave me by myself. You know, she said, oh come on, you're going to go with us. And so the other, there was a couple who ran the grade school. They were teachers and they had a truck. So we took the statue of the Virgin and we drove around that day to all the different little towns, so people could be blessed and feel like they were contributing and all that kind of stuff.

[Assistant] Was there a priest involved?

[User] The priest? They did have a priest, yeah.

[Assistant] But he didn't go on this caravan?

[User] He didn't. He didn't go with us. You know, I think we met him in different places, but he wasn't actually with us. And so it was like 6:00 or 5:00 at night and it was getting kind of dark. And they said, oh, well, you know, we're going to this one more place. And you know, as culturally, as I was trying to be culturally aware of everything, without even thinking, I just, because they were saying, OK, we're going to take the Virgin Mary over here. I was so tired, I just blurted out, no more virgin! Without even thinking.

[Assistant] No más virgen.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] He didn't. He didn't go with us. You know, I think we met him in different places, but he wasn't actually with us. And so it was like 6:00 or 5:00 at night and it was getting kind of dark. And they said, oh, well, you know, we're going to this one more place. And you know, as culturally, as I was trying to be culturally aware of everything, without even thinking, I just, because they were saying, OK, we're going to take the Virgin Mary over here. I was so tired, I just blurted out, no more virgin! Without even thinking.

[Assistant] No más virgen.

[User] No más virgen. And they about fell out laughing. They reminded me from then on, no más virgen, no more virgin, no more virgin. It's like, I'm tired. I want to go. I want to go back to my room, please. You know, that was just like, that was like the thing I think I'll probably always be remembered about was yelling out, no more virgin.

[Assistant] Right.

[User] Yeah, that was.

[Assistant] So it sounds like you over time became, felt quite integrated into the community.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] No más virgen. And they about fell out laughing. They reminded me from then on, no más virgen, no more virgin, no more virgin. It's like, I'm tired. I want to go. I want to go back to my room, please. You know, that was just like, that was like the thing I think I'll probably always be remembered about was yelling out, no more virgin.

[Assistant] Right.

[User] Yeah, that was.

[Assistant] So it sounds like you over time became, felt quite integrated into the community.

[User] Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Definitely.

[Assistant] Wonderful. And how often did you get out to pick up mail or visit other Peace Corps volunteers or?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yeah, that was.

[Assistant] So it sounds like you over time became, felt quite integrated into the community.

[User] Yeah. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Definitely.

[Assistant] Wonderful. And how often did you get out to pick up mail or visit other Peace Corps volunteers or?

[User] Well, once a month when, you know, when we were getting paid, we went to the bank in, um, I think it was in Ibarra, and the bank at the time was Banco de Fomento. And we always had to make, I always had to make sure that I had enough money. Well, first of all, to get out of my town, to go to Mira, to go to Ibarra, I had to. There was only one, there was one guy that lived in that town who worked for the electric company. He had a big truck. And so every morning he'd leave at 5:00 or 5:30 in the morning, and anybody who wanted to leave Juan Montalvo to go to Mira had to be in the truck by 5:30. So that was how you got out of there. And then from Mira, you could catch a bus to Ibarra where the bank was. But I had to make sure I always had enough money to do two trips because probably at least a fourth to a third of the time, I'll say a third of the time, the money wasn't there. So I have, you know, I'd have to come back on a different day. But we always made sure that the other volunteers who were sort of in that general area, we would meet and go and have lunch, and it was like the only time we heard or spoke English for an entire month. So that was like ahhhh. We had a breath of.

[Assistant] Did you have mobile phones?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Well, once a month when, you know, when we were getting paid, we went to the bank in, um, I think it was in Ibarra, and the bank at the time was Banco de Fomento. And we always had to make, I always had to make sure that I had enough money. Well, first of all, to get out of my town, to go to Mira, to go to Ibarra, I had to. There was only one, there was one guy that lived in that town who worked for the electric company. He had a big truck. And so every morning he'd leave at 5:00 or 5:30 in the morning, and anybody who wanted to leave Juan Montalvo to go to Mira had to be in the truck by 5:30. So that was how you got out of there. And then from Mira, you could catch a bus to Ibarra where the bank was. But I had to make sure I always had enough money to do two trips because probably at least a fourth to a third of the time, I'll say a third of the time, the money wasn't there. So I have, you know, I'd have to come back on a different day. But we always made sure that the other volunteers who were sort of in that general area, we would meet and go and have lunch, and it was like the only time we heard or spoke English for an entire month. So that was like ahhhh. We had a breath of.

[Assistant] Did you have mobile phones?

[User] No. There was one phone in that town.

[Assistant] A landline?

[User] Yeah.

[Assistant] Attached to a wall?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] No. There was one phone in that town.

[Assistant] A landline?

[User] Yeah.

[Assistant] Attached to a wall?

[User] Yeah. And they didn't tell me about that phone until about a year later. I didn't even know there was a phone in the town.

[Assistant] Who had, who kept the phone?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yeah.

[Assistant] Attached to a wall?

[User] Yeah. And they didn't tell me about that phone until about a year later. I didn't even know there was a phone in the town.

[Assistant] Who had, who kept the phone?

[User] There was a family that had a little store and they had it.

[Assistant] So how did you and other volunteers know that each other was going to be in town on a certain day?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yeah. And they didn't tell me about that phone until about a year later. I didn't even know there was a phone in the town.

[Assistant] Who had, who kept the phone?

[User] There was a family that had a little store and they had it.

[Assistant] So how did you and other volunteers know that each other was going to be in town on a certain day?

[User] Well, that was the day that the money came to the bank, or supposedly. So we would meet at the bank.

[Assistant] A lot of you would meet.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] There was a family that had a little store and they had it.

[Assistant] So how did you and other volunteers know that each other was going to be in town on a certain day?

[User] Well, that was the day that the money came to the bank, or supposedly. So we would meet at the bank.

[Assistant] A lot of you would meet.

[User] We would try to meet at the same time and be there at the same time. And then, you know, we'd go to find a place to go eat and then go from there.

[Assistant] OK. Wow. Well, we've learned quite a bit about your life in Juan Montalvo.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Well, that was the day that the money came to the bank, or supposedly. So we would meet at the bank.

[Assistant] A lot of you would meet.

[User] We would try to meet at the same time and be there at the same time. And then, you know, we'd go to find a place to go eat and then go from there.

[Assistant] OK. Wow. Well, we've learned quite a bit about your life in Juan Montalvo.

[User] Juan Montalvo.

[Assistant] Juan Montalvo. OK. Now. Before we talk about the last phase, let's, in fact, let's move to kind of the last phase, the last few months. Were the things in particular that you remember about the last few months? And how did you prepare to leave?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] We would try to meet at the same time and be there at the same time. And then, you know, we'd go to find a place to go eat and then go from there.

