Whining!!!!!!!

Hrm, so its Friday. I didn't get a ToolKit update today about medical clearance. Which means I now have to wait until Monday...but actually Tuesday...Technically, I supposed I could still get a ToolKit update tomorrow morning if they cleared me today since nothing ever goes through until 4am anyway. But if not tomorrow morning, then I'll have to wait until Tuesday b/c  if they were to clear me Monday, I wouldn't get the update until Tuesday morning when I check my e-mail. Maybe. Maybe. Keep your fingers crossed. I WANT MY CLEARANCE! Waaaah :'( I wanna know....:(

Support

Support is very important in the Peace Corps, it supplies encouragement and strength when you need it, it helps you get over those little bumps in the road, and reminds you that you aren't crazy and that you're doing the right thing. Unfortunately, it really seems like I don't have support. Its not that most people are adamantly and outspokenly against me, but you can definitely tell they think I shouldn't do it.

It is frustrating because I get so excited and try to talk to them about it and am met with answers of several words or a quick topic change. My dad, who I wish was really super excited about it, seems to only care enough to fear for me (which is good of course) and be planning a trip around it. He won't say it, but he gives the vibe that says he thinks its a bad idea and I need to get a job instead. He pretends to be interested, but even as I talk to him, I know he isn't. My mom....its weird because she's excited but indifferent. She see's it as an adventure that she never got to do and tells everyone about it, but doesn't really want to hear about it. Maybe she really is excited but just doesn't want to think about the fact that I'll be away for so long? But I just find that odd b/c she and I aren't that close, plus my being away means she has my cat for 27 months longer than expected.  My youngest sisters ignores it completely, and Caitlin, the middle just sorta does the "I don't like it and I couldn't do it and I don't really get it, but..if you want to, I know you will."

One aunt thinks it suits me perfectly as long as I am safe. Another aunt thinks its honorable but that I shouldn't do it. My sister's fiance, Cory, thinks its exciting as hell and just wants to visit. My grandma just wants me to be safe, understandable. Oh, Cory's dad thought it was the best thing on earth and couldn't stop telling me how amazing I was for doing it--I really needed that. My gpa's wife sorta did the "well, if you want, but maybe think about other options because I just don't know." My nurse practitioner told me to my face that she thought I was crazy. Granted I think she's the greatest, but I don't think this is crazy!

And of course my love. He hates it. He doesn't want me to leave. He thinks it is stupid, weird, crazy, odd, awful, etc etc etc. He says if I leave we are over the day after I leave. I say I will work as hard as possible to maintain our relationship, but he doesn't want to. I don't blame him for being upset, because I sprung him on this very suddenly and after 5 years of dating and about a year and a half of plans to move in together. But more than anything, I want his acceptance of this. Although I'd love him to be excited with me and make plans to visit me, I at least want his acceptance in that he is okay with my being gone to do this and will try with me to make this work. I want to be with him more than anything in the world, and I know our lives are for each other and we are supposed to be together (as crazy different as we are :) we work so much).....but he says Peace Corps = Over, ...I will try even if he doesn't...I will email, snail mail, send packages, call, videos, pictures......I'll be back in june. I just want us to work.

Lame

Nope, no ToolKit update. Saddness. Maybe tonight.

On the flip side, I did have another Peace Corps invitation dream. Let's see, how did it happen. I was actually located at my old house in this dream....I forget the people in it. I got a phone call saying that my invitation was on the way and it was not for Latin America. I asked if they could tell me what region it was for. They could, it was for the Pacific! Wow, that's quite a change, but I figured it was still in the same placement office, so technically, not that big of one at the same time. Next thing I knew I was pulling the package out of the mail box and ripped it open. "You have been invited to served with the Peace Corps in Kiribati." At first, I was really excited, then later realized I didn't want to accept it because it was too dramatically different than what I was supposed to have been doing and working towards while waiting, and I was actually worried about having to island hop to get places. I never declined it, but I talked to some friends and family...I think Cory was there, that's the only person I can remember....about if I should decline it or not and see if I got offered something else.

