From a very young age I had a wanderlust, always enjoying a sense of adventure, determined to leave Washington and the US to see the world.

When as a campaign promise, John F Kennedy proposed the Peace Corps, I saw this as an opportunity to both fulfill my dreams and perhaps do some good.

The day after college graduation I married Michael Rebell, my penultimate husband, who had agreed with me to join the Peace Corps. We were assigned to go to Sierra Leone, West Africa. Our assignment was a very small village, nine hours from the nearest town and a few days from the Capital City Freetown. Community Development was ultimately a meaningless term that benefited that “chief” more than the locals. That being said, we did help build a water system, put in a small library and help with local health services. The main highlight for me was interaction with the people; learning what life was like in this very different culture first hand was a fabulous experience. In addition, the Peace Corps gave us twelve weeks “vacation," which meant we enjoyed extensive travel throughout West Africa, often by hitchhiking, an adventurous and interesting experience. I can’t imagine that freedom today.

As I look back on it all, it was certainly time well spent.