Tuesday, October 23, 2012

The plan is to have no plan

It has been a couple of weeks, a very long couple of weeks. Two weeks left in the election. I declined my Peace Corps invitation. I have applied and even interviewed for jobs post the election but decided the new plan is to have no plan.

No plan. No nothing. Just space and time, to breathe, to feel, to relax, to laugh, to love.

Everything happens for a reason I know, and maybe I don't need to figure out the reasons all the time.

Tuesday, October 9, 2012

Everything happens for a reason.

I've been absent these past few days-- with good reason. Within 24 hours of accepting my Peace Corps invitation I received news that a close family member had been diagnosed with cancer. Without divulging too many of the details, we were all devastated. Traveling to other side of the world no longer sounded appealing, I want to be home, with my family. A no brainer. My family will always come first. So it is with sadness in my heart I declined my invitation to serve in the Peace Corps-- however no regret or reservation. I am still eligible to apply again, but I'll have to go through the same painstaking process.

For those of you who know me, I am a firm believer that EVERYTHING happens for a reason. Life has thrown a curve, my family with adjust, I will adjust. I was at an event last week, the day I got the invitation, a woman told me this excessive story about her friend writing a letter to Mother Theresa and how Mother Theresa wrote back saying that everyone should find their own Calcutta. So maybe my Africa is here? Does that make sense?

While my heart aches for a dream that didn't quite come true, and for the sake of my family, I am confident in my decision-- something big is meant for me here, and I will work endlessly until I find it.

Thursday, October 4, 2012

South Africa it is!

I thought I should carve a little time out of my evening to give a recap of the chaos that was yesterday before all my memories of it escape into the recesses of my mind.

Yesterday I had two early meetings, mid-way through the second meeting I got a call from the Peace Corps (I may or may not have saved the number into my phone). I stepped out of the meeting quickly-- it was a placement officer (PO) wanting to do my "final placement" interview. I told her I would call her back.

Fast-forward an unproductive hour because I couldn't focus my mind on anything but PC-- I almost literally ran to my car and called the PO back. Not a smart idea. I was flustered, my mind was all over the place. I assumed it was going to be simple questions-- boy was I wrong. First question: "Why do you want to join the PC?" I stumbled my way through an awkward 10 minute call. At the end the woman told me I would be departing at the end of January working on HIV/AIDS with kids and that I would be receiving my invitation by email by the end of the week. I knew from my excessive internet searching that the only PC departure to Africa in January was to South Africa, I was right. 

I went back to the office flustered and part freaking out. For those of you who know me, I thought the last country I wanted to be in was South Africa. All of a sudden knowing the invite was in the mail made this whole process real, and made me slightly panic. I relied on my dear friends to talk me through the questioning and start to realize the possibilities and what a great opportunity I have been given.

Assuming I wouldn't be receiving my invite for another day I offered to tag along on a 2 hour trip north for a campaign event. On the ride up we stopped at a rest stop to grab coffee and pee. After washing my hands in the classy rest stop bathroom I looked at my phone to see that I had received an email from the PC with the word "invite" in the subject line. I just received my invitation in a rest stop bathroom-- just as glamorous as I had imagined. I sat at a table near the Starbucks waiting for my phone to load. South Africa it is!! The invitation came with 20 + pages of attachments, a welcome book, a super in depth description of my invitation, and security and rules. I scanned through as much as I could in the car but was occupied by work.


Hannah and I had this silly tradition that after we got news of my PC or her Fullbright we would drink a bottle of Strawberry Andre. I had to continue the tradition even though she is already long gone to her Fullbright in Bulgaria. By the time I was heading home from work it was almost 10:30, I stopped at a Hannaford, the only store open and got as close to a bottle of Strawberry Andre as I could. My mind was, and still is in overload. As I read and learn more I promise more updates. In the meantime, I have accepted my invitation and from what I have processed so far, I am over the moon with excitement!!

Wednesday, October 3, 2012

It's official: South Africa

Well that was quick, I have received my official invitation!! I will be working in South Africa in the Community HIV/AIDS Outreach program as an HIV Outreach Worker departing January 23, 2013!


Invitation by the end of the week

Bahhhh. Had my placement interview this morning. Got the call as I was in a campaign meeting. Called the woman back as soon as I got out for a 10 minute interview. It was awkward, I got off the phone feeling very ambivalent. The conversation did not flow and I felt flustered and we just didn't click.

However, she did tell me I will be working with children who have been affected by HIV/AIDS from what I could understand from the brief description I got. She told me I will be leaving at the end of January and that I should be receiving my invitation via email by the end of the week. I've done some research on departure dates and I'm 99% sure I'll be going to South Africa. Holy macaroni. 

Work is hectic, my mind is all over the place. Reactions to follow.

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

PC Placement Office, you make my heart sing

No monumental news, but baby steps in the right direction. I had a dream last night that I had received an invitation to serve in Senegal-- but then I woke up. Boo. It must have been a premonition that the Peace Corps would be contacting me today!

My pal, Doug, from the Placement and Assessment Office, sent me an email requesting more information before my placement interview (apparently I'm having one of those). He asked me to send him an updated resume & transcript, and to fill out and return a form of questions he sent to me. 

Any new romantic relationship? No. Newly divorced? No. What are your expectations for service? What do you foresee your five biggest challenges being? (My first draft said spiders, list has since been revised). Are your friends & family supporting your decision. That's a big YES (Hannah has offered to everything short of injuring someone to find out my placement). And then the scary questions: Are you prepared to serve in a site with limited or no “amenities” such as electricity, running water or indoor toilet? Are you prepared to serve in a site that is isolated and/or a significant distance from other PCVs? Are you prepared to serve in a site where access to means of communication such as internet or cell phone service is limited or non-existent? I hope.

I'm waiting on my transcript from Wheaton, but I submitted everything else within two hours, obviously.