Future PC Thoughts

(1) I hope they let me reactivate my application, so I don't have to completely reapply. I won't be able to leave until February 2010 or later, but must reactivate my application by August 8th, 2009. To be safe, I should contact them in June or July. My fear is that they will say "February is too far off for you to reactivate now, so you need to reapply." But at the same time, if they said that, I wouldn't understand, because in order to get a Q2 or Q3 (Jan-June) nomination (pref Feb-April), I'd have to actually APPLY earlier than I would if I reactivated. So see how it doesn't make sense? I could reactivate at the end of July, but if I had to completely apply again, I'd have to start applying around April or May. See the problem? My recruiter didn't really give me much of an answer, she seemed to think I'd have to reapply. I suppose when it gets closer I'll contact someone again.

(2) I think I've really decided that I want to be placed somewhere in Africa (francophone or not, tho francophone would be cool)...or Eastern Europe or Central Asia (especially the Caucus region or Central Asia, but I'd love EE all the way since I think a lot of great countries are there and was excessively excited when I almost got invited to Ukraine or Macedonia). I really want to do TEFL, and clearly EECA has a lot of TEFL. Also, being in Africa just interests me a lot. I'd also really like Jordan, they have an education program. I have to figure out my reasons. I can't say "just because." And I'm sure I have my reasons, but its one of those things that I just need to sorta "dig up" so to speak. I want to be able to give them good, strong reasons! For me, its important!

E-mailed My Recruiter

Having been thinking about my [hopefully] eventual joining of the Peace Corps, I thought it was time to e-mail someone. I might as well start gathering information about how I might go about reactivating the application, and if based on my timeline, I'll be able to reactivate it or if I will have to reapply and do everything over (ugh). I wrote:

Dear Hazel,

Hi, back in the February/March/April time you were acting as my recruiter and interviewed and nominated me. I recently declined my invitation to El Salvador for several reasons. One reason was that I felt I needed more time to prepare myself for that amount of time abroad. Another reason, a very big reason was that even though I am qualified, I feel I need to have some more "practical" experience on my side before I should move to a site where the community is counting on me. I feel that I could do the work had I accepted, but that if I get more real-life experience first, I will be able to give much more to a community.

That said, in October I will begin volunteering at The Literacy Center in my community, and possibly the Boys & Girls Club (also volunteering as a tutor). In January, I will be moving to Shanghai for a year to teach English. I feel this will help me gain a lot of practical experience on multiple levels.

I think my application is "deactivated"--if that is the right term. I was hoping to reactivate my application summer of '09, but due to TEFL in China, I wouldn't be able to leave until early 2010. I was wondering if that would be too early to reactivate it. If so, I am more than willing to go through the application process again. I realize that getting a nomination and invitation will be substantially harder now that I've declined an invitation, but I am willing to work hard for it. I am 100% dedicated to becoming a Peace Corps Volunteer, but I feel that right now I just need that extra push in experience to be able to best serve, and that by 2010 I will have hopefully gained it.

Thanks for all your time. I cannot express how much I appreciate everything you did back then and now this.

Sincerely,

Jenna Walker

She e-mailed me back this morning. She always did answer e-mails quickly. So this was her reply:

Hello Jenna,

Sorry you could not accept the first assignment. As long as you can be reached by email and phone, you can go ahead and seek a reactivation of your application in summer of 2009. However, if my counting is correct, you will have to start over and submit a new application because, by then, the application we have on file would have been withdrawn for over a year. Good luck to you.

Hazel
Regional Recruiter
Diversity and 50+ Liaison
PCV-Lesotho, Southern Africa 2003-2005

I'm glad her e-mail was helpful and nonjudgmental. Not to say that I expected her or anyone else to be (tho a handful of people have been)...its just that, its not really the best topic--declining and invite. She's always been great--always responds promptly, very nice, very helpful. Good recruiter in my opinion!

