My Great Escape
During two years of Peace Corps service it can be tough, or even impossible, to seamlessly “fit in” with your host community. You may read that and think “well, stand out then!”—you’re probably an extrovert. It’s unlike me to stand out and command attention. However, a gringo dropped off in a rural town in costal Colombia is inevitably going to do just that. It’s a fact I have struggled to cope with since day one. My anonymity is gone, banished to large cities or places more diverse places where I can blend in. To an introvert like myself, the waterfall of attention paid to my every move is daunting on the mind and taxing on the body, especially when unwarranted, undeserved, or unsolicited. While I am not blond hair and blue-eyed, it is not hard to tell I am not from here, especially if I open my mouth. Locals shout broken English, “gringo”, or actual gibberish, at me when I pass by. Daily, I am reminded that I am alien and there is nothing natural or normal about my presence here.
