1. Dominican Republic Carnival in La Vega, DR

    A month long endeavor, Carnaval is a religious-based celebration that takes place in February in the Dominican Republic. La Vega, located in the middle of the country, is the largest, most well-known Carnaval celebrations on the island.

  2. Niger Thank You, girls...

    These 3 girls lived next door to family I was living with during my Peace Corps training. They were nothing but smiles and positive energy the entire time - I kept this picture with me and would look at it during the hard days of my service - how can this one not make you smile? even when you're crying because you're 2,000 miles from home, can't understand the language, and wish beyond wishing that suffering did not exist for anyone in the world.

  3. Niger Color

    The ubiquitous colorful printed cloth that people wear throughout Africa.

  4. Niger Allah kawo ruwa

    Village men pray for rain. 

  5. Niger Gluttony

    Peace Corps Volunteers in town for some RandR compete in a mango eating contest. Our driver talked a good game but topped off at a meager 6 mangoes. The two ladies with backs to the camera tied for the win, each eating an astonishing 12 mangoes! 

  6. Niger Training

    In Niger, girls playing sports was unheard of, and they were normally never permitted to wear shorts. These girls are representing their middle school (in the background) in a regional soccer tournament organized by PCVs. Although there were many challenges, the girls learned a lot, loved playing, and helped advance the role of women in their culture. 

  7. Niger Not my sector

    After being installed in the tiny village of Ichirnawa at the start of my service, my days consisted of walking around, greeting people in Hausa, getting to know my neighbors, and adjusting to daily life. One place I liked to sit in the morning was at the 2-room health clinic, where the nurse spoke French and there was always a pot of tea brewing. One day within my two weeks in the village I was hanging around at the health clinic as usual with my friend the nurse. He disappeared inside, and ...

  8. Fiji First Visit to Site

    We made it back from our site visit yesterday and are recouping from a whirlwind travel experience. It is hard to recall everything as it seemed like we experienced so much during the short time we where there. It is all very exhausting trying to soak in the details of your future home for the next two years in addition to learning the logistics of how the heck to get there. That was an adventure in itself.   If you have ever traversed a third world country using more than one type of transp...

  9. Fiji Fatele Fancy Feet

    We were stationed on Kioa Island in Fiji. It was a unique situation because the island was inhabited by a group of Polynesians in the midst of Melanesian Fiji. Kioa was bought in 1946 by the people of Vaitupu, an island in the nation of Tuvalu, with money earned from American Armed Forces during WWII and settled October 26, 1947 by 37 original settlers. The Tuvaluans brought with them only their culture, religion, and lifestyle - which have been preserved and are still in tact today. This i...

  10. Fiji Wedding Bliss

      We were stationed on Kioa Island in Fiji. It was a unique situation because the island was inhabited by a group of Polynesians in the midst of Melanesian Fiji. Kioa was bought in 1946 by the people of Vaitupu, an island in the nation of Tuvalu, with money earned from American Armed Forces during WWII and settled October 26, 1947 by 37 original settlers. The Tuvaluans brought with them only their culture, religion, and lifestyle - which have been preserved and are still in tact today. This i...

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“Sunset at the Railroad” by PCV Nicholas Baylor Hall. Namibia, 2011.