Okay, so I see what she's saying, 100%. I think in July, I will call and see if I can reactivate my application for an early 2010 departure, or if it is too early. If its 100 early, I'll just reapply--that should still give me enough time for a February-June departure date I think?

I really do want to specify a region this time...I think that would be better for me. I'm thinking EE/CA, Africa, and Asia. That may change in time, I should also look at where my skills best fit, and decide exactly why I'd like each region and how I'd do better in one over another. Stuff like that. Really know before I go into this again. I think that may be how I tripped up a lot last time. Besides experience, I didn't think about where I could best personally flourish or do my best with the community. Things to think about people, things to think about!

My Response to Amelie

Today I was left a comment by a girl named Amelie. She left a comment on my last post, about my not accepting the invitation to El Salvador. I looked at her profile, and there's not really much there...no link to a blog at all...and the only think that caught my eye is her quote that says "Life is calling. How far will you go?" Clearly the PC quote. Apparently, she doesn't like me or my decision much, this is what she commented:

I could've easily blocked the comment so it didn't go through, but that would be faking it. It would be me trying to pretend that everyone thinks declining an invitation is a-ok. Obviously, everyone doesn't think so, and I don't want to hide that. If she and others feel that way, then so be it, that's perfectly fine. They can think whatever they want, but it was my decision and I am satisfied that I made the right decision for me right now.

Other people have supported my decision. I received several e-mails of people supporting it. 

I just wanted to write to let you know that I think that what you did was really brave. I'm incredibly impressed that you had the courage and the foresight to know what will make you a more successful volunteer. I think that with all of PC's talk about "being flexible and serving where there's a need", that it can sometimes be incredibly hard to remember that you're the only one who can really know yourself and what things will and won't work

or

First, don't ever feel bad about what you decide to do with the peace corps. If you want to decline and invitation that is your choice, and no one has the right to judge you for that. Its not taboo, you have the right to terminate your PC service at anytime and no one elses' opinion matters.

Because my decision was so hard, and it tears me up, I really appreciated those e-mails. They really helped me "accept" my decision so to speak.

However, that's not to say that I wouldn't like to address a few points about what Amelie said. I feel that if someone addresses me in the tone and manner that she did, then its only fair.

(1) My love of cultures and travel and adventure, people, language, religions, and foods.....that is a love of mine that has been around since the day I was born and will stay with me til the day I die. I will never be satisfied sitting still and not learning about people.

(2) I do have an extremely strong desire to join the Peace Corps. Its not a desire to just have the dream, it is the desire to do it, be there, get in the middle of it, live how someone else does, get dirty, work hard, and be entirely uncomfortable sometimes. I won't lie; the people working for the Peace Corps that processed all my stuff, from my recruiter to my PO, were fantastic and amazing people. They worked hard for me and helped me so much. However, I did not make them jump through hoops and I don't really think they jumped through hoops. Again, that's not to say they didn't work so very hard for me, because they did and words cannot describe how appreciative I am of every last person who I worked with. However, I say that its not hoops simply because its their job and they treated me and worked with me exactly in the same way they would any other PC applicant. Having to get a second nomination was not something I made them jump through hoops for, there was a computer glitch so my recruiter called to tell me that she had to find a different nomination. When my program was full, my PO looked for other programs--something any PO would do for anyone who's program was full. She ran them by medical because I had a restriction--again, something any PO does for anyone with a restriction. I appreciate it more than anything, and they did a DAMN good job--but it wasn't hoops. Plain and simple, it wasn't them jumping through hoops because its their job and it is what is done for every applicant, not just me.

(3) As for this girl not wanting me to join the PC...well, sorry, because I fully intend on joining. It may be in the next year or two, it may be in 10-15 years, or it may be in 40 years. But if they will have me, then I will absolutely join the Peace Corps. I can't wait to join, and my ultimate dream would be to join for several "stints" so to speak.

