Guyana, here we come!

Finally, after a year of anticipation, we received our invitation to serve as Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) in Guyana. When we saw the package with the Peace Corps logo on our doorstep we leapt with joy. Our excitement turned to fierce curiosity when we read that we are to spend the next two years living and working in Guyana. Where is Guyana? What is it like there? Thanks to the internet and the hundreds of pages of reading the Peace Corps sent us, we were able to find out quite a lot about this enigmatic country. Here is what we found:


Guyana is the only English speaking country in South America. It borders Venezuela, Brazil, Suriname and the Atlantic Ocean. Although it is located in South America, Guyana is predominantly tied to the Caribbean economically, politically and culturally. As a former colony of the French, Dutch and finally British, the people of Guyana are mostly of East Indian and African descent. The food and music reflect this interesting mix of ethnicities and cultures. The country is mostly undeveloped jungle, with most of the population living in a small strip of coastal land. You can find more information on the CIA World Factbook, Wikipedia or the Peace Corps website.

Basically, what we anticipate is a tropical, Caribbean jungle full of humidity and heat with only two seasons a year: rainy and dry. There will be bugs (lots of bugs), monkeys, tropical birds, anacondas and other species of animals ranging from weird to wonderful. We will likely be living in a town or village with 200-2,000 people in it, in a house or apartment made of concrete or wood. We imagine that we will spend our leisure time lounging in hammocks, dozing under mosquito nets, dancing to reggae music, playing cricket (the sport of choice in Guyana) and exploring the rivers and jungles of our new home.


Our jobs, as they have been outlined for us, will be to promote literacy and new teaching methodologies (Tim) and health such as sanitation, nutrition and sex education (Chelsea) as Community Educators. We have been told we will be working with the Ministries of Health and Education, NGOs and local communities to pass on our knowledge to a community that lacks the skilled workforce (due mostly to emigration) and leave a sustainable infrastructure for the Guyanese community where we will be stationed. But really, we won't know what our jobs will actually entail until we get to our assignment and assess the needs of the community. Sounds fun, right?


Between now and February we have a million and a half things to do to prepare. There is paperwork to be done, legalities to work out, items to collect, purchase and pack, loose ends to be tied up, etc. Right now we are going through a rollercoaster ride of emotions. We are, first and foremost, excited, thrilled and happy. We are nervous when we think of what is to come, sad when we think about what we will be leaving behind, anxious about what we will have to do to prepare for this trip. But we still have 8 weeks left in the good ol' U.S.A. and we are determined to live in the present and take this process one step at a time with as much patience and grace as we are able.


And so our adventure, and the "hardest job we will ever love" begins...