PEACE CORPS IN THE 21 ST CENTURY: A RHETORICAL ANALYSIS

116asks me what I am eating for lunch, I say chococlate [sic] he then insists onfeeding me each meal there after, that was the first week...then on the third week Imanaged to invite myself to a few other families houses for lunch... one of whichmade me pizza and promised [sic] to make me mac and cheese this week, she isgreat. There is also another family, both these women speak good English and oneeven has a TV that gets English news...so now that I found these women I amgood to go at the moment. 202Not all volunteers face such dramatic struggles with integration, and after several monthsin a community, volunteers begin to recognize how comfortable they feel in their newsurroundings.At some point on most blogs, the volunteer expresses excitement over thediscovery that they feel a part of a community. Generally this happens when they have avisitor come or when a fellow volunteer shows up. A St. Lucia volunteer wrote, “I’mstarting to feel more and more at home here in Soufriere. I have loved it here from thebeginning, but I am starting to finally feel like I am ‘integrating’ as PC likes to put it.Walking through town Saturday night with Megan and our friend John was great becauseI ran into a ton of people that I know. Being able to walk from place to place and stop tochat with friends really makes me feel like I am making headway in getting to know thecommunity.” 203And Shella made a similar comment, “Walking with strangers throughmy village is such an affirming experience, knowing all the names, inside jokes, andpeople treating me like their neighbor. Seeing it through the eyes of my guests was veryrenewing.” 204The experience of feeling comfortable in a new place takes time and effort.Those volunteers who push themselves to learn the language and the culture appear to be