[Assistant] OK. Wow. Well, we've learned quite a bit about your life in Juan Montalvo.

[User] Juan Montalvo.

[Assistant] Juan Montalvo. OK. Now. Before we talk about the last phase, let's, in fact, let's move to kind of the last phase, the last few months. Were the things in particular that you remember about the last few months? And how did you prepare to leave?

[User] So when my two years was up, so all my nurse buddies, we were, we were doing so many things that we all, we got together and we said, we're not leaving. We're going to ask to be extended and all of us asked to be extended. Not all us. One of us didn't stay so.

[Assistant] So three RNs?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Juan Montalvo.

[Assistant] Juan Montalvo. OK. Now. Before we talk about the last phase, let's, in fact, let's move to kind of the last phase, the last few months. Were the things in particular that you remember about the last few months? And how did you prepare to leave?

[User] So when my two years was up, so all my nurse buddies, we were, we were doing so many things that we all, we got together and we said, we're not leaving. We're going to ask to be extended and all of us asked to be extended. Not all us. One of us didn't stay so.

[Assistant] So three RNs?

[User] Yeah. And we did. But what had happened was, is that I had so many projects that I was doing by that time. I just said, well, and I got the people who I was working with to write letters and say we need her. We can't do without her.

[Assistant] People in the community wrote letters.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] So when my two years was up, so all my nurse buddies, we were, we were doing so many things that we all, we got together and we said, we're not leaving. We're going to ask to be extended and all of us asked to be extended. Not all us. One of us didn't stay so.

[Assistant] So three RNs?

[User] Yeah. And we did. But what had happened was, is that I had so many projects that I was doing by that time. I just said, well, and I got the people who I was working with to write letters and say we need her. We can't do without her.

[Assistant] People in the community wrote letters.

[User] And so yeah, they allowed me to stay. So I went home for six weeks and then I went back.

[Assistant] So Peace Corps lets you go home, you said for six weeks.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yeah. And we did. But what had happened was, is that I had so many projects that I was doing by that time. I just said, well, and I got the people who I was working with to write letters and say we need her. We can't do without her.

[Assistant] People in the community wrote letters.

[User] And so yeah, they allowed me to stay. So I went home for six weeks and then I went back.

[Assistant] So Peace Corps lets you go home, you said for six weeks.

[User] Yeah.

[Assistant] And then you went back. How was that?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] And so yeah, they allowed me to stay. So I went home for six weeks and then I went back.

[Assistant] So Peace Corps lets you go home, you said for six weeks.

[User] Yeah.

[Assistant] And then you went back. How was that?

[User] You know, that was, it felt like again, I just at that time, I knew I wasn't done. I just knew it was, I knew I was supposed to stay longer. And in the meantime, I had an Ecuadorian boyfriend, so that helps.

[Assistant] Was he in the village?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yeah.

[Assistant] And then you went back. How was that?

[User] You know, that was, it felt like again, I just at that time, I knew I wasn't done. I just knew it was, I knew I was supposed to stay longer. And in the meantime, I had an Ecuadorian boyfriend, so that helps.

[Assistant] Was he in the village?

[User] He, so then the last, towards the end of my time and then the third year, I actually moved into an apartment in Mira because what was happening was I was working with Catholic Charities. I was working with some other international organization from Canada, and I just had a lot of projects that made it so that I had to have more ease of transportation. And the program director kept asking me to do extra stuff. So there was one incident where there was a Peace Corps volunteer in a small town in the Amazon region, and she was working in a school. And this was a rare occasion, but one of the kids in the school committed suicide, and they just had no clue how to deal with it. So he asked me, would you go there and talk to the volunteer and talk to the kids about, you know, this issue.

[Assistant] End of life and suicide in particular?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] You know, that was, it felt like again, I just at that time, I knew I wasn't done. I just knew it was, I knew I was supposed to stay longer. And in the meantime, I had an Ecuadorian boyfriend, so that helps.

[Assistant] Was he in the village?

[User] He, so then the last, towards the end of my time and then the third year, I actually moved into an apartment in Mira because what was happening was I was working with Catholic Charities. I was working with some other international organization from Canada, and I just had a lot of projects that made it so that I had to have more ease of transportation. And the program director kept asking me to do extra stuff. So there was one incident where there was a Peace Corps volunteer in a small town in the Amazon region, and she was working in a school. And this was a rare occasion, but one of the kids in the school committed suicide, and they just had no clue how to deal with it. So he asked me, would you go there and talk to the volunteer and talk to the kids about, you know, this issue.

[Assistant] End of life and suicide in particular?

[User] Yeah, so I ended up. Then he asked me one time to go to another town where there was a basically a serial rapist who was having his way with women. So I ended up going to that town and doing a project, you know, just talking to them about that issue and how to protect themselves. And, you know, not to let it, not to keep quiet about it. Because at that point, at that point, they were fuming, but they didn't. They didn't get, you know, they didn't get really much help from the police.

[Assistant] The authorities, right.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] He, so then the last, towards the end of my time and then the third year, I actually moved into an apartment in Mira because what was happening was I was working with Catholic Charities. I was working with some other international organization from Canada, and I just had a lot of projects that made it so that I had to have more ease of transportation. And the program director kept asking me to do extra stuff. So there was one incident where there was a Peace Corps volunteer in a small town in the Amazon region, and she was working in a school. And this was a rare occasion, but one of the kids in the school committed suicide, and they just had no clue how to deal with it. So he asked me, would you go there and talk to the volunteer and talk to the kids about, you know, this issue.

[Assistant] End of life and suicide in particular?

[User] Yeah, so I ended up. Then he asked me one time to go to another town where there was a basically a serial rapist who was having his way with women. So I ended up going to that town and doing a project, you know, just talking to them about that issue and how to protect themselves. And, you know, not to let it, not to keep quiet about it. Because at that point, at that point, they were fuming, but they didn't. They didn't get, you know, they didn't get really much help from the police.

[Assistant] The authorities, right.

[User] Yeah. So things like that, you know. And they ended up asking me to go back to the Amazon region to work with a health care worker who was just needing some moral support. So I spent two weeks with her going around in the jungle to the different places that she worked.

[Assistant] A volunteer? This was a Peace Corps volunteer?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yeah, so I ended up. Then he asked me one time to go to another town where there was a basically a serial rapist who was having his way with women. So I ended up going to that town and doing a project, you know, just talking to them about that issue and how to protect themselves. And, you know, not to let it, not to keep quiet about it. Because at that point, at that point, they were fuming, but they didn't. They didn't get, you know, they didn't get really much help from the police.

[Assistant] The authorities, right.

[User] Yeah. So things like that, you know. And they ended up asking me to go back to the Amazon region to work with a health care worker who was just needing some moral support. So I spent two weeks with her going around in the jungle to the different places that she worked.

[Assistant] A volunteer? This was a Peace Corps volunteer?

