What is the Peace Corps really like-and will it change your life? Ask the staff, and the answer is always the same: "It depends."

For anyone preparing to serve, "it depends" is a frustrating refrain. Every prospective Volunteer wants specifics-what to expect, what the day-to-day looks like, and how two years of service will shape the rest of their life. But the truth is... no two Peace Corps experiences are alike, and the most meaningful moments are rarely the ones you plan for.

It Depends: A Guide to Peace Corps offers an honest, grounded look at life as a Peace Corps Volunteer: the realities of preparing for service, the gap between expectation and experience, and the unexpected rewards that come from letting go of a fixed idea of how things "should" go. It's a guide to readying yourself not just for the challenges you can anticipate, but for the ones you can't-and a reminder that the richest takeaways often arrive when you stop trying to script them.

For future Volunteers, the curious, and anyone drawn to the idea of service abroad, this is a candid introduction to what the Peace Corps can give you if you're willing to expect the unexpected.

It Depends: A Guide to Peace Corps includes shared unique experiences from RPCVs: Brian Fassett, Jenna Smith, Jacqueline Gerson, Natalie Ziemba, John Gallo, Judson Moore, and Danielle J. Zemmel. Thank you for sharing your stories.