May 16, 2005: Headlines: COS - Kyrgyzstan: Married Couples: Marie Claire magazine: In August 2003, we married; we left in September for 27 months in a rural village in southern Kyrgyzstan. Joining the Peace Corps as newlyweds has been amazing. Hans and I are together a lot; we share a small space, so arguments never last long.
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May 16, 2005: Headlines: COS - Kyrgyzstan: Married Couples: Marie Claire magazine: In August 2003, we married; we left in September for 27 months in a rural village in southern Kyrgyzstan. Joining the Peace Corps as newlyweds has been amazing. Hans and I are together a lot; we share a small space, so arguments never last long.
In August 2003, we married; we left in September for 27 months in a rural village in southern Kyrgyzstan. Joining the Peace Corps as newlyweds has been amazing. Hans and I are together a lot; we share a small space, so arguments never last long.
In August 2003, we married; we left in September for 27 months in a rural village in southern Kyrgyzstan. Joining the Peace Corps as newlyweds has been amazing. Hans and I are together a lot; we share a small space, so arguments never last long.
Why Should I Wait…to Join the Peace Corps?
Marie Claire magazine
June 2005
The Peace Corps had always appealed to me, but I started to seriously consider it after September 11. I was working for a magazine in Los Angeles, and I loved it. But I found myself asking, Why? Why is there so much inequality? Why is the U.S.'s reputation deteriorating? I was inspired by Robert F. Kennedy's quote (paraphrasing George Bernard Shaw), "Some men see things as they are and say why; I dream things that never were and say why not."
But as a journalist in an expensive city, all I could give was my time. Hans, my boyfriend of five years, and I discussed it and decided to apply to the Peace Corps. We also started planning a simple wedding, since the Corps only allows couples to serve together if they are married.
In August 2003, we married; we left in September for 27 months in a rural village in southern Kyrgyzstan. Joining the Peace Corps as newlyweds has been amazing. Hans and I are together a lot; we share a small space, so arguments never last long. And it's nice to see different sides of him: playing Frisbee with the children or making sunflower-seed oil. But living in a conservative Muslim village where women and men have definite roles has put some stress on our relationship. Hans is more respected than I am. For example, if my colleagues have a party, they ask Hans if I can go. He tells them we're equal and they need to ask me directly. It's hard not to take that personally.
We have no running water and sporadic electricity. I'm learning to garden and speak the Kyrgyz language. I teach, and I'm writing a grant for a public bathhouse so kids can have clean water. Progress is slow, but working with the Corps is the best contribution I can make.
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Story Source: Marie Claire magazine
This story has been posted in the following forums: : Headlines; COS - Kyrgyzstan; Married Couples
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