Personally, I don't think I'd decline any invitation without an insanely good reason...like...surgery....or they wanted me to do business which I'd be awful at. But what makes the dream really interesting is that not only have I not been thinking about the Pacific region lately, but I wouldn't have been able to name Kiribati if i tried. I could've told you the Pacific region consisted of: Fiji, Vanatu, Samoa, Micronesia, and Tonga. But I never for my life would've been able to remember Kiribati, its the one that always has escaped my mind, yet in my dream, I remembered it and that's where I was invited to. Kiribati.

Maybe Tomorrow

Its been 6 days since they officially received my medical kit--they said they they received it. Despite the fact that...3 of those days were the holiday weekend...maybe I'll be surprised and wake up to a ToolKit update stating a medical clearance! ....Or maybe the next day...or the next...or the next....I want medical clearance!

Holiday Weekend

Not much going on this holiday weekend. Part of our family has been visiting their family in Baltimore, and it has been raining since late last night so the usually swimming at grandpa's was canceled. But the rest of us still got together at his house for some bbq: ribs, pulled pork, baked beans, potato salad, corn, strawberry pie, chocolate pie....Not too shabby. Unfortunately, my aunt had bought 3 boxes of puzzles. Each box has 3 puzzles in it, each puzzle has 9 square pieces. Made for ages 6+. We worked for 3 hours on these 9 puzzles....and only ONE was complete. We had to take a picture because we couldn't believe it. Like this, but different brand.

Anyway, it basically really sucks to have a long holiday weekend during your medical clearance wait. Because you know its not just 2 days they aren't looking at it, but its at least 3 days. Even more if someone gets sick or goes out of town an extra day! I want medical clearance!

Spontaneity

Every now and then I'll think, I wish I hadn't "researched" possible countries so much, now it leaves no surprise! Othertimes I'll think, I'm just certain I'm going to Belize, now there is no exciting surprise! Or I don't want to get my invite and just think "yep that's what I thought" I want to squeal in excitement! But I JUST realized something. A good point really.

Even though I am sort of expecting Belize, Cali did too and was invited to Guatemala, Richie did and was invited to Dominican Republic, and another girl expected Africa and was invited to Belize!  Furthermore, I tell people everyday that it could be anything because my medical restriction could move me to any Latin American or IAP country or Europe even!  So, while I expect Belize in technicalities...I could get bumped a month sooner to Honduras in July, a month later to Peru in September....or even Bulgaria, Dominican Republic, or Macedonia!

So while I may sorta expect Belize, no matter what I get...Belize or any other country, it really will truly be a surprise! I just realized that!!

Country/Month '08 Invites

A girl on Facebook's "Future Peace Corps Volunteers", Bailey, had the (brilliant) idea to compile all the upcoming departures by country and date. Not like the unofficial departure dates, but this only lists what we know is leaving THIS year, and when.  Some of the June ones are to close to get invites to anymore, but I imagine a couple technically could. Helps give me, and others, and idea of where you could be heading, even if your region or country gets moved! Love it! I'll be updating if I need to! Mike just added this to the Peace Corps Wiki--great!

June 2nd = Lesotho
June 2nd = Samoa
June 3rd = Togo
June 4th = Cameroon
June 4th = Peru
June 7th = Ghana
June 8th = Ecuador
June 8th = Burkina Faso
June 8th = Madagascar
June 8th = Moldova
June 8th = Tanzania
June 11th = Lesotho
June 15th = Georgia
June 16th = Ecuador
June 18th = Mauritania
June 23rd = Swaziland
June 28th = Jordan
June 30th = The Gambia
June = Armenia


July 1st = Benin
July 1st = China
July 3rd = Jamaica
July 3rd = Kyrgyz Republic
July 6th = Mali
July 7th = Honduras
July 7th = Niger
July 14th = Cape Verde
July 17th = South Africa~
July 19th = Bulgaria~
July 23rd = Zambia
July = Cambodia
July = Guinea

August 3rd = Panama*
August 3rd = Kiribati --indefinitely suspended
August 4th = Uganda
August 11th = Guatemala*
August 13th = Philippines~
August 18th = Kazakhstan
August 18th = Belize*
August 18th = Dominican Republic~
August 25th = Eastern Caribbean~

September 1st = Nicaragua*
September 5th = Morocco
September 8th = Senegal
September 10th = Peru*
September 14th = Tanzania
September 16th = El Salvador*
September 19th = Macedonia~
September 20th = Ghana
September 20th = Cameroon
September 21st = Azerbaijan
September 26th = Malawi
September 29th = Mozambique
September = Turkmenistan
September = Ukraine~
September = Togo

