A 67-year-old Peace Corps Volunteer in Armenia: You’re Too Old for That

_{“You’re Too Old For That” is a regular series that explores inspiring activities being pursued by those over 50 years old who feel you’re never too old to do what lights you up.}

Jim Damico has never been the sort of person to tie his life to a job. After getting an engineering degree only to discover he hated engineering, Jim dabbled in a few different careers, eventually landing on physical therapy. He liked the idea of helping people in some shape or form. But at some point, he found himself getting “a little old for that job,” as he said. He also got the travel itch and spent time volunteering in France and then Mongolia.

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In 2012, Jim was looking for his next step. He was familiar with the Peace Corps and decided – at 54 years old — to put in an application.

Most people think of the Peace Corps as something you do in your 20s – maybe just before or just after college.  To his delight, Jim got approved and found himself jetting off to Thailand. And for the past 13 years, he’s been a Peace Corps volunteer all over the world, serving in Mongolia, Nepal, and now, at age 67, in Armenia.

“I hadn’t really planned on doing four services, but it just sort of happened,” Damico said.

A fantastic program all around

Damico has spent much of his time in the Peace Corps teaching English to local children. He’s a fan of the program because it not only allows you to see the world and help people, but also, because all of your needs are met during your service.

“They really take good care of you,” Damico said. The Peace Corps covers your living costs and you get great medical benefits, as well as a stipend.

“They try to pay you local wages so you’re integrating into the community,” Damico explained.

Plus, when you exit the Peace Corps, you get a readjustment bonus so you’re able to start fresh at your new home base – whatever it happens to be. At a time when Damico wasn’t tied to a specific career, the Peace Corps became his career. And he was in a unique position to do that because he wasn’t tied down.

“Most of the other older program volunteers had a family, a house,” Jim explained. He wasn’t attached to anyone, though. He’d been traveling a lot and wanted to keep doing it, so the Peace Corps read like the perfect fit.

“I never really thought about settling down, so I guess I am a little different from some of the other older volunteers,” Damico said.

A memorable experience

Damico’s experience teaching English abroad as a Peace Corps volunteer was eye opening.

“When you come into it, even though you’re older, it’s still a different ballgame working in a developing country,” he said. “Students are students…but the skills the teachers have and how they interact with students is different from culture to culture.”

Thankfully, he wasn’t thrown into the classroom cold. He went through plenty of training before interacting with students directly. Seeing students gain confidence and get excited about learning was one of the best parts of the experience, he said.

“Knowing that there’s that potential in each of the kids…they could become doctors, engineers” made it all worth it, he said.

Adjusting to life in a foreign country isn’t easy at any age. For Damico, one challenge that arose was that it became difficult to stay in touch with family back in the U.S. – particularly his aging mother.  There’s also the challenge of having to start over every time you’re stationed in a new country. But Jim was able to take that in stride.

“A lot of people who join the Peace Corps are adventurous at heart,” he said, and are prepared to pivot as needed to learn a new language and culture.

Looking ahead to what’s next

While Damico may not be ready to leave the Peace Corps on a permanent basis, he’s planning to take some time off after his current stint in Armenia and work in Nepal for a while.

“I love teaching the kids, but they wear me out,” he joked.

But Damico isn’t writing off the idea of teaching for good. He said he may look to teach in Central America in the coming years.

“My health is still good. I just figure I’ll keep doing whatever I can do till I can’t do it anymore,” he said.

Eventually, Jim will have to choose a place to settle down. But he won’t be retiring in the U.S. He says he can’t afford to, and he prefers living abroad anyway.

An experience you can try at any age

Damico had no qualms about applying for the Peace Corps in his mid-50s. And he says that anyone in a similar situation should look into it if they like the idea of being able to travel, get immersed in a new culture, and make a difference in a community.

“You don’t have to worry about medical, you’ve got the training, you’re staying with a host family to help with communication…it’s pretty easy,” he said.

Furthermore, if you wait until retirement to join the Peace Corps, you can, as Damico said, “be the person you always wanted to be without the constraints of a career.”

Of course, one thing to note is that you’ll need medical clearance to be a Peace Corps volunteer. But if your health is strong, you don’t need to let the fact that you’re older hold you back.

“If you think there’s a little bit of adventure still left in your life, you can do more than you think,” said Jim.

Are you doing something inspiring? Do you know someone who is pursuing a passion in their older years? If you or someone you know is 50 years old or older and should have their inspiring story told, please email the editors at Nifty 50+

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