April 10, 2024
Evacuated during COVID-19
Submitted by Anna Lundsten '19
As you finish this semester, we are living in a world that is unprecedented. We are all just struggling to find our path in this life. Well as someone who always had a plan, I understand how terrifying it is to feel like you are in free-fall. For the first time in my life, I do not have an answer to the question: what are you going to do? This is the lesson I learned going from a Peace Corps Volunteer in Malawi, to being an Evacuated Returned Peace Corps Volunteer, in the space of 23 hours. I served in the Peace Corps from June 8, 2019-March 20,2020. I was an Education Specialist in Machinga District, Malawi. I loved my life, my village, my friends, and my students. I could and can switch between English and Chichewa seamlessly, if I truly feel like a challenge, I can practice Chilohmwe. But the training, the work, is not what this is about. In truth, the Peace Corps is not about the hours you spend at work nor about the outside projects that you do. It took me being evacuated to realize this. On March 16th, 2020, at 4:30 am, I watched as one email irrevocably changed my reality. I had 23 hours to pack up my life, say goodbye, and get to the capital. If I asked you, right now, you have 23 hours left in your house, community, and with the people you love: what would you do? Well let me tell you when given 23 hours, packing becomes a lot less important, in fact, you really don’t care about packing at all. You will run to hold the people you love most. You will tell your students how proud you are of them, that you believe in them, that you love them; you will wonder why you didn’t say that more often. You will take so many photos; photos you will not be able to look at without crying. You will laugh and cry, then cry some more. At some point, you will pack, but it will be hurried. You will realize that there are very few things you actually need, and you will give the rest away. You will surround yourself with people until the last second because you are trying to hold onto them and not let go; when you do, it will feel like your soul is being torn from your body. All of this and so many more things, this is what happens when you get evacuated. It is a kind of pain that never heals. But I value that pain, it means my life as a Peace Corps Volunteer was successful. It hurt because I was leaving a place I loved, people I loved, a job that I loved. I built relationships, shared cultures and languages, and yes I was a teacher. But if you ask me what is the best part of your Peace Corps service? I will tell you: it’s my best friend Emily and I watching Black Panther. It’s 2-year-old Poly running into my house to see my dog. It’s my neighbors constantly feeding me because they know I hate lighting a charcoal fire. It’s teaching my students and cheering when they succeed. It’s telling jokes in Chichewa in the staff room. It’s saying hi to every single person on my run because I want them to know my dog is friendly. It’s going to parties, funerals, and initiations because I was just a part of the community. It’s going to the market because I want to sit with Emily while she sells Mandazi. It’s realizing that while being a Peace Corps Volunteer is incredibly difficult, I would trade anything to be back in my home, in my village, with the people I love. Peace Corps is about those relationships, that is how you determine your success, by those around you. I cannot begin to express my thanks to my community. They cared for me as their daughter. They loved me even when I couldn’t cook or my Chichewa was incorrect. They loved me when I was at my worst and my best. I loved them for the same reasons, they truly became family. I need to say a giant thank you to them, they are my everything. If you ever thought about joining the Peace Corps, you should. You will change and mature, you will be broken and mended, you will be strong and weak, but you will be better for those experiences.