The papers were torn from more than a dozen Peace Corps manuals, reports, and information packets that we accumulated over our two years as PCVs. Peace Corps staff, expats, and returned Volunteers hoped to give us realistic expectations of what life would be like when we stepped foot in the States. Returned Volunteers can be hesitant to speak negatively about their service with people who have not experienced Peace Corps, yet will complain for hours about how much they hated their host town when with other Volunteers. This code-switching is often intended to make Peace Corps service sound better to both the people listening and the Volunteers themselves. Many things can be left unsaid and more meaningful dialogues can take place when a Peace Corps elevator pitch isn’t required as an introduction to any overseas story.

Source: Daily Sun March 29, 2026 14:23 UTC