The Pickling Process

Austin, what made you decide to join Peace Corps?

Well valued reader, I am glad you asked! Many of you have asked me this question in person, and those of you that have not more than likely wondered it without asking. If you did ask me it is likely that you received a short answer, sorry about that. You are in luck though! I have decided to practice blogging by answering this question in more detail in order to let you know the process of how I became Pickle in Panama (or rather in Panama within the near-ish future).

I wrote this some time back and I feel that it does a decent synopsis of how I feel about adventure, so here it is:

As a child I loved the classroom. I loved school, recess, books, science, field trips, and show-n-tell. I loved all that came with learning. As a child I thought I would choose to stay in school forever if I could. I wanted to learn, to gain access to the unknown, to find what mystery the next page may uncover. As I have aged however my interest in books seems not to have waned, but rather to have expanded. I no longer cling solely to the mystery of the next page, but desire to turn the pages of life to see what lies in store. I have discovered that which may be learned in a book is only a small notion of what may be learned by exploration of the world. I realize now that it was not school that I was in love with, but with discovery. The world is awe-inspiring and we only have a short while to experience its wonder. Random drives to nowhere, sampling culinary oddities, or hiking a well known spot just to see ever-changing familiarity all are akin to a lesson in primary school to learn of something new. However, twenty textbooks may not be able to impress upon you that which one hike, one climb, or one dive will bring to your understanding. For true discovery lies not within the bindings of a well written book, but rather within your own reach, within the world that surrounds you. Discovery is not that which is told to you or read from flat pages, but rather that which is stumbled upon in life, that which is encountered upon the next peak, that which is revealed around the next corner. Adventure does more than just teach, it enlightens.

Note: This is not to downplay the awesomeness that is books, but rather to describe my love for getting out and adventuring.

Wanderlust (n.) - a strong desire to travel.

This word comes the closest to being able to describe what I attempted to sum up in my paragraph above, but it still isn't quite right. I do not feel a need to travel as much as a desire to discover. Discovery could come from travel, it could come from learning of a new process that surrounds you everyday. For instance travels to Italy would be awesome, but do you know about the Calvin cycle? If not check it out. It's pretty amazing and wonderfully efficient. BAM, just like that, you discovered something new. Weren't expecting that were you? "But Austin, this doesn't explain how or why you chose Peace Corps!" Fair enough.

From a young age my family spent a large amount of vacations and recreation time outdoors. Whether it was a road trip across the country to Oregon and back, a stay up in Dillard, GA, or a week at a condo at the beach we always seemed to be enjoying the outdoors. This along with some other helping hands fueled my interest in environmental sciences and led to me eventually attaining a degree in Environmental Engineering. In the pursuit of this degree I spent a semester abroad in Chile that was one of the more amazing experiences of my life. This study abroad semester planted the seed that one day I would like to work overseas. And of course, my Christianity played a large role in my desire for philanthropic works.

Now as an Environmental Engineer (especially from the great University of Florida) you deal with water quite a bit. It is very possible to specialize in other areas, but at UF we certainly had a substantial number of water related courses, and rightly so, it is a big issue. Combine this with my desire for philanthropic works and you get my longing to help provide access to sanitary drinking water for people.

While attending UF I was pretty involved with Gators for Christ and through that program met a few Peace Corps volunteers, so that is when I first researched into the idea of Peace Corps. Needless to say, I thought it seemed cool (those of you closest to me will know what a high honor it is to "seem cool" haha *cough*Tyrone*cough*). I decided to apply for it after graduation because what better time to take on such an adventure? I was blessed to have received my invite for Environmental Health in Panama and could not be more excited for any opportunity that could have come my way. I know it will not be always easy, but I will do what I can and make the best of every opportunity. With God at my side, there will be no obstacle too large.

Well hopefully that answered your question. If it did not, or you have any other questions, please leave a comment or shoot me a message and I will endeavor to answer it. Also I am going on a road trip out west starting this Wednesday, so expect to see a blog post about that in the future. I will probably practice uploading photos with that post. I am also considering redesigning the page so that is something that could be new and exciting. Thanks for reading! Chao for now.

Philippians 4:13  "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."