Sunday, February 10, 2013

Around the World

To my readers, I pose the following questions:

Have you ever wanted to know more about a country but didn't know where to look?  Have you ever wondered what it's really like to live in the Amazon rainforest, for instance, or to bike to work in Kenya? Have you ever wondered what it's like to teach English in Mongolia or to weigh babies in Zambia?  

Have you ever wanted to experience a country from the inside out-- as a resident, and not as a tourist?

Here is the inside scoop on some of the world's most exotic countries, as told by the men and the women who live there.


This is the first annual
2013 Peace Corps Best Blog Awards!

Out of the nearly 10,000 blogs linked to the Peace Corps Journals website, I have selected a few of my own personal favorites to share on this site.

Each of these blogs is a wonderful example of the Peace Corps vision and spirit.  And while none of these "award winners" will actually win anything or benefit from these distinctions, I hope that they will stand a little taller knowing that they are noted, loved, and supported by their fellow volunteers around the world.  


Without further ado, I present to you:  The Best Peace Corps Blogs from 2013!
(disclaimer:   This post represents my opinion and my opinion only!  Furthermore, 
I apologize whole-heartedly to those dedicated bloggers who were forgotten 
or omitted from this playful list!  There are just so many of you!)


Albania
This is a fun blog about a fun girl in an unusual Peace Corps country.  Follow Brenna as she works in the field of tourism development in Eastern Europe!

Botswana
A great blog from a very thorough, successful, and "put-together" volunteer.

Cambodia
An adorable married couple who served in Peace Corps Cambodia.  They have been home now for a few months, but all of their pictures and stories are still available online.

Fiji
Peace Corps in Fiji!  Enough said.

Georgia
Not updated very often, but look for the January’s post “Being Cold.”  Fantastic!  Interesting to remember that the Peace Corps experience is not always hot and sticky.

Ghana
Retiree writing!  A funny woman writes from the original Peace Corps country.

Kenya
Check out “The Mind of a Kenyan Child.”  A very, very, very funny article that holds true for Mozambique, as well.  From another married couple in the Peace Corps!

Madagascar
Good blog, good pictures.  It’s not very often that I say this- but here’s a volunteer of whom I am VERY jealous!  Environmental Education!?  In Madagascar!?  

Mongolia
Mongolia:  My second-most-desired Peace Corps posting.  It’s fascinating to read about this country from a Peace Corps perspective.  

Morocco
Another married couple in the Peace Corps!  And the girl is a photographer, too! 
Beautiful pictures of Morocco.  

Namibia
Single girl in Namibia.  Check out the “About Namibia” and “My Assignment” pages.  
This girl is really succinct and informative.

Paraguay
A fantastic travel blog from a young American woman who has been
to more than 30 countries. This is a fun blog to read to read.

Peru
A nice blog with nice pictures.  Peru is my number-one-dream Peace Corps country,
so I will admit that I read this entire blog, from start to finish.

Phillipines
A promising blog from a new(ish) volunteer in the Phillipines

Senegal
Cute musings on West African life from a lovely girl named Lisa.
Like reading a letter from a friend.

South Africa
A blog from some of our South African neighbors!  
A simple blog, but one that updates daily (with pictures!)

Suriname
Amazing blog from a Peace Corps volunteer living in the Amazon rainforest.  
Anacondas?  Tapirs?  Morning commute by canoe?  Check, check, check!

Togo
Lots of words and few pictures.  This is a blog from an older volunteer who served in
Togo from 2010 – 2012.  She’s recently returned home to the United States,
but it’s nice to read about her service from beginning to end. 


I hope you enjoyed some of my favorite blogs from around the world.  Reading Peace Corps blogs is a wonderful way to gain valuable insight into other cultures from well-informed sources around the globe.  To stay updated or to view more blogs, visit Peace Corps Journals.  Stay tuned, and thanks for reading! 

15 comments:

  1. I am honored, Lisa, to be included in your list. Life in Ghana - the original Peace Corps country - is incredible. This week we are training artisans (masons and carpenters) on latrine construction. My community will soon have 100 new household latrines. Exciting!

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  2. Lisa, thanks for the callout, I am excited to be included in your list of favorite blogs! And also very excited to travel vicariously through all of your other recommendations :)

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  3. This is so cool. I had no idea peace corps journals existed before I joined and I really wish I had. I'm totally going to check some of these out. This really is the coolest way to see and learn about a country. PCVs just see the country in a different way than any tourist ever could.

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  4. Thanks for the shout out! I love reading the blogs from around the world and sharing my Peruvian life. I hope you guys are feeling better after your poopy Valentine´s Day!

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  5. Lisa - I'm Terry Nichols, author of Imagine...Life in Togo. Thanks so much for spotlighting my blog. I think it was a great idea to do this, and I've really enjoyed reading the other blogs, including yours. I've noticed a lot of hits on my blog coming from your site....very cool!

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