In 2016, my husband Clint and I left our jobs and our home of almost 25 years behind in California to serve for the first time as Peace Corps Volunteers in Guatemala.

For #PeaceCorpsWeek, we are featuring stories of Volunteers who have interesting ties to the agency. Costa Rica PCV, Kirby, comes from a long line of Peace Corps Volunteers.

My journey to where I am today—a Peace Corps Paul D. Coverdell Fellow—began when I was about 12 and first learned about the Peace Corps. 

The work of a Peace Corps Volunteer varies based on their assigned project, the volunteer’s prior experiences, and of course, the community one is placed in. It is perhaps the latter that affects our work the most.

Guatemala is a country full of lush scenery, fertile volcanic soil and intense cultural preservation.

After six months of fervent planning, collaborating and excitement, the first day of the inaugural Campamento Lucero: Girls’ Empowerment Camp had finally come, involving participants representing eight different communities across the municipality of Aguacatán. 

Kay Davis, a native of Maine, is a 72-year-old maternal and child health Volunteer in Guatemala.