Quitting a job after 4 months

Hi everyone,

I am a 23 year old woman looking for some advice about a career decision.

I recently started a job that I genuinely enjoy and that aligns with the field I want to pursue long term in public health. This came after being unemployed for about six months, so I feel very lucky to even have this position. My coworkers and boss are kind, the work feels meaningful, and this role would give me very relevant experience in the field I want to build my career in.

However, I recently found out that I have the opportunity to move abroad for a couple of years through the Peace Corps. I applied over a year ago and had somewhat moved on from it because the application and medical requirements were so intense. In the back of my mind, I assumed that if it worked out, I would deal with it then. My departure date would be in March.

I am very excited about the Peace Corps opportunity and have always wanted to live abroad, learn a foreign language, and experience another culture. At the same time, I feel a lot of guilt about the idea of leaving my current job after only about four months. My boss has mentioned that they plan to provide around three months of training for this role, and I worry that staying through that training and then leaving shortly after could burn a bridge or reflect poorly on me professionally.

From a career perspective, I feel very torn. This job is directly related to public health, whereas the Peace Corps role would involve teaching and economic development. I worry that doing the Peace Corps might put me behind, since I would be around 26 when I return and many of my peers will already have their masters and more directly relevant work experience. Public health jobs are also extremely competitive right now, and it was hard enough to land this position.

At the same time, I worry that if I do not take this opportunity, I will regret not living abroad while I am young.

Has anyone been in a similar situation or have advice on how to think this through?

Thank you so much.