Summer News!

So I have some very exciting news about this summer. From May until the end of August I will be a cabin counselor at Camp Augusta in North Western California. It is absolutely beautiful and I couldn’t be more thrilled about it. So for the summer I will be living in an open air cabin, spending 9 hours a day outside, swimming in Lake Vera, fire spinning, and enjoying great people!

On a random note the application process was very difficult, and included 9,000 words of written application and 4 1/2 hours of phone chat. But I am so thrilled about this opportunity.

I try to keep this blog mostly newsy, but I do want to include this quick discussion:

Life is every bit about the opportunities that we make, not the ones that we are given. Everyone keeps telling me how lucky I am to be given these opportunities. Between New York with Seth last summer, California this summer and then Peace Corps. But here’s the thing: I work long and hard and persistently for every opportunity, no one walked up and offered them to me. I went out, actively found them and then worked to get there.

And the working part? Anyone can work. The trick to achieving something is attempting it. Putting yourself out there for the one and a million shot, and not just putting yourself out there, but jumping head first into the idea. Pushing and working as hard as you can to get yourself where you want to be.

Now there’s the end of my little monologue.

As 2009 and New Year’s resolutions roll around, I would like to dare you all to make one resolution: attempt something you think you will fail, and attempt it will all your guns outs, blast through as hard as you can.

As for Peace Corps, I am still waiting to hear back. This is in no way unusual, everyone has to wait this long. I have dental clearance and am now just waiting on medical clearance, followed by (fingers crossed) my invitation!

Quick Update

Patience is something you admire in the driver behind you, but not in one ahead.

Or in medical records workers…

So just a quick update for you all, I have turned my medical paperwork in, and hopefully will be cleared in a few weeks to a month. Fingers crossed that I have done everything right!

Life is crazy! I’m preparing for the end of the semester which is not long after Thanksgiving break. Hope everyone is well!

Nomination Finalized and Medical Work Begun

Nothing great was ever achieved without enthusiasm.

I spoke with Emily last Monday and I have been nominated (seriously this time) to serve as an Agricultural Extension Agent in French Speaking Western Africa. They had to make an exception for me because I don’t know any French. But I am learning it now! This program is set to depart in September 2009.

As promised, I cross referenced French Africa with the areas in Africa that PC goes and here’s a short list of possibilities:

• Mauritania
• Senegal
• Mali
• Niger
• Madagascar (lemurs!)
• Guinea
• Burkina Faso
• Benin
• The Gambia

Please keep in mind that the PC is known for being changeable; nothing is for sure until I get a plane ticket basically. I may very well end up somewhere else.

I had a lot of blood draw for all sorts of tests, plus a tetanus booster, a polio vaccine and a TB skin test… And as many of you know I have a huge needle phobia, so it was not my day. But it’s all going to be worth it. In case anyone was wondering if I am really going through with it, this is your sign. When they get needles into me, you know I’m not messing around.

Another feelings update:

I’m thrilled! It’s all becoming much much more real to me, and every time I tell someone else it becomes just a little more real. I’m so very scared, as I have never been to Africa before, and I worry about the political unrest, etc. But after reading many blogs of PCVs in these countries, I feel much better. None of them seem to feel unsafe at all, and none have reported crime beyond petty theft (which happens everywhere).

The thought of truly leaving everything behind is becoming more real too. I am already a little sad to think about how much I am going to miss everyone and how different my life will be. I am scared about the food, and missing my mom too much. I am scared about being alone and finding enormous and not so nice looking bugs.

But more than ever, I feel that this is what I need to do. I know that I would seriously regret backing out of this opportunity. It’s scary/crazy, but that’s one of the reasons I need to go through with it. I have a chance to make a difference to a whole community, and to help a group of people increase their standard of living. How do I say no to that? Just because I’m scared of being alone and eating things I don’t like? Just because I’m scared to be in danger and discomfort?

Not only do I get to help them, I know how much I’ll grow as an individual. I’ll come back flexible (tri-lingual, so cool!) and with more confidence in being able to navigate my world than ever before.

