Reverse Culture Shock? What an interesting Concept

Last Thursday, we were lucky enough to have a Peace Corps representative, named Travis, come in and talk to our class. He talked to our class for an extended period of time talking about his entire two year experience in Zambia and how it affected him. I think he did a great job of explaining what an amazing experience the peace corps can be and how it was an amazing experience for him.

As a peace corps volunteer, Travis worked with the Zambian Ministry of Health. While in Zambia, Travis’s job was to educate the local villagers about HIV/AIDS, as well as other diseases such as Malaria. Although this was his job, he also found his place among the villagers to be a great position to educate his fellow villagers about American culture. I really liked how Travis explained all the training that he had to go through in order to partake on this great experience. I think that the peace corps would get a lot of volunteers that were looking for a free vacation to an exotic locale and really focusing themselves on immersion into the culture which I think you have to do succeed at your task. On that same note, I really like how immersed in the culture the volunteers for the peace corps need to be. Travis was able to demonstrate many customs that although very foreign for us Americans, were just second nature to someone who had lived in Zambian society for two years. He was also able to demonstrate the unique language to our class which I thought was very cool.

Through all the cultural differences he talked about between our two cultures, the most interesting thing that Travis talked about was the reverse culture shock he experienced. After being immersed in a culture for two years, many things that we think of as everyday occurrences because very foreign to Travis when he traveled back home to the states. I think this would be an amazing experience to really view American culture as a true outsider. I have gone on many travels, but I have never been able to have “reverse culture shock.” I think it would be an amazing experience to be able to immerse yourself so deeply in a foreign culture, that it truly becomes your own. I hope that I am able to experience this someday, either as a peace corps volunteer, or otherwise.

Shortly after we listened to Travis's presentation, I was able to check out the Peace Corps website (http://www.peacecorps.gov/).  I thought the site was very easy to navigate, and provided alot of the information that I wondered about, but did not have a chance to as Travis.  The most interesting part of the website was actually seeing how many different countries that the Peace Corps sent volunteers to.  For some reason, I was under the impression that they sent aid almost exclusivley to Africa, however i was pleased to learn that they send aid all over the world.  I think this provides alot of good experiences for people who may be more suited to work in different environments.  I also think its good that they are willing to help the whole globe in problems that affect us all.