Settling In for the Long Haul

This month is my ninth month in service, and with that mark comes the right to move out on my own finally. There are many benefits of living independently in Azerbaijan, including privacy; the ability to cook for yourself; the ability to have guests over whenever you want (as late as you want) without disturbing anyone; and the ability to feel slightly American in a foreign land. All of these things can often improve moral, and can lead to a volunteer enjoying their time in Azerbaijan independently.

However, living independently here is a choice. It is not a right, but a privilege. A volunteer must find their own housing that meets the Peace Corps standards (and there are many of them.) On top of meeting the standards, a volunteer must also meet cultural standards... many women are turned away from independent housing because Azeri culture does not deem independent living as normal for most young women.

All that being said, I must also point out the disadvantages of living independently. The cost is higher. On top of rent, we must pay electric, water, gas, telephone, and any other utilities that are not covered in the monthly cost. We must purchase our own food, which can be much more expensive than having a host family cook for us. Independent living also decreases our daily interaction time with Azerbaijani culture and lifestyle. As a result, our language abilities may decline with less daily usage. Host families can be incredibly helpful in introduction to the right people, protecting us from the wrong people, and for teaching us about cultural norms.

In light of all this, I have decided to stay with my host family for the duration of my time in Azerbaijan with a few modifications. I have switched rooms, and now have two rooms on the end of the house with my own entrance. One room is now my kitchen, the other is my living/bedroom. I have two big built into the wall cabinets for storage. (One is my pantry.) I have a small wall cabinet, and a big closet dresser. I also have a vanity and cabinet, and a desk. I have plenty of natural lighting as my kitchen is windows mid-wall to ceiling on two walls. This affords me plenty of space and storage, and a bit more privacy than what I had previously. My host family has graciously agreed to give me all this space for an even lower cost, which gives me a little bit more money to buy my own food. I have finally unpacked all my items for the first time in nine months, knowing that I won't (hopefully) have to move again until September of 2009.

I must state that it is not the norm for a volunteer to choose to live with their host family for the whole of their service. However, I feel that this is an opportunity for cultural experiences and learning that I would not be able to get through independent living. It certainly will not always be easy, but I know that I will learn much more for the experience. Sacrifices and challenges are part of being a Peace Corps volunteer... and as the saying goes, whatever doesn't kill me, will only make me stronger.