To MAK and Back

It has been a year and a half since my last blog post, and so much has happened. Instead of diving into every detail from that time, I want to cover the highlights.

When I last wrote, I had just returned to America for my extension trip. One of the perks of extending a third year is a paid month back in the States. During that time, I was able to spend time with family and friends and attend one of my closest friends’ weddings. The trip was exactly what I needed. It gave me a chance to recharge and reflect on how I wanted to make the most of my final year.

When I returned to Macedonia, I was ready to hit the ground running. One of the main reasons I had chosen to extend with the Local Community Development Foundation was their work on a USAID grant called Make a Difference, which focused on youth and business development across the eastern region of the country. During my time on the project, it was rewarding to see firsthand the impact it was having on the community. Unfortunately, not long after I returned, the USAID funding was withdrawn and eventually cut altogether. It was an emotional period—colleagues were laid off, ongoing projects were disrupted, and communities felt the impact almost immediately. There was even a stretch where it seemed as though the Peace Corps itself might pull volunteers from the country entirely. Thankfully, Peace Corps programs were ultimately spared, but it was a difficult and uncertain time for everyone involved.

During that period, we shifted our focus toward securing new funding. I had the opportunity to support an EUKI-funded (European Climate Initiative) program tackling textile waste across the Balkans—something I hadn’t expected to find myself working on but ended up being one of the most rewarding parts of my final year. Working alongside local NGO partners in North Macedonia and Kosovo, the project focused on finding creative ways to reduce textile waste, from upcycling materials into new products to expanding community secondhand markets and textile collection points. The project is expected to divert five hundred tons of textile waste from landfills, and with 28 months of funding and strong momentum behind it, there’s real potential for it to grow even further. It was a great reminder that international development work rarely goes in the direction you plan, but sometimes the unexpected paths lead to the most meaningful work.

Alongside this work, I spent a significant portion of my time running MladiHub, the youth center in Štip. Together with my colleagues, we developed clubs for local youth–including an English club and, much to everyone’s delight, a Dungeons and Dragons club. I also had the privilege of leading workshops and training sessions for incoming Peace Corps trainees during their last practicum, which was a meaningful full-circle moment.

My final year turned out to be everything I had hoped for and more. After two years in a small village, I was eager to experience life in a more urban setting, and Štip delivered. I made many wonderful friends–especially the regulars at Fool and Horses, my favorite pub in the city. During my last weekend in Macedonia, I threw a going-away party and invited friends from all over the country. My friend’s band, The Hats, played rock music throughout the night, and I wrapped up the evening by giving a speech in Macedonian. It was the perfect send-off. In the days before my departure, I was also able to spend time with my host family in Obleshevo, friends in Kochani and Štip, and fellow volunteers.

If there is one word to capture how I felt during that final month, it would be bittersweet. It was difficult knowing my service was ending and that I wouldn’t know when I’d next see the friends I had made. Macedonia truly became a second home to me. The people welcomed me into their culture and their homes, and I built friendships that will last a lifetime. And in that sense, I couldn’t have been happier for everything I experienced. As I said in my final speech:

Ногу луѓе прашаа, “Ќе се враќаш ли у Македонија?” Сто посто, бидеќи Македонија е повеќе од само место каде шо сум живеел–тоа е место дека шо сум растел, учел, и сакал.

This translates to:

Many people asked, “Will you return to Macedonia?” One hundred percent, because Macedonia is more than a place that I have lived–it is a place where I have grown, learned, and loved.

On February 10, 2026, I had my Close of Service ceremony at the Peace Corps office in Skopje. I wrapped up my administrative duties, closed my accounts, signed the wall alongside the names of volunteers who came before me, gave one last speech, and rang the bell. With the ringing of the bell, my Peace Corps service was officially complete. In the end, I served three years and four months–and along the way, I strengthened a community, learned a new language, traveled across the world, discovered a great deal about myself, gained new perspectives, taught English, navigated some very challenging times, created an Instagram for stray cats, built many great friendships, and found a home in a place I never knew existed.

Since finishing my service, I have been back in America spending time with family and friends. I will be staying in Alabama and working for Scouting America in Huntsville, where I look forward to applying everything I learned as a Peace Corps volunteer to another organization that has shaped me into who I am today.

This will be my final post, and for anyone reading who is curious about joining the Peace Corps–or specifically serving in Macedonia–please don’t hesitate to reach out! This has truly been one of the greatest journeys of my life, and I am grateful to everyone who has followed along the way. Thank you.

Мир Надвор (Peace Out).