[User] No, that person was an Ecuadorian. And that was interesting because a lot of the places that we went, they didn't speak Spanish. They spoke, I don't know, some other language. I don't know if it was Guarani or whatever they were speaking. So she was translating from Spanish into their language. It was really interesting. So, yeah, that's a whole.

[Assistant] So you extended now. Did you ask to extend for two years?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yeah. So things like that, you know. And they ended up asking me to go back to the Amazon region to work with a health care worker who was just needing some moral support. So I spent two weeks with her going around in the jungle to the different places that she worked.

[Assistant] A volunteer? This was a Peace Corps volunteer?

[User] No, that person was an Ecuadorian. And that was interesting because a lot of the places that we went, they didn't speak Spanish. They spoke, I don't know, some other language. I don't know if it was Guarani or whatever they were speaking. So she was translating from Spanish into their language. It was really interesting. So, yeah, that's a whole.

[Assistant] So you extended now. Did you ask to extend for two years?

[User] I extended for one.

[Assistant] OK, so you extended for one.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] No, that person was an Ecuadorian. And that was interesting because a lot of the places that we went, they didn't speak Spanish. They spoke, I don't know, some other language. I don't know if it was Guarani or whatever they were speaking. So she was translating from Spanish into their language. It was really interesting. So, yeah, that's a whole.

[Assistant] So you extended now. Did you ask to extend for two years?

[User] I extended for one.

[Assistant] OK, so you extended for one.

[User] Mm hmm. And I think that's all they were allowing at the time.

[Assistant] Right. But I thought you were there for four years.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] I extended for one.

[Assistant] OK, so you extended for one.

[User] Mm hmm. And I think that's all they were allowing at the time.

[Assistant] Right. But I thought you were there for four years.

[User] Well, '93 through '97.

[Assistant] Yes. So '93, '94, '95.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Well, '93 through '97.

[Assistant] Yes. So '93, '94, '95.

[User] Well, you know, it was the end of one year and the beginning of another.

[Assistant] I see.

[User] It just sounds longer than it actually was.

[Assistant] Right. Yeah, right.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Well, you know, it was the end of one year and the beginning of another.

[Assistant] I see.

[User] It just sounds longer than it actually was.

[Assistant] Right. Yeah, right.

[User] So, you know, and in the meantime, I was, you know, having a great time. You know, with my Ecuadorian boyfriend and he had three kids and those kids and I bonded like you wouldn't believe. And we had just a great time. Yeah. Yeah, that was nice.

[Assistant] And that was in Mira?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] It just sounds longer than it actually was.

[Assistant] Right. Yeah, right.

[User] So, you know, and in the meantime, I was, you know, having a great time. You know, with my Ecuadorian boyfriend and he had three kids and those kids and I bonded like you wouldn't believe. And we had just a great time. Yeah. Yeah, that was nice.

[Assistant] And that was in Mira?

[User] Yeah, so by then I was in Mira.

[Assistant] And what did he do for a living?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yeah, so by then I was in Mira.

[Assistant] And what did he do for a living?

[User] He was, you know, he had an avocado orchard, so that's basically what he did.

[Assistant] Farming.

[User] Yeah.

[Assistant] So. Now it's getting close to come home, right?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yeah.

[Assistant] So. Now it's getting close to come home, right?

[User] So now it's getting close to come home and they asked me, you know, what do you, how can we continue to serve your community? And, you know, like what I did for a while is I kept a daily diary of everything I was doing. I just basically kept it on a calendar. I made my own calendar and then just wrote every time I was doing something and what I was doing and who, all the kind of, basically bullet points. I didn't write out a narrative. And when I finally handed it all in over the last, you know, six, eight months or whatever to my country director, he said, well, I think we need to continue some of this work that you're doing. And so long story short, they replaced me with three volunteers. Because I just was all over the place. Yeah, I didn't, you know, I just didn't sit around and think, oh gosh, I'm a short timer. No.

[Assistant] Kept digging.

[User] I loved it.

[Assistant] Yeah. So what was the Ecuadorean department or agency that you were kind of assigned to, at least initially?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] I loved it.

[Assistant] Yeah. So what was the Ecuadorean department or agency that you were kind of assigned to, at least initially?

[User] Initially, I was assigned to the municipio, the Municipio de Mira, which is the, you know, the kind of the county government or the city government for Mira, that's who I had to report to at the very beginning. And then he and the mayor had asked. That was the guy who started, the mayor of Mira asked to have a Peace Corps volunteer.

[Assistant] In health?

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] Uh-huh. And was that mayor then, did you work with him personally?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Initially, I was assigned to the municipio, the Municipio de Mira, which is the, you know, the kind of the county government or the city government for Mira, that's who I had to report to at the very beginning. And then he and the mayor had asked. That was the guy who started, the mayor of Mira asked to have a Peace Corps volunteer.

[Assistant] In health?

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] Uh-huh. And was that mayor then, did you work with him personally?

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] You interacted with him and he was part of your, if you will, team?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] Uh-huh. And was that mayor then, did you work with him personally?

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] You interacted with him and he was part of your, if you will, team?

[User] Yeah, he was a mayor. He only, he got voted out after about a year. But, you know, it didn't matter. I was already there.

[Assistant] Yeah. And did you remain in touch with him at all or once he was voted out, was it?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] You interacted with him and he was part of your, if you will, team?

[User] Yeah, he was a mayor. He only, he got voted out after about a year. But, you know, it didn't matter. I was already there.

[Assistant] Yeah. And did you remain in touch with him at all or once he was voted out, was it?

[User] Once he was voted out, he kind of disappeared. I don't. I think it kind of, I think it hurt his feelings that they didn't vote him back in.

[Assistant] Uh-huh. Sure. Yeah, that's understandable. OK. So now you're about to come home and anything you want to recall or highlight about those last few weeks or months even?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yeah, he was a mayor. He only, he got voted out after about a year. But, you know, it didn't matter. I was already there.

[Assistant] Yeah. And did you remain in touch with him at all or once he was voted out, was it?

[User] Once he was voted out, he kind of disappeared. I don't. I think it kind of, I think it hurt his feelings that they didn't vote him back in.

[Assistant] Uh-huh. Sure. Yeah, that's understandable. OK. So now you're about to come home and anything you want to recall or highlight about those last few weeks or months even?

[User] Um. Well, you know, people were, they didn't want me to leave. They just didn't want me to go. And you know, I just said, you know, I knew I had to stay and now I know I have to go. But you know, I had done a bunch of projects in my town and they wanted to make sure that they sent me off with a bang and they had a huge event for me. They lined, so to go into one Montalvo, this big, long road. They lined up every student in the town on one side. They had Ecuadorian flags on the other side. I paraded right through. It was really sweet.

