This is all so true, and a major part of the reason I continue to travel and live abroad.
When I tell people I served in the Peace Corps, most people react with a big “Wow. THAT must have been hard.” They seem to think that living in a developing country for 2 years must have been a filled with sacrifices. Truth be told, I did “give up” a lot. I gave up 24/7 access to high speed internet and was left with one internet day a week. I missed a lot of things. Food, drink, family, friends, and a language I was 100% versed in.
But now that I’ve been back in America for 8 months, I’m starting to realize that the sacrifices I made leaving the US for Paraguay, my host country, were nothing compared to the sacrifices I made when I finished my service and got on a plane headed back to North America. I realize this may be hard for some Americans to understand, so I’ve decided…
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A Broad's View 
Rena Carter | September 4, 2014 at 11:23 pm | Reply
czirmai, above, is my daughter. I hope she will allow me to speak for her: I think one of her biggest sacrifices in returning to the US after a Peace Corps stint in Mongolia, was the high value placed on Sticking It Out. In her home country it is very easy to get another job, eat at a different restaurant, find other friends to hang out with, change banks, basically vote on almost anything with her feet/wallet/date book. The Peace Corps is pass/fail. You either deal with what you’re given in the situation, or your sorry butt goes back home on a plane, never to return. And she passed with flying colors. Nothing, ever, will be that heart wrenching for a mother: to encourage your flesh and blood to persevere under awful circumstances, simply because she said she would. Don’t come home to me where I can take care of you, my little daughter: I know this ain’t what you thought you signed up for, but sign up you did and your word and honor is at stake. So a big BOO RAH to all Peace Corps volunteers everywhere who had the stones to Stick It Out.
Thanks Mom! I couldn’t have done it without your support.