At the same time I am trying to remain flexible to the possibility I will end up in a totally different program.

Thank you all for your support. It’s been amazing to have so many people excited for me and talking to me about it.

MAYBE a Change in Nomination

“The big question is whether you are going to be able to say a hearty YES to your adventure.”

I just got off the phone with my recruiter and there may be a change in my nomination.

When I first applied I mentioned that I have worked in my family’s vegetable garden throughout my life. I also have participated in taking care of farm animals (i.e. my horse) and worked in an agricultural chicken house.

So today Emily (my recruiter) called me and said they want to nominate me to work in Agriculture. At first I balked, because I’ve really gotten myself excited about teaching English and I felt like my experience was sort of in passing. I mean, I’m an English major with some o-chem experience. But she explained that a lot of the work is teaching people how to more efficiently use their resources, to do their farming in a more environmentally friendly way. There are not many people who are qualified for this position, and I’m one of the few.

After really considering it, I think I could get excited about this. No, it’s not exactly what I want to be doing, but in some ways, helping people to have a more efficient business plan, increase their quality of life and be more environmentally friendly could be more rewarding and more impactful.

Basically the world has a need of my skills, both in agriculture and in my experience organizing and leading people. Few people have these two together and they need me.

The last shocker was that it is may be in French speaking Africa, which normally has a four semester French requirement. I don’t know French. At all. However I have a talent for languages, and they are talking about giving me an exception as long as I learn French independently (Rosetta Stone!) before I go. I love the challenge of being asked to learn a new language so quickly, and then immediately learn the local language when I get there. I may very well come back trilingual.

So it’s all been a shock, but I’m just going to go with the flow, and assume that at the end of the day I’ll end up doing what I’m supposed to do, even if it’s not what I think I should be doing.

On the other hand, I will be able to implement my own set of projects that can be completely unrelated to agriculture. (I am thinking about starting a creative writing class for students or perhaps a library.)

So I’m going to go with it. I’ve asked Emily to let me know how likely it is, since the couple months between nomination and invitation could be very important for me to learn French, and I will keep you guys up to date.

Also, I may be able to buy a horse…

Here are the countries that speak French in Africa. Keep in mind that I am only going a Sub-Saharan African country. Also, many of these are unstable and the Peace Corps does not go to all the highlighted coutnries here.

Nomination!!

“Remember what Bilbo used to say: ‘It’s a dangerous business, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.’ “

I just returned from my interview, which went very well. They asked a lot of personal questions and questions that pertain to my reaction in strange environments.

So now I am officially nominated to teach English in Asia or Africa! Of course this nomination may be exactly what I do, or I may end up teaching science in Latin America or developing communities in the Pacific Islands. Nothing is for sure yet.

I will probably be leaving between June and September of next year, though again, nothing is for sure.

My next step is to fill out a tremendous amount of medical and dental paperwork, and then hopefully get my invite!

Thank you all for sticking with me through this so far. I promise it will get more interesting soon!

Oh, and a special thanks to Chris for so many awesome quotes! Keep them coming!

Details and Feelings

“Man cannot discover new oceans unless he has the courage to leave the shore.”

Hello again! So I left off last time with a promise to share how I’m feeling about this journey, which is something so many of you have inquired about. But first I’ll fill everyone in on a couple of basic details I forgot the first time around:

• The Peace Corps is a 27 month program. The first three months will be in training (which will be in the country that I will serve in). This training will consist of language and culture lessons, first aid, basic survival skills and job training. During this time I will be living with a host family and will have a lot of contact with other Peace Corps Trainees (PCT)
• After that I will receive a site assignment which will be the area where I will work for 24 months after I have been sworn in as a Peace Corps Volunteer (PVC)
• I will have vacation days, 48 in total which I can take in any increments that I choose (I’ll probably be coming home at least once, if not twice). Many of the country coordinators do not count travel within the country against this vacation time, which means I would get to experience more.
• The Peace Corps pays for everything, including vaccinations, airfare, food, shelter etc. Upon coming home I will also be given around $6000 compensation.
• While at my site I will be living alone and will probably be the only PCV in town. However many volunteers spend weekends together and travel around the country together, so I will not be too far from English speaking friends.

