Review: Douglas Wells’ In Search of the Elusive Peace Corps Moment
veebr. 4, 2022
Estonian Life No. 5 2022
In many a young person's journey, there is a time, even if only fleeting, when one imagines travelling around the world and getting to know the planet we live on. This is made more enticing by the prospect of earning some money, or the ability to make a positive change in our troubled world.
A year into university, I contemplated a few options for once I graduated: joining Maersk Line as a Deck Cadet, starting a rock band in Berlin, teaching English in China, or joining the Peace Corps operated by the United States government. I had a few applications lined up and ready to send, and had considered Paraguay as the place I would go, should I be accepted into the latter.
Looking back now, I can see that another direction in life was meant to be instead of those ideas; and I would even question whether my heart was in the right place at that time. However, I am still curious, what rewards do people find in volunteering overseas, in “working side by side with local leaders to tackle the most pressing challenges of our generation,” as the Peace Corps describes its purpose?
One answer to this question comes from American author Douglas Wells' 2001 biographical book, In Search of the Elusive Peace Corps Moment ~ Destination: Estonia.
(Read more: Estonian Life No. 5 2022 paber- and PDF/digi)
Written by Vincent Teetsov, Toronto
