It was about an information session for the Peace Corps. I was completing my degree in business management and women's studies in the spring. I was going to get a job in HR or consulting. I was even considering Teach for America. 

But the Peace Corps? No. I folded the paper in half and slid it into my back pocket. Peace Corps was two years too long. I had a career to build. If I wanted to “be somebody,” I needed to get started yesterday. I knew I wanted to change the world through business and I needed experience in the “business world” first. Peace Corps simply didn't fit in that equation. 

Fast forward three and a half years: I am working at a technology and business management consulting company, where I’m challenged every day, doing interesting work and even receiving exposure to leadership by leading diversity and inclusion practices within the firm. I love the teams I work with, both my coworkers and my clients. I am flying all over the country, putting in over 55 hours a week. It’s grueling, but overall I am satisfied. 

And yet, something seemed to be missing. 

I can't tell you the exact moment when I decided to apply to the Peace Corps. Instead it was a culmination of small experiences and conversations here and there over time. However, it was a decision that came at the right point in my career. 

I left a job I loved to join the Peace Corps because: 

I wanted to apply my professional experience in a different way. As a community economic development Volunteer, I have been able to apply my knowledge to begin to alleviate community obstacles. With my project management skills, I have been able to partner with leaders on many different initiatives. With my grant writing experience, we applied and won financial support from World Connect to build a hiking trail network for visitors to explore a unique and untouched dry tropical rainforest. I utilize similar design methods I used for past clients here in-site; however, the initial involvement and core interest in the work is driven purely by internal motivation and a vision for a better community. 

I had a deep desire to fulfill personal goals. I realized the things I wanted to accomplish in my life outside of work were just as important to me as the goals I had for myself in the workplace. I wanted to become fluent in Spanish and be able to communicate with my relatives in Colombia. I wanted to live abroad and completely immerse myself in another culture. I wanted to be uncomfortable and challenge my limits. I wanted to see places I couldn't pronounce. And I wanted to learn from other like-minded Volunteers. 

I needed to prove to myself I could do it. I was scared of the Peace Corps. I was fearful of what my experience might be. The “what-ifs” had built up for over three years, ever since I tucked that flyer into my pocket. I had a pile of reasons why not to join, including a solid paycheck, a 401(k) and paid time off. However, I was more afraid of becoming a person I didn't recognize anymore. I did not want to become an individual who accepted the status quo, who stopped questioning inequities and who gave in to pessimism. I did not want to be a person who no longer believed they could directly change the world – or at least parts of it.

I craved exploration. I was so focused on the path directly in front of me – the one I was following upon graduation – that I was unable to see other paths unfolding. Years were whipping by and I felt like there was still so much I still wanted to do, and it was simply impossible to do so in my role at the firm. I yearned for the time to reflect on myself – on the person I was, the person I am and the person I am destined to be. I wanted to learn about the lives of others. 

I wanted to dedicate my work to others. Completely. I needed an opportunity in my life to live more selflessly. I needed to not just walk a mile in someone else's shoes; I needed to walk for two years in those shoes. I wanted to feel the rub on my heel, the sweat dribble down my ankle and the opening of blisters. I wanted to feel comfortable in those same shoes after a while, once those cuts healed and the padding wore in. I wanted to skip, dance, run and thrive in those shoes. I needed the time Peace Corps provides its Volunteers to truly understand community needs and build capacity. 

Peace Corps Volunteers have the greatest purpose: world peace and friendship. I am completing my job by playing soccer at the cancha, by catching up over cafecito or by building a community garden. I get to focus on the needs of my fellow community members and guide the structure of my own work. I am a resource to help the community overcome challenges and think about solutions differently. And I get to pick up where I left off the day before and seguir adelante. 

I left a job I loved to join the Peace Corps. And I don't regret it one bit.