October 12th = Burkina Faso

November 3rd = Kenya

January = Rwanda

* biggest possibility for me
~ could be a possibility
>>>With the 6-wk rule and today's date being July 24th the remaining possibilities are: Panama, Guatemala, Philippines, Belize, Dominican Republic, Eastern Caribbean, Nicaragua, Peru, El Salvador, Macedonia, Ukraine</span>
(most likely in bold)

ToolKit Progress

So yesterday, Friday May 23rd, I received another ToolKit update! Woohoo! It said

Peace Corps received the results of your physical exam on May 22, 2008. In some cases, Peace Corps may requests additional medical information. Please respond quickly to these requests.

In all reality, they had probably received this about a week ago! But in PC Med style, nothing was ever entered into the computer or done until later. So hopefully, keep your fingers crossed everyone, that my medical kit is fine, I did everything I was supposed to, and don't have to get any more information! I also hope that I get medical clearance very soon! *keeps my fingers crossed* ....and that my epilepsy restriction won't mess my nomination and timeline up! ....and that I find everything out soon! .....and everything else!

Youth Dev.

Wow, just after all that thinking about Spanish and Youth and trying to come up with a country, someone who is a trainee in Guatemala left a message on peacecorps2 about being a Youth Development trainee in Guatemala, and that there are about 15 other Youth Dev trainees with him. That's exciting because it opens up Guatemala in addition to Belize--I previously didn't think Guatemala did Youth, but it might be new? All I know now is that Guatemala and Belize both do Youth Development! So YIKES! Who knows where I'll end up! I'd be happy with either!

Update: Yes, he e-mailed me and the Youth program in Guatemala only began this year, it sounds like he is the first or 2nd group to be doing it. That would explain why I hadn't heard of it! That'd be exciting to be working in the beginning of a new program, I'm sure harder than an established one, but exciting all the same! 

Spanish

My nomination is for C/S America. I really want to speak Spanish.  There are all of like 3 countries in Latin America that don't speak Spanish. One of my possible countries is one of those non-Spanish speaking countries.

My recruiter, when nominating me, said "You have had Spanish right? Now is it Spanish 2 that you've taken?" "yes, I finished Spanish 2 in college" "How would you say your Spanish skills actually are" "ummm...I can't lie, I'm not the best, but I can hold my own in a conversation and get around, especially if I reviewed a little bit" "Okay, because I'm going to nominate you for Youth Development in mid-August in Latin America....This position is specifically requesting strong Spanish 2 skills."

Thus, that leads me to believe that even that I will be placed in a Spanish speaking country. Right? Or in a Spanish speaking area. She also explicitly stated that it was C/S America, NOT the Caribbean (canceling out Dominican Republic--if you still want to go by the nomination).  The 3 countries in my region that show invitations already are Belize (English), Guatemala (Spanish), and Panama (Spanish).  Out of these 3, Belize is the only one that has a Youth Development program, the only one that has had a Youth Dev invitee, and, of course, is the only English speaking one in the bunch.  

Now up North in Belize, near the Mexico and some of the Guatemala border, Spanish is spoken...but people still seem to be fluent in English, from what I gather.  If this is the case, that could be why the program specifically requested Spanish 2 for this position.  However, we all know it is MUCH harder to learn a language when you have the option of speaking English all the time--that's what concerns me. There are 2 people who I may e-mail to see if they were given any heads up about the language, both Belize invitees, one for Youth, one for Education.

Belize just looks most likely. Of course it is possible that something like Costa Rica or El Salvador could pop up too! Those both have Youth programs and speak Spanish. Granted, who wouldn't LOVE to live and work in Belize for 2 years? But at the same time, is it wrong of me to be really worried about the desire to learn Spanish and that it might not be possible to do so in Belize?

Notable RPCVs

Some people think no one ever does the PC and that it is whacky. Well I think otherwise! I wanted to get a list of people, not everyone, but "big" or accomplished people that I would relate to or my family/friends would relate to.

