I wasn’t always proud of my heritage; it took me some time to feel comfortable identifying as Desi and Indian-American.

It was a bright Monday afternoon in the year 2000, and a rumor was floating around amongst our staff.

The seasons in our community don’t change with the weather but with the youth arriving for school or leaving for break.

‘Time waits for no one, so we better make the most of each day.’ These words ring in my ears as I reflect on my time spent in Malawi.

'Where are all of the trees?' I asked myself as I explored my new community with counterparts and neighbors.

Chrystian's home sits peacefully and quietly in the middle of the vast cornfields that cover the central region of Malawi. This relaxing abode is situated just a hop, skip, and a jump from stunning Lake Malawi.

I stood in the middle of the maize field as the sun set. The sky was painted in brilliant colors above me while I wandered through the field, phone in hand, searching for signal.

When I left our training village after 9 weeks of Pre Service Training, I was not sure when I would see my host family again.

Sometimes it’s the quiet and unassuming ones, the ones who never brag, who rise to the top. Shadreck Gondwe is one of those such students.

My Peace Corps dream began when I met a returned Peace Corps Volunteer while working as a physical therapist in Illinois.