[Assistant] Was that in Mira?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Once he was voted out, he kind of disappeared. I don't. I think it kind of, I think it hurt his feelings that they didn't vote him back in.

[Assistant] Uh-huh. Sure. Yeah, that's understandable. OK. So now you're about to come home and anything you want to recall or highlight about those last few weeks or months even?

[User] Um. Well, you know, people were, they didn't want me to leave. They just didn't want me to go. And you know, I just said, you know, I knew I had to stay and now I know I have to go. But you know, I had done a bunch of projects in my town and they wanted to make sure that they sent me off with a bang and they had a huge event for me. They lined, so to go into one Montalvo, this big, long road. They lined up every student in the town on one side. They had Ecuadorian flags on the other side. I paraded right through. It was really sweet.

[Assistant] Was that in Mira?

[User] No, this was in Juan Montalvo. And in the meantime, I had done a project with middle school kids. And you know, they. Yeah, it was just.

[Assistant] What'd they do?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Um. Well, you know, people were, they didn't want me to leave. They just didn't want me to go. And you know, I just said, you know, I knew I had to stay and now I know I have to go. But you know, I had done a bunch of projects in my town and they wanted to make sure that they sent me off with a bang and they had a huge event for me. They lined, so to go into one Montalvo, this big, long road. They lined up every student in the town on one side. They had Ecuadorian flags on the other side. I paraded right through. It was really sweet.

[Assistant] Was that in Mira?

[User] No, this was in Juan Montalvo. And in the meantime, I had done a project with middle school kids. And you know, they. Yeah, it was just.

[Assistant] What'd they do?

[User] You know, eventually I went back when I did training and because I had done this project with them, they decided that they wanted to keep going to school and every one of those kids finished high school. I went to their high school graduation two years later when I came back. And that school had a terrible rep that nobody got out of high school.

[Assistant] Are you in touch with any of those children?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] You know what, I am. I'm in touch with the boyfriend's kids. Yeah. Yeah.

[Assistant] Powerful.

[User] Yeah, it really was. I just went, well, if I never do anything else in my life, these kids got some education. And it wasn't so much that I was teaching them, you know, the subjects, but what I felt like was so important was to give them the confidence. And somebody who could believe in them to be able to do it because they weren't getting that from their teachers. No. They were just supposed to, you know, be little robots and repeat after me.

[Assistant] Memorize everything.

[User] And that's how they had to learn. And I kind of forced them to think on their own when we did this project.

[Assistant] What was the project?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] And that's how they had to learn. And I kind of forced them to think on their own when we did this project.

[Assistant] What was the project?

[User] The project was, um, so one of the things that we had to do is health volunteers was to do a health fair. And so the idea was to invite other volunteers to your site and then, you know, everybody got a theme and then you went to their school or wherever it was. And then you did this like little rotation thing and people came in and out of your classroom and then you taught them whatever your theme was. Well, that wasn't going to work in my town because there was no place for people to stay. And so I just said, well, why can't we have a health fair and the kids do it? So I proposed it to my program director and I said, this is what I want to do. And I know nobody has ever done this, but I want to. I want to try. Because there's nowhere for 12 or 10 or one other person. They could probably stay with me in my room, but that's about it, you know? And so I said, I need some supplies and this is why I need it. And this is what I want to do. And I can tell you that I think I can get some of the parents to go along. Because I had to have the parents sign a form saying that these kids could stay after school because most of the kids had to go out and work in the field.

[Assistant] Right.

[User] And so I actually got 12 kids with parents who said, yeah, I'll let you do it. And it was a rousing success. The kids had so much fun and the parents got into it. They enjoyed it, and the kids were so pumped up about it that we ended up taking our health fair to another town. They wanted to do it again. So we took it to another town.

[Assistant] So what did they do for the health fair? What did, were there booths or posters?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User]
Each kid got to draw something and put something up, and they each had a theme and they had to do their own. I said, I'm not doing the drawing, you're doing it. And I brought them some of the stuff that I had done. And I said, well, here's examples if you want to do the same thing, but you have to draw it, you have to put it together. I'm not doing it. And you know, they got creative and they learned what they wanted, how they wanted to say it. And once a week when we got together, you know, in the first couple of weeks, they would all sit there like, you know, kind of watching me, like still, like this. And I kept saying, OK, you have to talk. And you don't have to say doctora, because they all call me doctor. But I kept telling them, I'm not a doctor. And I said, you know, please speak up. Well, that was the good thing to say, and not the good thing to say, because once they knew that I really meant it, I couldn't get them to shut up. I kept saying, hey, stop, I've got to get a word in edgewise here.

But we had a great time. And you know, they asked questions and we talked about the different, you know, like basic health. We talked about immunizations, we talked about nutrition, you know, all the things that we would have talked about in a health fair anyway. We talked about recipes, you know, gardens.

[Assistant] So they then did posters or messages about these things, nutrition or basic washing your hands or brushing your teeth or something like that?

[User] Yeah.

[Assistant] OK. Right.

[User] And I think we also had games, you know. I'm pretty sure we had games because I remember one time drawing this game for little kids. Like it was supposed to be a fishing pond and we had holes and they would fish for something, and it had a card with a basic health message on it. You know, just, yeah, stuff.

[Assistant] Games, learning games.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yeah.

[Assistant] OK. Right.

[User] And I think we also had games, you know. I'm pretty sure we had games because I remember one time drawing this game for little kids. Like it was supposed to be a fishing pond and we had holes and they would fish for something, and it had a card with a basic health message on it. You know, just, yeah, stuff.

[Assistant] Games, learning games.

[User] Learning games, right. Yeah.

[Assistant] Wonderful, wonderful. It sounds like a great program.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] And I think we also had games, you know. I'm pretty sure we had games because I remember one time drawing this game for little kids. Like it was supposed to be a fishing pond and we had holes and they would fish for something, and it had a card with a basic health message on it. You know, just, yeah, stuff.

[Assistant] Games, learning games.

[User] Learning games, right. Yeah.

[Assistant] Wonderful, wonderful. It sounds like a great program.

[User] And all you needed was, you know, paper and pencil. And you know, you didn't need a lot of, you didn't need money, really not a lot.

[Assistant] Right. Oh my goodness. Wonderful stories. So let's take, let's, uh. So it's time you have to go home. In fact, they've even given you your despedida.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Learning games, right. Yeah.

[Assistant] Wonderful, wonderful. It sounds like a great program.

[User] And all you needed was, you know, paper and pencil. And you know, you didn't need a lot of, you didn't need money, really not a lot.

[Assistant] Right. Oh my goodness. Wonderful stories. So let's take, let's, uh. So it's time you have to go home. In fact, they've even given you your despedida.

[User] Yeah, they gave me the despedida, which was just so heartfelt.