• Leonard Levitt, reporter for Newsday and author of An African Season (Tanzania 1963-65)
  
• Robert D. Mowry, Dworsky Curator of Chinese Arts at Harvard (Korea 1967-69)
• Mildred Taylor, author of Roll of Thunder, Hear My Cry, winner of Newbery Award (Ethiopia 1965-67)
• Mary-Ann Tirone Smith, author of An American Killing (Cameroon 1965-67)
• Edward Dolby, president, Bank of America, Carolinas (India 1966-68)
• John Earhart, chairman of the board and a founding shareholder of Global Environment Fund Management Corporation (Guatemala 1975-77)
• Samuel Gillespie III, senior vice president, Exxon Mobil Corp. (Kenya 1967-69)
• Jan Guifarro, World Wide Director of Global Consumer Affairs for the Colgate Palmolive Company (Honduras 1973-75)
• Robert Haas, chairman of board for Levi Strauss (Ivory Coast 1964-66)
• Reed Hastings, founder and CEO of Netflix (Swaziland 1983-85)
• Wilber James, CEO of Citizens Power (Kenya 1971-72)
• Michael McCaskey, chairman of the board, Chicago Bears (Ethiopia 1965-67)
• Robert McCormack, executive vice president of Citicorp (Colombia 1968-70)
• Frederic Poses, CEO of American Standard Co. (Peru 1967-1969)
• Gordon Radley, president of Lucasfilms Ltd. (Malawi 1968-70)
• Priscilla Wrubel, founder of the Nature Company (Liberia 1961-63)
• Ron Arias, senior editor for People magazine and author of The Road to Tamazunchale (Peru 1963-64)
• David Briscoe, chief correspondent of World Desk for Associated Press (Philippines 1966-70)
• Dan Carney, reporter for Business Week (Benin 1983-85
• Karen DeWitt, producer, abcnews.com (Ethiopia 1966-68)
• Chris Matthews, host of NBC's Hardball (Swaziland 1968-70)
• Howard Seftel, restaurant critic for the Arizona Republic (Senegal 1972-75)
• Jonathan Weisman, White House correspondent for the Baltimore Sun (Guinea-Bissau and Philippines 1988-90)
• Carol Bellamy, president of World Learning, former Peace Corps Director (Guatemala 1963-1965)
• Arlene Mitchell, chief of school feeding support, United Nations World Food Programme (Niger 1973-76)
• Fred O'Regan, executive director of International Fund for Animal Welfare (Swaziland 1970-71)
• Kevin Quigley, president of National Peace Corps Association (Thailand 1976-79)
• Mark Schneider, senior vice president of International Crisis Group (El Salvador 1966-68)
• Tony Silard, founder of Global Education Partnership (Kenya 1990-92)
• Dane Smith, former president of National Peace Corps Association; former ambassador to Senegal and Guinea (Ethiopia 1963-65)
• Gordon Smith, chairman of Children's Museum About the World (India 1966-69)
• Thomas Tighe, president and CEO, Direct Relief International (Thailand 1986-88)
• Patricia Buckles, USAID/Peru director, Peace Corps (Guatemala 1973-77)
• Donald B. Clark, USAID mission director, Senegal (Burkina Faso 1969-71)
• Christopher Dodd, U.S. Senator, Connecticut (Dominican Republic 1966-68)
• Jim Doyle, Governor of Wisconsin and wife Jessica Doyle (Tunisia 1967-69)
• Sam Farr, U.S. Representative from California (Colombia 1964-66)
• Gordon Gray, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for Near Eastern Affairs (Morocco 1978-1980)
• Mike Honda, U.S. Representative from California (El Salvador 1965-67)
• Matthew Patrick, Massachusetts State Representative (Ghana 1977-79)
• Sarah Parker, associate justice, North Carolina Supreme Court (Turkey 1964-66)
• Terry Peterson, deputy secretary of U.S. Department of Education (Brazil 1967-69)
• Thomas Petri, U.S. Representative from Wisconsin (Somalia 1966-67)
• Tod Satterthwaite, mayor of Urbana, Illinois (Grenada 1990-92)
• Christopher Shays, U.S. Representative from Connecticut (Fiji 1968-70)
• James Walsh, U.S. Representative from New York (Nepal 1970-72)
• Charles Baquet, director of the Center for Intercultural & International Programs, Xavier University of Louisiana (Somalia 1965-67)
• Brady J. Deaton, chancellor or the University of Missouri-Columbia (Thailand 1962-64)
• Thomas Gouttierre, dean of International Studies and Programs and director of the Center for Afghanistan Studies, University of Nebraska-Omaha (Afghanistan 1965-67)
• John E. Greisberger, president of NAFSA: Association of International Educators (Afghanistan 1973-75)
• M. Peter McPherson, president of Michigan State University (Peru 1964-66)
• Christopher R. Hill, assistant secretary of state, East Asian and Pacific Affairs (Cameroon 1974-76)
• David N. Greenlee, ambassador to Bolivia; previously ambassador to Paraguay, (Bolivia 1965-67)
• ...and a lot more ambassadors...

