Fiesta of Sunset
The Peace Corps, Guatemala and a Search for Truth
by
Book Cover & Preview Text
My departure is less than two weeks away, and I’m ready to begin the journey. There will be two days of “staging” in DC, and then I’m off to Guatemala for twenty-seven months. Right now I’m trying to get my mental house in order. From my previous journeys, I’ve learned that this is perhaps the most crucial component of successfully living and traveling abroad. Without some semblance of inner peace, I’ll never turn a foreign land into my home. At this point, I think the adventure will be much more intellectual and spiritual than physical. To clarify: I have no doubt that the work will be physically challenging. I only mean to say that the greatest challenges and more significant personal growth will come from within.
Mentally and physically, I’m as ready as I’ll ever be, although deciding what to take with me is tough. The Peace Corps packing list sheds no light on an already opaque situation. Choosing which books to bring feels like I’m deciding which children are allowed to enter my ark before the flood, but decisions must be made. Hemingway, Dostoyevsky, Steinbeck, and Bret Easton Ellis have all made the cut. Fortunately, my dad has helped me put tons of music on my new iPod. Most surprisingly, I discovered my favorite pair of words only yesterday: solar adaptor. I guess even electricity is a luxury in Guatemala. God, how poor are these people?
Formats
Book Details
Recognition Programs
About the Book
Shortly after graduating college, Taylor Dibbert began his career as a Peace Corps volunteer. Dibbert spent two years in Guatemala’s Western Highlands, living and working in the indigenous village of Nebaj – a place still emerging from the shadows of a bloody civil war and steeped in history.
Fiesta of Sunset speaks frankly about Dibbert’s Peace Corps experience – from witnessing armed robbery and struggling with gastrointestinal disease to deep personal reflection and considered social commentary. This is a story that embraces adventure, candor and humility.
Some of the mysterious and romantic stereotypes of the Peace Corps are set to rest in this engaging memoir. The book also provides a closer look into a war-torn nation still struggling with poverty, corruption and inequality.
Ultimately, the Peace Corps is about empowerment – helping the world’s poor help themselves and trying to alleviate global poverty. But there's something more that JFK left out of his groundbreaking Peace Corps speech. Personal growth lies at the heart of the volunteer experience. This uniquely compelling book reminds us that the organization’s mission is more relevant than ever.
About the Author
Taylor Dibbert has worked for nongovernmental organizations in several continents. Over the years, his writing and journalism have appeared in a wide range of outlets, including The Wall Street Journal, Forbes, Foreign Affairs, Foreign Policy, World Politics Review and HuffPost.