Fields of Opportunities

Each time I return to Iowa--whether I am returning from summer camp in Montana, making the trek from St. Olaf to home, or coming back from visiting the VQ relatives in Illinois--I am greeted by the Iowa sign at the border that states, "The People of Iowa Welcome You. Fields of Opportunities." Every time I see that sign I am reminded of two things: first, the opportunities I've been privileged enough to take advantage of; second, the opportunities that are ahead of me, both in the distant future and in the present day.

A new opportunity is on the horizon; on the 10th of September I will begin my training with the Peace Corps to serve as a water and sanitation extensionist in Peru for the next 27 months. I will have two days of staging (consisting of signing papers and getting immunizations) in Washington D.C. Then I am off to Peru, where I will be with a group of Peace Corps trainees taking part in about three months of training in language, Peruvian culture and our specific projects. After training, will serve two years in a specific community in Peru. I am very excited for both the known and unknown experiences and challenges that are ahead of me.

Some of the opportunities I am looking forward to most include a portion of the Peace Corp's mission--helping Americans gain a better understanding and appreciation for other countries and cultures and, in turn, serving as a representative of the U.S. in another culture. I am eager to live with a host family, to meet my fellow trainees, to be immersed in Spanish and possibly other indigenous languages and to have a chance to participate in a culture with many similarities and differences to the culture with which I am most accustomed to at home.

I will do my best to keep you posted about the opportunities (oportunidades), experiences and challenges I encounter. I welcome email correspondence, and I especially welcome letters. Email me if you want/need my mailing address.

May you take advantage of and enjoy the opportunities that are ahead of you.

Peace.

"Adventure isn't hanging on a rope off the side of a mountain. Adventure is an attitude that we must apply to the day to day obstacles of life--facing new challenges, seizing new opportunities, testing our resources against the unknown and in the process, discovering our own unique potential."

-John Ammatt