Hrm...didn't mean for the list to get this long....look Justin, Netflix!

See! Dental AND Legal Clearance!

How wonderful! Dental is complete! And I checked the ToolKit later in the day, just for that wonderfulness again, and even tho I knew I'd been legally cleared, the legal was now checked! It hadn't been in the morning, but it was then! What a nice little surprise! Now I wait for Medical Clearance which could take a couple days to a few weeks! Lets cross our fingers for a quick clearance! :)

Dentally Cleared!

After all that frustration and craziness yesterday, I'm dentally cleared! It seems like nothing ever happens in life until you have a good freak out, then it happens immediately! I woke up to an e-mail saying my online ToolKit had been updated. I only expected something about having received the package, but no! I have been Dentally Cleared! How wonderful!

My medical personal screening assistant called about 45 minutes later, returning my call. I made sure she got my faxes, yes. Do I seem to still be on par with leaving in August, yes. Then 2 things I was confused about: she said they had received my dental, but not my medical. I said I had been dentally cleared, but my medical should be there because it was sent together. She thinks it must just be on its way to the office or not been seen yet. I also asked about my Gardasil shot. Now I swear the paper in the medical kit says 2 things. First, it says that PC doesn't supply shots to you if you arrive at your country after March 31st; second, it says PC will supply your last shot to you in country, as long as you had your first shot before March 31st--like me. She told me that no, the PC won't give the shot to you because I am arriving after March 31st, and it doesn't matter that I got my first two, but if I felt strongly about it, I could request to go only to a country that has Gardasil so that I could get my 3rd one. She seemed to imply that only a few countries had it. I said no, that wasn't necessary, I didn't want to restrict myself based on a shot. ...even tho I'm sorta irked...plus I'll already have an epilepsy restriction! I'm going to re-read the sheet they sent out, because I really feel like it said if you STARTED the vaccination round before that date, then they would still give you the remaining ones in country. 

But, this is what's important. I AM DENTALLY CLEARED!

Frustrations

Everyone seems to get ancy and frustrated after they send medical in. To be honest, I didn't really totally see why, though I understood it, and I didn't think I would be. Yeah, well, now I know better. I am VERY ancy and frustrated! 

I sent my Medical Kit off to DC on May 7th, 2 Wednesdays ago. So that was a week and a half ago. I thought for sure by now that I would have heard something with medical--not necessarily clearances, but at least that they had received it.  I know it takes a while to hear anything about clearances, so that doesn't really worry me. But come on, they HAVE to have received it, right!? A week and a half? And really, its got to be out of the mail room by this point, right? So where is my ToolKit update saying they have received it?  Another girl who sent hers in right at the same time had a ToolKit update Friday saying they got it, and SUNDAY a message that she was dentally cleared. WHAT!? SUNDAY!?

It just makes me want to shoot myself in the foot. I just want to know they have it!

I tried calling my screening assistant, but she's out of the office for the next couple days. I left a message on her voice mail, so hopefully she calls me back soon. In the mean time, I called the Medical Office to just speak with a general person. The lady who picked up asked me for my social, then confirmed my name. This made me think she was about to tell me if it was received or not. Again, all I want to know. Next thing I know, she transfers me and the line is ringing. Except it keeps ringing, and I know what she did. She transfered me to another screening assistant. And as is very typical of the PC, the phone rang and rang until voice mail picked up.

The only thing that made the call worth it was the PC Operator who directs calls to the correct office.  Instead of saying "Please Hold"...she said "Peas Ho" ...and it made me giggle inside.

