Downsizing and organizing before departing for the Peace Corps

Peace Corps Response South Africa_Mark F — Mark F., who served as a traditional and Peace Corps Response Volunteer, encourages potential Volunteers to not let logistics dissuade them from serving.

Whether you’re leaving for the Peace Corps from your parents’ house, your college dorm, or your suburban, 4-bedroom home, there will be some preparation to organize what you’re leaving behind and get ready for your departure.

You may be leaving for 27 months or for a shorter stint through Peace Corps Response, but either way, you don’t want to leave your personal belongings strewn across your space (or someone else’s space) and you probably DO want to return to the things you left behind and find them in good condition.

The Peace Corps can often be a springboard for more travel, new horizons and, potentially, a new career. Many people join the Peace Corps assuming they’ll go back to their old life when their service is over but instead, find themselves extending their service to stay in the country, changing careers due to newly discovered passions, applying to graduate school, or finding new professional opportunities overseas. Regardless of what you plan to do after the Peace Corps, assume your plans may change. Being responsible with the belongings you leave behind will enable you to have more choices once your Peace Corps service is complete.

Don’t worry about following the trends

It doesn’t have to be Marie Kondo or Swedish “death cleaning” to get the job done. If you’re joining the Peace Corps after graduation, take move-out day as an opportunity to clean out your closets of things you don’t wear. Remember that when you come back to the States, styles will be different, so don’t bother keeping things that don’t have a long shelf-life. Pack for your service and sell or donate anything else that you’re not absolutely in love with. Check out the country page for your country of service on Peace Corps.gov for a suggested packing list, but also consider that there is no perfect packing list. Even if you’re departing from an established home of your own, consider the fact that the more you downsize now, the less you’ll have to deal with when you get back. If you’re planning to rent your place out, look around with the eyes of your potential tenant—and get rid of, or store, things you don’t want your renter to use.

Store what you can’t bring but want to keep

Because it is hard to really know what you’ll want to have when you get home from the Peace Corps—or even to know exactly when you’ll get home from the Peace Corps—organize a secure place to store belongings you truly want to keep. Maybe you have heirloom furniture, artwork or books you absolutely want in your post-Peace Corps life. That’s fair! If you have family or friends with some open attic or basement space, see if they’re willing to store these items for you with the understanding that they can’t be responsible for unexpected damage. Paying for a storage unit is a possibility, too. If you go this route, make arrangements to ensure regular payments. You could set up automatic payments or ask a trusted individual with access to your account to pay—just so you’re not left with late fees or penalties if the lack of Wi-Fi at site impacts your ability to make payments yourself abroad. Remember that many storage facilities will auction off the contents of units if the fees aren’t paid, so double check that your plan for payment will work for the whole time you’re gone.

Mongolia ger — Doing as much as you can to organize your belongings at home will give you peace of mind in your new life and home abroad.

Financial affairs

What about your bills and other financial obligations that continue even when you’re away? Tips for some of these issues, such as student loans, are given in the Finance section of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About the Peace Corps. Whatever your financial situation, it can be useful to provide access to bank and/or other relevant accounts to a trusted individual who can manage bills and address issues that might arise while you are out of the country and potentially without reliable access to email and/or online accounts.

Don’t let the logistics dissuade you

It can seem overwhelming to pack up your life and your things for Peace Corps service, but as Peace Corps Response Volunteer Mark F. says, “If it’s possible, don’t let the logistics dissuade you. Moving and storing your possessions can feel monumental the longer you’ve been rooted somewhere. Considering the people and things you will miss is an emotion that resurfaces in any big change. If the logistics are hard, but not insurmountable, it’s worth the effort.” For more on whether or not the Peace Corps is worth the trouble of organizing and downsizing, read what Returned Peace Corps Volunteer Matt says about Peace Corps service.

Ready to get organized and learn more about the Peace Corps? Connect with a recruiter.