Experience Albania: Travel, Pictures, History, Culture

I want to share some of the competencies I must demonstrate and develop in order to be a successful volunteer for the next two years.
This Pre-Service Training time is filled with presentations and lectures, given by Peace Corps health, security, community development, and TEFL education staff members.
What is “Pre-Service Training”? Every single Peace Corps post in the world puts its “volunteers” through a training period that lasts for 12 weeks; I am about to finish week 4. At the end of training, trainees are sworn in as official Peace Corps Volunteers (PCV’s). You then move to your respective site, where you begin to carry out the two years of service.

These competencies seem applicable and interesting for anyone to read and reflect upon. My reactions are in parentheses:

1. Develop an awareness of likely realities of service. Remote location, loneliness, difficulties in planning.
(*I find out my permanent site tomorrow! But location is a surface detail … so much more to discover and experience once I’m there living and leading my daily life. The Albanian people at my site will be the most important factor. Who they are, how they react to my moving into their community, what and how much they want to learn from me - I am responsible for myself and my actions, but must trust that they meet me half way.*)

2. Show willingness to be patient and tolerant in dealing with difficult situations.
(*There’s a story behind everything and everyone - it takes patience and tolerance to see past the “problem” at hand, and instead of reacting with anger or frustration, to understand that any difficult situation is composed of many, many layers. A difficult person is coming from difficult problems, a difficult life. Difficult situations are not solved, but instead exposed, discussed, acknowledged.*)

3. Show respect even when in disagreement with others.
(*Pick and pursue your battles wisely. It is easy to find a disagreement when frustrated, angry, or discouraged. At the same time, stand up for yourself. But be prepared to hold yourself up, as no one is ever guaranteed a cheerleader.*)

4. Develop relationships and work with others in seeking solutions and accomplish goals.
(*Remain open and approachable. In order to communicate with others, one must actively engage in conversations and inquire about others’ stories. The more you ask, the more you’ll know. The more you know, the more others feel comfortable around you. The more comfortable others feel around you, the more support you’ll gain. Support=relationships=personal accomplishment/success.*)

5. Frequently strive to be positive.
(*A “positive person” is not always positive. They can certainly be negative, confused, disillusioned, frustrated, and angry. The difference between “people” and the “positive person” is this: the positive person is always making an attempt - sometimes big, small, medium sized - to be positive. To strive is to engrave positive energy into your every day ways.*)

6. More that I don’t have time to expand upon! Consider it your homework??

-Balance personal needs with those of others.
-Find and use strategies to deal with stress.
-Demonstrate awareness of mistakes.
-Verbalize personal strengths and weaknesses.