Tidbits of News

Well, I didn't get to call my screening assistant at the medical office on Friday because I got a major head cold that completely put me out of commission for the weekend. So hopefully I can call tomorrow to make sure she got my fax, that my medical kit is there, when will they get to it, am I still in line with an August departure, and double check that they will give me my last Gardasil shot. When I wrote my last post, I thought that the PC said they would not give any Gardasil shots AFTER March 31st of this year, but I went back and read the information again, and it says anyone who recieved their first shot before March 31st will be able to get their last shot in country if necessary, but if you got your first shot after that date, they won't supply it. I'm glad to say that I got my first shot on March 14th, but I still want to make sure!

Next, someone got an invitation to PANAMA! I believe it is for August 2nd and for Community Economic Development. So there is yet anoooooooother option!  However, I'm still leaning towards Belize because it is the country that seems most...youth/learning oriented, while the others seem more business/health oriented. Plus, a girl got a Belize Youth invite. Ah well. We will (hopefully) find out soon enough! The PC keeps throwing loops out at us!

Oh! And before I forget, one girl had a note that her PO called saying her August Latin America program got CANCELED! She got moved to the Eastern Caribbean! So yes, yet another loop for all of us Latin America August nominees who are still waiting. Its funny because I've associated myself with the idea that some people I've talked to I'd definitely be serving with, but it seems like now I probably will only be with 1 or 2 of them! But hey, that's the PC surprise right? Plus, since we are still in the same region, it gives us all a great excuse for travel and a place to stay!

Little Things

So, I need to send the PC office the update with my Gardasil vaccinations since I had my 2nd after I sent my kit in. I don't feel worried about doing this--that it'll hold me back or whatever--since I am still waiting for the ToolKit update that they have received my Medical Packet. Hopefully they already have and its waiting to be read and cleared. Either way, I'll get that and send it to my medical screening assistant in DC today, and by send, I mean fax. After that, Cali had a good idea--call to make sure they received it.  

"Hi Lisa, I just wanted to make sure you received the fax I sent today about my Gardasil vaccine. Also, has your office received my Medical Kit in the mail yet? Do you think I'm still expected and lined up for my nominated August departure?"

See, its all good people. Its allllllllll good. Besides, I feel like Toolkit updates are usually anywhere from 1-4 days behind, so most likely my medical kit is there. But that confirmation is always great! 

Oh, while I'm on the phone with her, I'll also need to ask her if she thinks there is a way for me to get my 3rd Gardasil shot in country since that's when I'll be due for it. I know PC stopped providing it, but if I pay for it, if they will get ahold of the 3rd one for me, or my doctor can send a prescription, or ...somehow send the actual shot with me and I can give it to the nurses to give it to me at the right time. Yes, I have to talk to her about that. Because I don't want these Gardasil shots to be for nothing. You have to have 3, and in a certain time frame. My last one falls into my being in the PC for a month.....if I don't get that 3rd one then, then I have to start the vaccine all over again. Except for one thing, by the time I get back from the PC I'll be too old to get them. *sigh* I mean, it won't be the worst thing if I can't get it, but I'd really like to!

Now...where is my sister...???

Wish List

I wonder, is it bad to create a Peace Corps Wish List before you even have an invitation?

Hrm

Still waiting for a Toolkit update about receiving my packet or any sort of clearance. But with that I keep in mind that there are thousands of files in their hands and even tho I have an upcoming nomination, they still get to me when they can! Also, Toolkit updates can sometimes be behind ... and at 4am. And stuff usually sits in their mail room for a day, so with all that in mind, I still hope to hear soon! :-S

A girl got an invitation today for Youth Development in Belize! So most very probably, unless I get changed, I'll be in Belize! At least that is some sort of little update for today, even tho it doesn't really pertain to me :)

China Earthquake

I woke up and the first thing I saw, before I was even out of bed, was the 7.8 earthquake in China, just north of Chengdu. It breaks my heart and terrifies me. I have been to China twice, and I absolutely love China more than anything.  We recently were in a 5.4 quake and it was terrifying, so I can't imagine how terrifying at 7.8 one would be. And a lot of the buildings aren't built to stand earthquakes, they are old and not build with the best materials.  I saw video of hundreds of students running out of a school building/dorm....and you could see the walls of the buildings not just shaking, but wobbling in and out....like if you shake a saw--in and out in and out. It scared me so bad because it was the exact type of building I lived in in China, nearly identical.