So I think that covers it for now. If you have any burning questions, post them as a comment or shoot me an emails.

So now for the mushy stuff…

The first feeling that hits me is a thrill of anticipation, laced with a tiny hint of adrenaline. This will probably calm down as I get more used to the idea. I am so excited for such a new experience.

The next thing that hits is anticiption, in a nervous “I want it to be here but I never want it to come” sort of way. I have read a lot of blogs and I know about the loneliness, the exhaustion, the discomfort of living in such a poor country  and being so alone. One PCV wrote, “It totally strips away so many things that define you, your friends, your family, your commnity, your language, and at the end of it all, the core essence of you is all that is left.”

I am looking forward to this, even though I know it will be one of the most difficult times of my life. I am looking forward to the challenge, of finding the edges of myself.

It is also not quite real yet. I know hypothetically how hard it will be. I know how much my diet will change (and anyone who knows me knows that I’m pretty picky so this will be a huge challenge for me.) I know I will sleep uncomfortably and probably get some exotic disease. But knowing these things and actually experiencing them will be a far different thing. So we’ll see how it goes.

My mid term exams are over, they’ve all gone pretty well. I have an number of essays due next week and after that I will be done for a little while.

Also, for anyone who is keeping track of the little things, my interview has been moved from Monday until Tuesday.

The Beginning

“The best day of your life is the one on which you decide your life is your own. No apologies or excuses. No one to lean on, rely on, or blame. The gift is yours – it is an amazing journey – and you alone are responsible for the quality of it. This is the day your life really begins.”

So as many of you may know, I have recently made the decision to join the Peace Corps (PC) after I graduate this May. During my time researching this possibility, the best resource for me has been the blogs of future and current Peace Corps Volunteers (PCV). As a way of giving back to this tremendous help I am going to add my voice to the chorus and share my experience with everyone.

These first few months will be fairly sparse with posts, as the process (which I will outline in a second for you) goes fairly slowly. But keep checking back as I will be posting my progress and news on here.

So I guess the first question you’re all asking is: Why?

Why in the world am I, a technology dependent, high fructose corn syrup addicted, new-shoe loving girl going halfway around the world to live somewhere that may or may not have running water and electricity? Well there’s a myriad of reasons of course, some better than others.

1. Service: One of the best habits I gained in college was that of doing volunteer work. This activity has truly become a great joy of my life, and the PC is a way for me to give back on a global level.

2. Submersion in a new culture: throughout my life although I have been lucky enough to travel, I have never lived and fully experienced another culture. While I am abroad I will be totally out of my skin, learning a brand new language and seeing how I function in a life so different from my own.

3. Self Growth: Yeah, this one is kinda cliche, but as one volunteer said, while you’re in the PC it takes away everything but you: your family, your friends, your language, your native food, your native clothes. At the end of the day I want to see myself challenged by all of these obstacles and come out of it having done something great with my time by serving other people.

Oh look, they all start with S. That’s cute, and if I were wittier I’d name them something to that effect.

So the next questions is: Where am I going?

In short: I don’t know yet. Keep reading.

What have you done and what is there left to do:

So far I have submitted my official application and requested my three recommendations. After that I was accepted for an interview, which I have scheduled Monday (the 13th). In this interview I will be discussing life in the peace corps and more importantly, where I will be going and what I will be doing.

My personal preference is that I go to somewhere in Latin America, Africa, Asia or the Pacific Islands. I will probably be teaching English.

None of this will be set in stone after the interview though. Once I leave there I will have extensive medical and dental record forms to get completed (widely considered the worst part of the application process).

Then I will receive a nomination for a trip, which will consist of a continent and a month that I might leave. Once I am accepted I will receive my official invitation, and hopefully, confirm!

I will have a better idea about the timeline of this process once I go to the interview.

You’re probably all wondering how I am feeling. But that, my friends, is a subject for a whole other post on a whole other day. For now I’m going to keep working on my midterms.

Hope everyone is well! I’m very excited about this and am so grateful to all of your for your support thus far.