Finding My Calling

The more I consider where I want my life to be even further down the road, the more I wonder if I am taking the right steps and making the right decisions.

I have always wanted to find a way to help make our world a better place to live.  A few years ago I decided that the best option for me would be to join the Peace Corps.  It was because of this goal that I enrolled in college in order to earn my Associate Degree.  It has taken me longer than I had anticipated but today, finally, I stand at the threshold of accomplishing the first real goal in the journey I had hoped to find myself on one day.  My future is almost here.

Nearly four years ago I enrolled in college with the idealist dream of saving the world by joining the Peace Corps but as this moment approaches I must ask myself if my goals today have changed from what they were back then.  My life is no longer where it was at the beginning of this journey.  I have other things and other people to take into consideration.  I have to ask myself what is more important, school or service, establishing myself or recreating myself, a family or a village.

I know deep down in my heart that joining the Peace Corps is one life goal that will always remain in my heart.  I have no doubt that I will want to become a part of this organization no matter how much time has passed.

The skills that I could learn while involved in the Peace Corps would prove an invaluable asset when searching for future careers.  I will be able to become fluent in a foreign language and the experience alone will develop character.  Not only do I want to be a part of the Peace Corps for the benefits to myself but I want to give back to the world in a direct way.  By giving my life to the people of the world, if only for a short period of time, I will know that I played my part in helping make this world a better place.  It isn’t something I can accomplish by donating money.  While I know there are many local options to volunteer, it isn’t enough for me.  A person can only do so much when they are being pulled by work or school and other responsibilities.  The Peace Corps will allow my full attention towards volunteering.

So what about the plans I had last week about where I thought my life would be in a year?  What concerns me the most is continuing my education as I would have to postpone school in order to join the Peace Corps.  The minimum commitment time is more than 2 years.  This seems like a long time to wait to enroll in a university but my current plan would still require a wait time of a year anyways as I intend to establish residency in the state which I will be attending school.

If I stick to my one year plan I would need to find work at our new location.  I don’t think it will be much of a  problem to find gainful employment however it will likely not be work which I am interested in pursuing a career.  I do not have the experience or education to make me competitive in the workforce and by joining the Peace Corps I will gain a lot of experience and when I return I can further my education.

I know that if I wait to join the Peace Corps after I finish my Bachelor Degree that I will probably be in a place where I do not want to upset the circadian rhythm of life.  At that point there will be talks of settling down, having children, buying houses, making career moves and Sunday afternoon Canasta gatherings.  It would be much more difficult to uproot myself from my life then than it would be during a period of major transition.

Many of my goals work towards establishing a situation which would allow for an easy transition into the Peace Corps.  I have been working toward eliminating any debts which I have and have been eliminating as much Stuff from my life in order to allow myself the freedom to make major life choices.

This is one of those choices and one which I will continue to pursue as time goes on.