One big problem with me joining now is that while I may have the qualifications on paper, I do not have the qualifications in experience. I don't want to be posted to a community and not be able to serve them the best I can. I want the real experience so that I can give the people what they need and actually make a difference. I don't want to get to my site and realize that I might know the technicalities of the work, but ultimately, I don't know how to do it and have to spend 1/2 my time getting help and researching stuff. I want to go into my site with experience and the ability to give them everything I can offer, and I want to be able to offer more than written qualifications. 

That said, a big part in my decision to decline was that I want more practical experience to provide to my future site. That is exactly what I am going to do. I am really interested in TEFL. The next 4 months I am going to get a job--preferably something related to teaching so I am in the atmosphere, but since I don't have the teaching degree, I'll probably have to settle for something else. Now, how do I remedy getting experience with a bland job? I have already contacted organizations in my community such as The Literacy Center and Boys & Girls Club. The first would be volunteer tutoring adults in reading to raise their literacy level. The second group is volunteer tutoring/helping students with their homework or areas in school they may need help with. I think that's definitely some good experience for the Peace Corps. Furthermore, I've recently accepted a position to Teach English in China for a year. I can easily extend that contract if I want. All of those provide great experience for myself and the Peace Corps. Also, may I say, Amelie, there goes your idea that I actually don't like culture and adventure?

I respect the Peace Corps, its employees, and its volunteers. I think it is an amazing organization, and I can't wait to join it. Right now I'm hoping to be able to join in early 2010. I'm thinking about EE/CA, Africa, and Asia as my preferable regions. To me it doesn't matter if I'm living in a nice apartment with all the amenities in EE, or if I'm living in a mud hut or crude brick house under a mosquito net in Africa eating the snot-sauce, or living in a yurt in Mongolia eating mutton while bundled up in the negative degree weather.  All of those places and lifestyles are the Peace Corps, and I am fully willing to welcome and adapt to any of those. However, right now, the PC was something I had to decline, it was a painful decision and still hurts me that I had to do it. 

But I can't wait to join, and to do so when I'm ready and feel very prepared. I know it will be a lot harder for me to be nominated and invited next time around, but I'm up for the challenge because I love what the Peace Corps does and know that I want to do it, and by then, I will feel better about what I can give to my site. I can't wait for a future with the Peace Corps.

MEDICALLY CLEARED!

I was MEDICALLY CLEARED!!!!!! I woke up to a Peace Corps e-mail saying check your ToolKit, so I did, and it said what you can see in the picture on the left. I was like WAHOO!

Later, around 9:30am, I got a phone call while I was at camp. It was my nurse, Tracy. You can't even imagine what nerves she created in  me. I thought it was a mistake, or they actually needed something else. Something!? But really she was just calling to say she got the CBCs, everything was fine, and she wanted to let me know that I was cleared! I was really excited, because not only was I cleared, but my nurse personally called to tell me! From what I hear, not only do you very rarely hear directly from nurses (usually only via your screening assistant), but its even more rare for them to call you to give you the news about being Medically Cleared!

SOOOOOO RELIEVED!!!!!!

This & That

First, I'm pretty sure the dog is behind the couch trying to catch an ant. We've recently had an unexplained rash of ants in our living room at night. They are harder to get rid of than we thought. :-/

Also, I'm scared to call back to my doctor's to see if my CBCs have been faxed off to my PC Nurse. Scared because the person I have to talk to scares me! Instead, I emailed my nurse asking if she could shoot me a line when she received those, and that I e-mailed her so she could do it just whenever she got to it. I know she's busy.

Today is Friday, June 20th. With the 6 week rule on invitations, August 1st and after are the programs I could be invited to. Realistically since if I were cleared today and my PO only started working on me Monday, it could be August 4th and later. Seriously, this is getting down to the wire and I'm so not comfortable with it.

