Peace Corps Stories: The Unofficial Podcast

An unfiltered look at the toughest job you'll ever love. Each episode features true stories about the Peace Corps, told by returned volunteers reflecting on the thrilling highs, the debilitating lows, the near-death experiences and the crazy adventures that you may not hear about from the Peace Corps organization itself. The Returned Peace Corps Volunteers of New York City is a non-profit group based in NYC to bring people who have served in the Peace Corps, with their friends and family, together for charity and social events, as well as our annual Peace Corps Story Slam storytelling event. Find us on Facebook.

Episodes

Episode 22 - Michelle Obama and the Soviet YMCA

October 22, 2020 • 15 mins

There are many ways to learn about the local culture as a Peace Corps volunteer, but often the best lessons happen by accident rather than by design. In this episode we hear two stories out of the Ukraine, from Victoria Walker and Allison Miller, who made strong impressions on the locals, but maybe not for the reasons they would have chosen.

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Episode 21 - Circus of Love

September 24, 2020 • 14 mins

Shawna Miller finds much more than love when the circus comes to her little Honduran town.

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Episode 20 - The Mutt And The Machete

August 14, 2020 • 16 mins

Pets and animals tend to play outsize roles for Peace Corps Volunteers. As companions who, like us, don’t speak the local language, they can make the experience a lot easier. For Helen Alesbury, her dog was at the center of one of her most memorable moments in her time in El Salvador.

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Episode 19 - The Chinese Sushi Icebreaker

July 28, 2020 • 10 mins

At some point, every volunteer finds themselves too far from a bathroom at the time they need it most. For Denver Governor, that moment turned out to be one of the most important.

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Episode 18 - A Shakespearean Crime in Zimbabwe

July 16, 2020 • 13 mins

Bob Nolan considers what “justice” means when confronting one of his students and friends in Zimbabwe.

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Episode 17 - Guyanese Fish Flop

July 4, 2020 • 8 mins

All it took was a fish and a flip flop for Gabriella Miyares to find common ground with her host mother in Guyana.

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Episode 16 - The Watermelon Coup

June 26, 2020 • 7 mins

Kevin Kwok remembers his gardening efforts in Mali, cut short by a military coup in 2012 that sent him home early.

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Episode 15 - Peter's $#!{{? Day

December 18, 2016 • 8 mins

Peter Clark (Kyrgyzstan, 2009-2010) recalls a challenging day on the playground early in his service, and we take a look back at the scatological memories that defined his service as emcee of the Peace Corps Story Slam in the final episode of Season 1.

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Episode 14 - A Gambian Funeral

December 2, 2016 • 12 mins

Ryan Smith (The Gambia, 2007-2009) sees how a community deals with death during his first months in the Peace Corps.

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Episode 13 - Sometimes you just have to vomit

November 18, 2016 • 13 mins

Julie Behrens (Honduras, 2004-2006) takes her first work trip and almost makes it home in one piece.

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Episode 12 - Josh makes a tough decision

November 4, 2016 • 10 mins

Josh Norman (Togo, 2000-2002) remembers a tough decision when he had to choose between a project and a person.

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Episode 11 - Breaking the rules of partying in the Peace Corps

October 21, 2016 • 14 mins

Jane Garcia Buhks (Nicaragua, 2010-2012) and Robyn Fiedler (Nicaragua, 2011-2013) remember a night where they broke all the rules of partying, but they got through it together.

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Episode 10 - The day I almost tasted heaven

October 7, 2016 • 10 mins

Sarah Porter (Macedonia, 2005-2007) discovers how sweet a little taste of home can be.

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Episode 09 - Giving thanks in the shadow of 9/11

September 22, 2016 • 11 mins

Shawna Miller (Honduras, 2001-2003) saw the events of September 11 from a distance, but experienced a closeness she didn’t expect.

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Episode 08 - If only I'd killed that chicken

September 9, 2016 • 9 mins

To Teresa Liu (East Timor, 2003-2005), why did the chicken cross the road? takes on life or death consequences.

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Peace Corps Stories: The Unofficial Podcast

Episodes

.css-14f5ked{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:2;overflow:hidden;}Episode 22 - Michelle Obama and the Soviet YMCA

.css-r6mb8g{margin:0;word-break:break-word;display:-webkit-box;-webkit-box-orient:vertical;box-orient:vertical;-webkit-line-clamp:1;overflow:hidden;}Episode 21 - Circus of Love

Episode 20 - The Mutt And The Machete

Episode 19 - The Chinese Sushi Icebreaker

Episode 18 - A Shakespearean Crime in Zimbabwe

Episode 17 - Guyanese Fish Flop

Episode 16 - The Watermelon Coup

Episode 15 - Peter's $#!{{? Day

Episode 14 - A Gambian Funeral

Episode 13 - Sometimes you just have to vomit

Episode 12 - Josh makes a tough decision

Episode 11 - Breaking the rules of partying in the Peace Corps

Episode 10 - The day I almost tasted heaven

Episode 09 - Giving thanks in the shadow of 9/11

Episode 08 - If only I'd killed that chicken

Popular Podcasts

Episode 22 - Michelle Obama and the Soviet YMCA

Episode 21 - Circus of Love