I saw the pictures of people searching for people, running into the streets, injured, crying, cranes searching through debris. All I want is to be there helping these people. China has a huge spot in my heart and it is tearing me up knowing I can't help and can't be there to help.  I'm going to search through some websites to see if I can't find anything about donations or even sending volunteers......I just can't sit and do nothing for my China. :(

If anyone hears of anything like that, leave a comment, please!

Massive 7.8 China Quake, MSNBC

Whine Time

I just wanna knowwwwwwwwwwww!

I just wanna know where I'll be gooooooooing!

Will I be going to Guatemala on August 11th? Belize or Dominican Republic on August 18th?

Will I still be in the Latin American region? Will my region completely change--Europe, Africa, Asia, etc? Will my assignment completely change?

I just wanna know know know! I can wait. I can wait as long as I have to. It'll be some type of torture, that's for sure, but I know I can wait. I'll just be thinking about it the whole time. I see why people say the wait to find out is intense. I just want to know where I will be living and working for the next 2 years of my life!

Waiting Game

Now that my Medical Kit is off to DC, all I have to do is wait. Hopefully it won't be too much waiting since my nomination is August. Either way, I have to wait for my ToolKit to say its been received, that its being reviewed, that dental is cleared, that medical is cleared, about the holds, that I've been invited and the invitation is on its way.

I sent it at 3pm on Wednesday...and really hope it got there Friday, thought maybe not still Monday. Either way, even if it got there Friday, it would sit in the mailroom, probably til Monday. Although, maybe, just maybe, I'll be that lucky person who freakishly gets cleared on the mysterious Saturday and gets a mysterious toolkit update at 4am on Saturday night/Sunday morning!? Okay, I'm really reaching aren't I. I'll be lucky to be cleared by the end of this coming week. I'm just scared I'll have something wrong with it! Though I do need to call my medical screening assistant back and ask if I should send the updated vaccine form of my 2 Gardysil shots, and also ask about how I will get the 3rd one abroad if I leave as planned.

Now that Cali has her invite, I also have a new country option! Now the options are:

Guatemala leaving August 11th

Belize leaving August 18th

Dominican Republic leaving August 18th

Eastern Caribbean leaving August 25th

Guatemala and Belize are most likely, followed by DomRep, and finally E. Caribbean. It all depends on what happens with medical, and how my epilepsy restriction plays out!

Keep your fingers crossed for me. I am stuck in the final stretch of the PC waiting game!

PCV Youtube!

I found the cutest YouTube video, and its of a PCV in Belize! One of the more possible countries I'll be going to! Check it out, it is soooo cute! Haha! She apparently did this in initial downtime, which she had a lot of, while she was in Belize!

Silly Me

I forgot to include my personal statement about counseling (and epilepsy) in my packet I just sent to DC. I called my medical person and left a message about e-mailing or faxing it to her. *sigh* That was dumb.

*backflips*

Today was the day to meet with my old counselor at 11am.  I got in my car and had a voice mail from her--she wasn't finished with my forms and said maybe Monday. I started to panic! I'd waited for a week for today at 11am.....I called Justin and panicked some more....he said I needed to call her back and tell her what was up about the forms. I called and left a message something to the effect of "That's okay, I understand since you have a lot of other work to do. But if it is possible, could you try to get to them sooner rather than later? I'd really appreciate that since I'm on a deadline, but I completely understand you have your work too!"  She called back around 2 saying the forms were finished and I could come pick them up!

*swoon*

I raced downtown and got my forms which we went over briefly, everything looks a-ok to me! I thanked her for everything and rushed to the post office, handed it to the postal worker (even tho it didn't need stamps or money or anything, I want to be positive it got sent off)...and went on my merry way....relieved and happy! Once I got outside the post office, I actually started giggling a bit :) Hehe

I'm glad to say my medical kit is off to DC! Now, keep my fingers crossed I didn't do anything wrong/miss something and that I get cleared quickly!!!!!!!!!!!

P.S. for some reason, when I talk to the counselor, even though she is from '02, my voice gets all nervous and my thoughts all jumbly! I think it is just because she's a counselor!

Phew!

Medical, 98% finished.

Tomorrow I pick up my counseling forms, and drive about 2 blocks over to the main post office and send this baby off!