[Assistant] Yes. Right. So you went home and then what happened? What did you do and I know you went back to help with training, so a little bit about that.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Illinois State University. And the only program, there was only two programs at the time that, you know, were maybe something I could have done. And one, they had a nursing program at Johns Hopkins, and I just didn't want to do that. I still wanted to do more community, other kind of community stuff. So anyway, Illinois State University had a program called Economic and Community Development. And so I went there. I said, is there a way that I can tailor this education a little bit using the framework of economic and community development in health care? So they said, well, you know, we'll work with you. So anyway, I got my master's degree at Illinois State University.

[Assistant] And did you go back and work as a Peace Corps training staff in Ecuador before your master's or afterwards?

[User] So in between, actually.

[Assistant] Oh, I see. Right.

[User] So the first year at Illinois State University was all academic, and then the second year was an internship and my internship was going to be in southern Illinois, part of the time at a farmworkers clinic and then part of the time at a business incubator. And I said I had the opportunity. I said to them, I have an opportunity to go back to Peace Corps and do training for them. Is that going to be a problem? And they basically said, we can work it out. So that's when I went back and did training. After the academic part was done, and I could go down to the, uh, and that was in Carbondale.

[Assistant] OK. So, uh, let's, we sort of need to bring closure to this.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] So in between, actually.

[Assistant] Oh, I see. Right.

[User] So the first year at Illinois State University was all academic, and then the second year was an internship and my internship was going to be in southern Illinois, part of the time at a farmworkers clinic and then part of the time at a business incubator. And I said I had the opportunity. I said to them, I have an opportunity to go back to Peace Corps and do training for them. Is that going to be a problem? And they basically said, we can work it out. So that's when I went back and did training. After the academic part was done, and I could go down to the, uh, and that was in Carbondale.

[Assistant] OK. So, uh, let's, we sort of need to bring closure to this.

[User] OK.

[Assistant] This has been a wonderful series of stories and a wonderful, obviously you've had a very important, life changing experience in Peace Corps. Just spend a few minutes reflecting about how that Peace Corps experience has changed the rest of your life and how it's influenced some of the decisions you've made.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] We're so good. And, you know, I have. So my buddies that I hung out with in Peace Corps?

[Assistant] Yes.

[User] Unfortunately, of the four of us, two have passed. And the other one, um, called me yesterday for my birthday, and she just kept saying, I love you so much. I am so happy that we met. I would have never met you without Peace Corps and look what we would have missed.

[Assistant] Right, right. Exactly.

[User] I mean, you know, it doesn't get any better than that.

[Assistant] It doesn't. And it was Peace Corps and the Committee for a Museum of the Peace Corps Experience that has brought our lives together.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Unfortunately, of the four of us, two have passed. And the other one, um, called me yesterday for my birthday, and she just kept saying, I love you so much. I am so happy that we met. I would have never met you without Peace Corps and look what we would have missed.

[Assistant] Right, right. Exactly.

[User] I mean, you know, it doesn't get any better than that.

[Assistant] It doesn't. And it was Peace Corps and the Committee for a Museum of the Peace Corps Experience that has brought our lives together.

[User] Yes. And I feel the same way about you.

[Assistant] That's the way I feel about you, too. I really do. This has been an honor to have this time with you, to hear your stories, and to think, feel your stories through you and know that we have another whole phase.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] I mean, you know, it doesn't get any better than that.

[Assistant] It doesn't. And it was Peace Corps and the Committee for a Museum of the Peace Corps Experience that has brought our lives together.

[User] Yes. And I feel the same way about you.

[Assistant] That's the way I feel about you, too. I really do. This has been an honor to have this time with you, to hear your stories, and to think, feel your stories through you and know that we have another whole phase.

[User] I know!

[Assistant] Of Peace Corps in front of us as we work for the Committee for Museum of the Peace Corps Experience.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes. And I feel the same way about you.

[Assistant] That's the way I feel about you, too. I really do. This has been an honor to have this time with you, to hear your stories, and to think, feel your stories through you and know that we have another whole phase.

[User] I know!

[Assistant] Of Peace Corps in front of us as we work for the Committee for Museum of the Peace Corps Experience.

[User] That's an honor in itself.

[Assistant] Thank you so much.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] I think there are a few reasons I joined the Peace Corps. One was because I always said I would, and my dad said I wouldn't. And uh, another one was because I grew up volunteering and I always felt like I was more present in my life when I was giving back and volunteering. And then also, I worked in international development and I wanted to. I worked in international development policy and I wanted to actually work in international development on the ground.

[Assistant] So what was your background? Where did you grow up?

[User] I grew up in Austin, Texas, and I went to UT for undergrad and I went to D.C. I was at George Mason for my graduate program.

[Assistant] In international relations?

[User] International trade policy. And then I went and I worked for the organization Society for International Development, and I learned a lot about the different, different tracks of international development and policy and kind of how it was being shaped and influenced and what it was doing in the world.

[Assistant] And you decided that wasn't enough and you wanted to actually go live overseas. Why did your father not want you to go?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] I grew up in Austin, Texas, and I went to UT for undergrad and I went to D.C. I was at George Mason for my graduate program.

[Assistant] In international relations?

[User] International trade policy. And then I went and I worked for the organization Society for International Development, and I learned a lot about the different, different tracks of international development and policy and kind of how it was being shaped and influenced and what it was doing in the world.

[Assistant] And you decided that wasn't enough and you wanted to actually go live overseas. Why did your father not want you to go?

[User] I think he just didn't believe that I'd do it. I think it always sounded so far-fetched, and I was young when he said that. I remember talking to having a conversation with him in the driveway of our house and I said, I'm going to join the Peace Corps, and I think I was probably 12. And he said, no you're not.

[Assistant] And then how old were you when you finally joined?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] International trade policy. And then I went and I worked for the organization Society for International Development, and I learned a lot about the different, different tracks of international development and policy and kind of how it was being shaped and influenced and what it was doing in the world.

[Assistant] And you decided that wasn't enough and you wanted to actually go live overseas. Why did your father not want you to go?

[User] I think he just didn't believe that I'd do it. I think it always sounded so far-fetched, and I was young when he said that. I remember talking to having a conversation with him in the driveway of our house and I said, I'm going to join the Peace Corps, and I think I was probably 12. And he said, no you're not.

[Assistant] And then how old were you when you finally joined?

[User] Twenty-two.

[Assistant] Twenty-two. And he still didn't think you would do it.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] I think he just didn't believe that I'd do it. I think it always sounded so far-fetched, and I was young when he said that. I remember talking to having a conversation with him in the driveway of our house and I said, I'm going to join the Peace Corps, and I think I was probably 12. And he said, no you're not.

[Assistant] And then how old were you when you finally joined?

[User] Twenty-two.

[Assistant] Twenty-two. And he still didn't think you would do it.

[User] I think he'd gotten the picture by then. I'd just studied abroad a lot. I traveled a lot. I think he kind of knew.

