Life beyond ourselves, what we know

What if?

What if you didn't have access to TV? Or the Internet? What if you lived by yourself without a car? Without friends? Without knowledge of the language? What if you lived without running water and electricity?

Could you survive?

Last Friday I was asked all of these questions at my Peace Corps interview. Naturally, I said, "Yes, I could survive." What else could I say? If I had said no, I'd certainly be tossed aside, scratched off the list of applicants.

But do I really think I can survive without all these things? For two years?

Honestly, I have my doubts. Can I carry on without iTunes? Without Starbucks coffee? Without CNN?

We've convinced ourselves that the rest of the world lives like us. We're convinced that everyone spends an ungodly amount of time on Facebook. And surely everyone caught the season premiere of Lost.

But it's simply not true.

In Malawi, it takes a month for the mail to arrive from the United States. My Peace Corps recruiter said she rode a bus five hours one-way just to use the Internet in a small city in Africa. She didn't talk to her family for weeks. She took bucket baths. And she didn't have electricity.

But she also said it was the greatest thing she'd ever done. She lived a simple life. She survived on friendships created in Africa. She learned the language. She made it. And she was in her fifties.

I ran across this quote that reminds me of her experience and captures the Peace Corps' message:

"Own only what you can always carry with you: know languages, know countries, know people. Let your memory be your travel bag." - Alexander Solzhenitsyn

Sure, I'm scared. I have a lot here. Actually, I have a lot I could do without. By shedding the weight of technology and modern convenience, I will have the opportunity to know people, live simply and, I hope, have one of the greatest experiences of my life.

If you're interested in a life outside of the ordinary (or don't want a nine-to-five job after graduation), go to www.peacecorps.gov for more information.