I just went through all my medical forms to review and organize them. They were splayed all over our big dining room table, and are now in a nice neat inch, inch and a half thick stack. I went in there like "ugh. I have to do this, I want to send them off asap tomorrow *biiiiig sigh* I sat down and started grabbing papers. Whatever paper I grabbed, I completely looked over to do my best to make sure nothing was missing and all was signed. Put the checked ones in a stack. After that I organized them all into a more logical order, hoping that helps them once they look at mine. I didn't do this yet, but I think I'm going to go and write my name and SSN on ALL forms...including things like labs and whatever, just to make sure they have that. Also, I think when I mail it I'll put a big sticky note on it saying "Nomination: Latin America, AUGUST 2008"....keep them clued in about the quickly approaching nomination.

In a few minutes, I'm off to Kinkos to copy this beast of a medical packet :) 

I can't wait until about 11:30am tomorrow when I send this off!!!

Just A Feeling

For all you RPCVs, PCVs, and applicants out there....did you ever have the feeling your invitation was going to be entirely different than your invitation? Like completely out of the region/placement office. And not just the feeling that "oh, well, placement change is likely with everyone, so I'm expecting whatever." More like a humungous, enormous, gigantic feeling that your invitation will be entirely different.

My nomination is for Youth Development in C/S America leaving in Mid-August 2008.

Logically, after looking at invitations, my suspicions point to Belize or Dominican Republic.

However, my gut and instinct and just "feelings" tell me my invitation will be wildly different than what my nomination is. I'm not entirely sure why, but there are 2 reasons I can think of, even though the feeling goes beyond them.  The first reason is that since I have a medical restriction for epilepsy and so few countries take us, I can more easily get bumped all around the world.

The second reason you will think is so silly, but to me it feels so real. Dreams. I have had 3 very specific dreams about getting invitations, and none of them were for even Latin America. One was still in the IAP office, but in no way related to my nomination.

• The first dream was that myself and a couple others from my nomination group got invited to St. Lucia in the Eastern Caribbean. It was great. We drove into the center on a bus after arriving...we got all our gear, introduced ourselves, a lot of PCVs were there to greet us and we paired off with them and they had us meet their host families and people they work with.
• Next I had a dream that my PO called me and asked me if I could leave a month earlier than expected, July instead of August. Absolutely! Where am I going? China, I'll be teaching English.  The next thing I knew, my group and I were on a train (like the one I took to the great wall from beijing last fall) to a smaller town.  We got off the train and meet some people we would be working with and were given Chinese names. (oddly enough, I believe there is a group departing for China in July)
• Last night, was a quick dream. It was sort one of those "flash" dreams, where it happens so quick. But basically, I felt like I was never going to get my invitation, when all the sudden through the mail slot comes the big Peace Corps envelope. I RIPPED it open--not even bothering to open it the proper way, it was in several pieces. I opened it up and read Armenia! The next thing I knew I was searching for things I would be needing to pack and take with me to Armenia.

Its just the fact that I keep having these dreams and they are so real and are all countries the PC goes to, and often are true to form about dates and programs. The only one though that is even in my region is the Eastern Caribbean, and Armenia and China are completely different.

I am completely open about being in a different region doing whatever I end up doing. I can't think of a country/region that I wouldn't want to go to! But this feeling, this feeling that my invitation is going to totally surprise me is just so big and won't go away.

So have any of you felt like this? What was your experience with invitation "expectations," so to speak?

Recent Push

I feel like there has been a recent push of invitations lately--more people getting them. At least that's what it seems like to me. I wonder if that is true, they've gotten more out lately, or just that I've noticed since I'm getting closer and closer.

Also, I really hope I very quickly get medically cleared without any hitches! It seems they are very quickly medically clearing the summer nominations.

Two nights ago, I had a dream that my PO called me up asking if I'd be willing to leave about a month early--July instead of August. I said sure, of course! And asked where they'd be sending me, she said to China for teaching English. (With my love of China imagine my wild joy at that announcement!) The next thing I knew I was on an old train arriving in China (A train like the rickety old one I took from Beijing Bei Station to the Great Wall)......it was a very interesting dream! So now I've had a dream that I've been invited to the Eastern Caribbean and China...neither of which are similar to my nomination like Belize and the Dominican Republic would be (they are both at least mid-Aug, are or have some spanish speaking, and one is latin america, both have youth, etc)....funny eh? Wonder if the dreams are a hint of anything to come!?