[Assistant] You wore him down. And what did your friends think about all of this? I guess you were living in D.C. at the time, right?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Twenty-two.

[Assistant] Twenty-two. And he still didn't think you would do it.

[User] I think he'd gotten the picture by then. I'd just studied abroad a lot. I traveled a lot. I think he kind of knew.

[Assistant] You wore him down. And what did your friends think about all of this? I guess you were living in D.C. at the time, right?

[User] Yeah. I was I was living in D.C. and, you know, I kind of grew up as a, I was always outdoors and we had horses and animals and I was always camping and hiking. And, you know, my grandparents had a farm. I was very engaged and kind of, you know, a lot of like physical outdoors stuff. And then I moved to D.C. and, you know, I kind of had to put on suits to go to work every day. And my friends in D.C., nobody had really seen that side of me and they said, you're going to do what? And they didn't, I think, think I could make it. But I was like, you know, I have this whole other part of my life.

[Assistant] Was that part of the challenge, that you could make it, or going back to your roots of being outdoors?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] I think he'd gotten the picture by then. I'd just studied abroad a lot. I traveled a lot. I think he kind of knew.

[Assistant] You wore him down. And what did your friends think about all of this? I guess you were living in D.C. at the time, right?

[User] Yeah. I was I was living in D.C. and, you know, I kind of grew up as a, I was always outdoors and we had horses and animals and I was always camping and hiking. And, you know, my grandparents had a farm. I was very engaged and kind of, you know, a lot of like physical outdoors stuff. And then I moved to D.C. and, you know, I kind of had to put on suits to go to work every day. And my friends in D.C., nobody had really seen that side of me and they said, you're going to do what? And they didn't, I think, think I could make it. But I was like, you know, I have this whole other part of my life.

[Assistant] Was that part of the challenge, that you could make it, or going back to your roots of being outdoors?

[User] It was certainly a challenge. You know, I didn't I don't know that I gave the challenges a whole lot of thought or, you know, and I think with Peace Corps, you don't really understand the challenges until you're there. I talked to a lot of people about their experiences before I left, and you don't really get it until you're there. The challenges that really come up are much less tangible or easy to explain in a conversation when you're sitting in America.

[Assistant] And so we'll get to some of those when we talk. So you decided you wanted to join the Peace Corps, you applied. How long did it take to get in?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yeah. I was I was living in D.C. and, you know, I kind of grew up as a, I was always outdoors and we had horses and animals and I was always camping and hiking. And, you know, my grandparents had a farm. I was very engaged and kind of, you know, a lot of like physical outdoors stuff. And then I moved to D.C. and, you know, I kind of had to put on suits to go to work every day. And my friends in D.C., nobody had really seen that side of me and they said, you're going to do what? And they didn't, I think, think I could make it. But I was like, you know, I have this whole other part of my life.

[Assistant] Was that part of the challenge, that you could make it, or going back to your roots of being outdoors?

[User] It was certainly a challenge. You know, I didn't I don't know that I gave the challenges a whole lot of thought or, you know, and I think with Peace Corps, you don't really understand the challenges until you're there. I talked to a lot of people about their experiences before I left, and you don't really get it until you're there. The challenges that really come up are much less tangible or easy to explain in a conversation when you're sitting in America.

[Assistant] And so we'll get to some of those when we talk. So you decided you wanted to join the Peace Corps, you applied. How long did it take to get in?

[User] I think from when I applied to when I left, it was about a year. So I think in at the time, that was pretty quick. It was it seemed like it was.

[Assistant] Interesting how the time frame of applying to selection was, it extended over time. Much longer by the time you came along.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] It was certainly a challenge. You know, I didn't I don't know that I gave the challenges a whole lot of thought or, you know, and I think with Peace Corps, you don't really understand the challenges until you're there. I talked to a lot of people about their experiences before I left, and you don't really get it until you're there. The challenges that really come up are much less tangible or easy to explain in a conversation when you're sitting in America.

[Assistant] And so we'll get to some of those when we talk. So you decided you wanted to join the Peace Corps, you applied. How long did it take to get in?

[User] I think from when I applied to when I left, it was about a year. So I think in at the time, that was pretty quick. It was it seemed like it was.

[Assistant] Interesting how the time frame of applying to selection was, it extended over time. Much longer by the time you came along.

[User] Right. Well, the first class they passed the bill and, like, two months later there were boots on the ground.

[Assistant] That's right. So what was the whole process like for you to get into Peace Corps?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] I think from when I applied to when I left, it was about a year. So I think in at the time, that was pretty quick. It was it seemed like it was.

[Assistant] Interesting how the time frame of applying to selection was, it extended over time. Much longer by the time you came along.

[User] Right. Well, the first class they passed the bill and, like, two months later there were boots on the ground.

[Assistant] That's right. So what was the whole process like for you to get into Peace Corps?

[User] The main thing I remember was the medical clearance took forever, and I think, you know, I'd kind of I wrote down everything that had ever been wrong with me, and I didn't really have that much wrong with me, but they made me like, go evaluate everything. I remember walking in to get blood drawn for a variety of tests they wanted to do, and the woman looking at my orders and looking at me and pulling about 15 vials out and said, girl, I'm going to suck you dry. I also remember going in for my interview and. I was living in D.C., so I went into the headquarters building and you need a driver's license to get in, and I realized I'd forgotten my driver's, and I'd driven there. And so then I was like, oh jeez, driving without a driver's license, I can't get into the building. And so the woman who was interviewing me came downstairs and conducted my interview in a supply closet on the first floor because that was the only space that was available.

[Assistant] That was elegant.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Right. Well, the first class they passed the bill and, like, two months later there were boots on the ground.

[Assistant] That's right. So what was the whole process like for you to get into Peace Corps?

[User] The main thing I remember was the medical clearance took forever, and I think, you know, I'd kind of I wrote down everything that had ever been wrong with me, and I didn't really have that much wrong with me, but they made me like, go evaluate everything. I remember walking in to get blood drawn for a variety of tests they wanted to do, and the woman looking at my orders and looking at me and pulling about 15 vials out and said, girl, I'm going to suck you dry. I also remember going in for my interview and. I was living in D.C., so I went into the headquarters building and you need a driver's license to get in, and I realized I'd forgotten my driver's, and I'd driven there. And so then I was like, oh jeez, driving without a driver's license, I can't get into the building. And so the woman who was interviewing me came downstairs and conducted my interview in a supply closet on the first floor because that was the only space that was available.

[Assistant] That was elegant.

[User] Yes. She was like, welcome to Peace Corps. I think that supply closet is now the, um, it's where Jodi works. It's the returned volunteer services or something. It's nice now. But when I was there, it was a broom closet.

