Close of Service Conference

Though I knew it marked the beginning of the end of my Peace Corps service and would be the last time I would see many of the other volunteers in Bulgaria, I did not expect it to be as much of an emotional upheaval as it was. I was fine for most of it, even the ceremonial stepping out of the circle and hand holding, but when I told the PC administration that I would be leaving Bulgaria early to begin Duke Law School in May, it became real and I completely lost it. I couldn’t stop crying. The group of 80 something PCVs I arrived in Bulgaria with was too big for me to get to know everyone, but the small group of volunteers in my training group and a few others feel like family. In addition to a great host community, the Peace Corps staff and volunteers have been an incredible support network. Saying goodbye to Bulgaria would also mean saying goodbye to them. Though they too will come back to the US over the next few months, we’ll be scattered across the U.S. and I don’t know how the bonds created during the intensity of Peace Corps service and training will translate into our future lives. I know that my service has to eventually come to an end and leaving early makes the most sense for my future plans, but the transition is going to be difficult. I will be losing the title that has been the key feature of my identity for the past two years: Peace Corps Volunteer.