"What? Do you think it's just a bunch of ditch diggers?"

I was sitting with my brother at lunch this winter talking about my job search. Crisis, of course. I wanted to do something meaningful and exciting, but all I could come up with was the prospect of a future in corporate America. As the older, wiser sibling, he suggested I look into the Peace Corps because his friend Mark served a few years ago and loved the experience. I was a little apprehensive at first. I had no idea what the Peace Corps really did, but I was fairly convinced that whatever it was, I wouldn't be able to handle it.

None the less, I have always wanted to return abroad to serve people in need. The thought of traveling to an exotic location and living in another culture for two years sounded interesting. After an afternoon of research, I knew I needed to apply. I spent the rest of winter break pouring over my application, reading and rereading information on the Peace Corps website to learn as much as I could, and discussing the logistics of spending 27 months abroad with my family and friends.

The application process was extensive. I was astonished by how thorough and organized everything was. The entire process from start to finish was very inspiring and affirmed in my mind over and over again why I wanted to do this. As they say in the Peace Corps: "Life is calling. How far will you go?" ... and I want to go all the way.