[Assistant] That should have told you something.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] The main thing I remember was the medical clearance took forever, and I think, you know, I'd kind of I wrote down everything that had ever been wrong with me, and I didn't really have that much wrong with me, but they made me like, go evaluate everything. I remember walking in to get blood drawn for a variety of tests they wanted to do, and the woman looking at my orders and looking at me and pulling about 15 vials out and said, girl, I'm going to suck you dry. I also remember going in for my interview and. I was living in D.C., so I went into the headquarters building and you need a driver's license to get in, and I realized I'd forgotten my driver's, and I'd driven there. And so then I was like, oh jeez, driving without a driver's license, I can't get into the building. And so the woman who was interviewing me came downstairs and conducted my interview in a supply closet on the first floor because that was the only space that was available.

[Assistant] That was elegant.

[User] Yes. She was like, welcome to Peace Corps. I think that supply closet is now the, um, it's where Jodi works. It's the returned volunteer services or something. It's nice now. But when I was there, it was a broom closet.

[Assistant] That should have told you something.

[User] Yeah, yeah.

[Assistant] So you were interviewed and then you are offered.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes. She was like, welcome to Peace Corps. I think that supply closet is now the, um, it's where Jodi works. It's the returned volunteer services or something. It's nice now. But when I was there, it was a broom closet.

[Assistant] That should have told you something.

[User] Yeah, yeah.

[Assistant] So you were interviewed and then you are offered.

[User] I was initially offered a position working on water irrigation systems in West Africa, and I suspect, because it was around that time, that I was slated to go to Mali and that year Mali was pulled from the program. And so they said, well. I had applied as a business development volunteer and they said, well, we can wait and place you as a business development volunteer somewhere else in Africa, or we can send you as a health volunteer to Southeast Asia. And I had done some work for my graduate program in Southeast Asia, and I said, oh yeah, send me to send me to Southeast Asia. I'd love to go there.

[Assistant] So for health though, right? And you were a business major.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yeah, yeah.

[Assistant] So you were interviewed and then you are offered.

[User] I was initially offered a position working on water irrigation systems in West Africa, and I suspect, because it was around that time, that I was slated to go to Mali and that year Mali was pulled from the program. And so they said, well. I had applied as a business development volunteer and they said, well, we can wait and place you as a business development volunteer somewhere else in Africa, or we can send you as a health volunteer to Southeast Asia. And I had done some work for my graduate program in Southeast Asia, and I said, oh yeah, send me to send me to Southeast Asia. I'd love to go there.

[Assistant] So for health though, right? And you were a business major.

[User] Right, right. I think I took two semesters of nutrition in college, and I think that's what tipped my application that way.

[Assistant] So what was the project you were actually involved in?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] I was initially offered a position working on water irrigation systems in West Africa, and I suspect, because it was around that time, that I was slated to go to Mali and that year Mali was pulled from the program. And so they said, well. I had applied as a business development volunteer and they said, well, we can wait and place you as a business development volunteer somewhere else in Africa, or we can send you as a health volunteer to Southeast Asia. And I had done some work for my graduate program in Southeast Asia, and I said, oh yeah, send me to send me to Southeast Asia. I'd love to go there.

[Assistant] So for health though, right? And you were a business major.

[User] Right, right. I think I took two semesters of nutrition in college, and I think that's what tipped my application that way.

[Assistant] So what was the project you were actually involved in?

[User] I was a health extension agent.

[Assistant] So what is a health extension agent?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Right, right. I think I took two semesters of nutrition in college, and I think that's what tipped my application that way.

[Assistant] So what was the project you were actually involved in?

[User] I was a health extension agent.

[Assistant] So what is a health extension agent?

[User] So I think what we were supposed to, we were working with rural health centers in Cambodia. Cambodia has a network of health centers throughout the country, and we were working with them to try and bring health education into the surrounding villages. And so I didn't. A lot of my fellow volunteers in health sector, you know, sat at the health center every day and weighed babies and talked to people about nutrition and kind of did their service there. My health center was very small and very, very busy. And so I spent most of my time outside of the health center working with village, uh, village chiefs. Each village in Cambodia has two appointed village health volunteers, which was a neat system that can kind of keep track of births and deaths and any illness that's going through. And so I worked with them and kind of did a program of education on a series of health topics. And per Peace Corps, I also worked at the school and I worked in.

[Assistant] We're going to get to that later. So you were selected and they said Southeast Asia. And then how did Cambodia come up?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] I was a health extension agent.

[Assistant] So what is a health extension agent?

[User] So I think what we were supposed to, we were working with rural health centers in Cambodia. Cambodia has a network of health centers throughout the country, and we were working with them to try and bring health education into the surrounding villages. And so I didn't. A lot of my fellow volunteers in health sector, you know, sat at the health center every day and weighed babies and talked to people about nutrition and kind of did their service there. My health center was very small and very, very busy. And so I spent most of my time outside of the health center working with village, uh, village chiefs. Each village in Cambodia has two appointed village health volunteers, which was a neat system that can kind of keep track of births and deaths and any illness that's going through. And so I worked with them and kind of did a program of education on a series of health topics. And per Peace Corps, I also worked at the school and I worked in.

[Assistant] We're going to get to that later. So you were selected and they said Southeast Asia. And then how did Cambodia come up?

[User] I knew, I'd gone online and, you know, I knew which month I was going to leave. And so I kind of knew it was either going to be the Philippines or Cambodia. And I think I found out it was Cambodia, like a month and a half before I left. It was pretty near to, you know, I didn't have a whole lot of information before I left.

[Assistant] Did you have any thoughts about Cambodia?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] So I think what we were supposed to, we were working with rural health centers in Cambodia. Cambodia has a network of health centers throughout the country, and we were working with them to try and bring health education into the surrounding villages. And so I didn't. A lot of my fellow volunteers in health sector, you know, sat at the health center every day and weighed babies and talked to people about nutrition and kind of did their service there. My health center was very small and very, very busy. And so I spent most of my time outside of the health center working with village, uh, village chiefs. Each village in Cambodia has two appointed village health volunteers, which was a neat system that can kind of keep track of births and deaths and any illness that's going through. And so I worked with them and kind of did a program of education on a series of health topics. And per Peace Corps, I also worked at the school and I worked in.

[Assistant] We're going to get to that later. So you were selected and they said Southeast Asia. And then how did Cambodia come up?

[User] I knew, I'd gone online and, you know, I knew which month I was going to leave. And so I kind of knew it was either going to be the Philippines or Cambodia. And I think I found out it was Cambodia, like a month and a half before I left. It was pretty near to, you know, I didn't have a whole lot of information before I left.

[Assistant] Did you have any thoughts about Cambodia?

[User] No. No, I knew that it was close to Thailand, and I'd heard a lot about Thailand, and I knew almost nothing about Cambodia.

[Assistant] And that was OK. Did you start researching about Cambodia?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] I knew, I'd gone online and, you know, I knew which month I was going to leave. And so I kind of knew it was either going to be the Philippines or Cambodia. And I think I found out it was Cambodia, like a month and a half before I left. It was pretty near to, you know, I didn't have a whole lot of information before I left.

[Assistant] Did you have any thoughts about Cambodia?

[User] No. No, I knew that it was close to Thailand, and I'd heard a lot about Thailand, and I knew almost nothing about Cambodia.

[Assistant] And that was OK. Did you start researching about Cambodia?

[User] Not really. I worked. I was at my job. Right before I left, I was planning this big conference and it was happening like a month before I left. So I really was like, great, going to Cambodia, you know, and I just did not have any time to think about it or research or yeah.

[Assistant] So where did you meet then with the other volunteers?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] No. No, I knew that it was close to Thailand, and I'd heard a lot about Thailand, and I knew almost nothing about Cambodia.

[Assistant] And that was OK. Did you start researching about Cambodia?

[User] Not really. I worked. I was at my job. Right before I left, I was planning this big conference and it was happening like a month before I left. So I really was like, great, going to Cambodia, you know, and I just did not have any time to think about it or research or yeah.

[Assistant] So where did you meet then with the other volunteers?

[User] In D.C. So I'd actually packed up all my stuff and moved back to Texas for a month to stay with my parents. And then we got our staging orders and I figured I was going to go out to the West Coast. And they said, going back to D.C. I just left there.

[Assistant] So you stayed in a hotel? Did you stay in a hotel?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Not really. I worked. I was at my job. Right before I left, I was planning this big conference and it was happening like a month before I left. So I really was like, great, going to Cambodia, you know, and I just did not have any time to think about it or research or yeah.

[Assistant] So where did you meet then with the other volunteers?

[User] In D.C. So I'd actually packed up all my stuff and moved back to Texas for a month to stay with my parents. And then we got our staging orders and I figured I was going to go out to the West Coast. And they said, going back to D.C. I just left there.

[Assistant] So you stayed in a hotel? Did you stay in a hotel?

[User] And yeah, I stayed a couple of nights with a friend, a couple of friends. And then I went to the, um, because my cat was going to stay in D.C. with my former roommate. And so I went and spent one night with my cat. And then we stayed at a hotel in Georgetown, the Hyatt, or I think it was the Hyatt in Georgetown. It was nice.

[Assistant] Yeah, it's pretty fancy for Peace Corps. And what happened in the staging? Anything of interest?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] In D.C. So I'd actually packed up all my stuff and moved back to Texas for a month to stay with my parents. And then we got our staging orders and I figured I was going to go out to the West Coast. And they said, going back to D.C. I just left there.

[Assistant] So you stayed in a hotel? Did you stay in a hotel?

[User] And yeah, I stayed a couple of nights with a friend, a couple of friends. And then I went to the, um, because my cat was going to stay in D.C. with my former roommate. And so I went and spent one night with my cat. And then we stayed at a hotel in Georgetown, the Hyatt, or I think it was the Hyatt in Georgetown. It was nice.

[Assistant] Yeah, it's pretty fancy for Peace Corps. And what happened in the staging? Anything of interest?

[User] Well, I had a really, really unfortunate timing for my staging. My dad was diagnosed with cancer the day that I left for Peace Corps, so I showed up to staging knowing that he was about to get that diagnosis. And I don't really remember much of staging. I actually didn't know if I was going to go. And I and, you know, we staged for a couple of days and I remember we were kind of doing like the, you know, you had your sheet, you had to find people that like only brought one bag and find people that spoke another language. And I was totally out of it and not, you know, not able to engage and the whole staging process kind of flew by me.

[Assistant] How many people?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] And yeah, I stayed a couple of nights with a friend, a couple of friends. And then I went to the, um, because my cat was going to stay in D.C. with my former roommate. And so I went and spent one night with my cat. And then we stayed at a hotel in Georgetown, the Hyatt, or I think it was the Hyatt in Georgetown. It was nice.

[Assistant] Yeah, it's pretty fancy for Peace Corps. And what happened in the staging? Anything of interest?

[User] Well, I had a really, really unfortunate timing for my staging. My dad was diagnosed with cancer the day that I left for Peace Corps, so I showed up to staging knowing that he was about to get that diagnosis. And I don't really remember much of staging. I actually didn't know if I was going to go. And I and, you know, we staged for a couple of days and I remember we were kind of doing like the, you know, you had your sheet, you had to find people that like only brought one bag and find people that spoke another language. And I was totally out of it and not, you know, not able to engage and the whole staging process kind of flew by me.

[Assistant] How many people?

[User] There were 60 of us. I think there was supposed to be 60. I think there were only 58. I think two people didn't show up.

[Assistant] Just didn't show up.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Well, I had a really, really unfortunate timing for my staging. My dad was diagnosed with cancer the day that I left for Peace Corps, so I showed up to staging knowing that he was about to get that diagnosis. And I don't really remember much of staging. I actually didn't know if I was going to go. And I and, you know, we staged for a couple of days and I remember we were kind of doing like the, you know, you had your sheet, you had to find people that like only brought one bag and find people that spoke another language. And I was totally out of it and not, you know, not able to engage and the whole staging process kind of flew by me.

[Assistant] How many people?

[User] There were 60 of us. I think there was supposed to be 60. I think there were only 58. I think two people didn't show up.

[Assistant] Just didn't show up.

[User] I don't know what happened to them.

[Assistant] So then you did go overseas after that, so you got through staging.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] There were 60 of us. I think there was supposed to be 60. I think there were only 58. I think two people didn't show up.

[Assistant] Just didn't show up.

[User] I don't know what happened to them.

[Assistant] So then you did go overseas after that, so you got through staging.

[User] We all got on a plane.

[Assistant] And what where did you go from D.C.?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] I don't know what happened to them.

[Assistant] So then you did go overseas after that, so you got through staging.

[User] We all got on a plane.

[Assistant] And what where did you go from D.C.?

[User] We flew to Bangkok and we spent the night in Bangkok, and I remember being kind of amused that nobody was really taking, you know, this big group of 58 people and they were like, here your plane tickets get to camp, you know, and I kind of thought somebody was going to come with us or, you know, but no they kind of we all kind of like elected one person.

[Assistant] You just went by yourself.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] We all got on a plane.

[Assistant] And what where did you go from D.C.?

[User] We flew to Bangkok and we spent the night in Bangkok, and I remember being kind of amused that nobody was really taking, you know, this big group of 58 people and they were like, here your plane tickets get to camp, you know, and I kind of thought somebody was going to come with us or, you know, but no they kind of we all kind of like elected one person.

[Assistant] You just went by yourself.

[User] Mm hmm. And Rich Durham was our one guy that we said, you're going to show us through the airport. And he, you know, was of our cohort and just kind of guided us all through the airport.

[Assistant] That's really interesting. So had the group for what you, you are not tuned in, but had the group formed as a group?