I found out my blog has been helpful in at least one instance! When I was initially applying, I read several blogs from the beginning of their application process all the way through to invitation and service. It was really amazing and beyond helpful for me to see what actually happens in the application process--technically and emotionally. I feel like it really prepared me and I haven't been too shocked by anything so far. That's why I decided to start this blog the day after I applied. I thought just in case someone who was applying saw it, maybe it'd be useful. Of course, I think sometimes I get carried away with how many posts I do, but oh well. I like it, I have fun. :) But I saw someone who borrowed part of my blog about the book "So You Want to Join the Peace Corps?" I was really glad to see that, because it let me know my blog has been helpful for at least one person!

I was also correct in my assumption about the dog and the ants.

Medical Hold!

YAY!

No, this doesn't mean I'm cleared, and while "HOLD" in bright red, bold letters seems indescribably scary, it really means that they have just started to actively review my file. It may mean they've opened it, it may mean they'll clear me tomorrow, they may have just simply moved it from the left side of the desk to the right side! But it means my medical file has advanced. Sometimes during this hold, they request you to send something else in--and I'm praying they don't; sometimes they just clear you the next day! That's what we are hoping for, the later. Anyway, I'm just glad it had progressed! WOOHOO!

UPDATE: Immediately after writing this, I received a visit from FedEx baring an envelope from the PC. It said:

Dear Ms. Walker
Thank you for submitting your medical information. During the review of your medical kit, we find the submitted information to be incomplete. To continue your medical review process, please provide the requested documentation below.
1. The results of your CBC revealed an abnormal finding. You must have a repeat CBC and submit report. If abnormalities persist, your physician must evaluate your condition and submit documentation that includes a diagnosis, etiology, and treatment plan.
In order to keep your file active, we need the above documentation. Fax all the information together to the Office of Medical Services. We look forward to hearing from you soon.
Sincerely,
Tracy
Office of Medical Services

So...while I naturally didn't want this, its an easy quick fix. I went to the doctor's office and asked for my nurse practitioner...she's apparently out of town for 3 weeks...whaaaaaaa? So I ask for the doctor, and they asked me to come in tomorrow at 2:30 so he could actually talk to me. That's good I guess, tho I rather would've gotten it out of the way today, but I understand. I showed the nurse at the front desk, and while she was confused about the whole process, she was especially confused about why they didn't accept the letter from Dr. Hambidge that said "This is a clarification of the lab values of Jenna Walker. Her Complete Blood Count is within normal limits and as expected for an individual whom is receiving dialproex." I already knew before hand my Depakote ER could make my levels slightly abnormal. I looked at the test results I have copies of, and literally, one is too high by .1, another is too low by 1. Wow.
I called my screening assistant, Lisa, to ask about this, only to find out that she's out of town for a week (is everyone?). There was a number to forward me onto the nurses office, so I did that and they forward me onto my screeening nurse, Tracy. They told me ahead of time that Tracy is out for the day, but I left a message and hopefully she calls me back. I asked about if this was really necessary since, as my doctor stated, even tho the CBC levels are abnormal for a normal person, the fact that I'm taking dialproex makes them normal. I said that I had an appointment with the doctor tomorrow, and if I didn't hear back from her about it, I would go ahead and get it done since I understand. Nearly hung up without leaving my number! Woops! Good thing I caught that! So that's the update for now.

Ayeeeeeee

I'm sure everyone joining the PC has the emotions of: (1) I absolutely can't wait to get there and do all these great things and learn so much, and (2) I can't leave, I can't leave my family, I can't, I can't, I don't know what I'll do with out them. And I'm sure people have them to varying degrees! With me, I can't wait to find out my country, meet my fellow PCVs, meet the HCNs, and do the work that's expected of me. Then, I will also have the deep feeling that I absolutely can't go and be away from Justin and not have him around me. When I feel like that, I have just the deepest ache throughout my whole body. But when I'm excited about the PC, I absolutely am excited, overjoyed, and completely impatient! And I hate that I have the pull of two extremes like that. Bleh.

Dream #5 Billion

God only knows how many Peace Corps dreams I've had, but I had a dream that I received my letter that I was medically cleared! I predict that I get cleared today and find out tomorrow. Fingers crossed all!

etjeaohtyeaktya

Really, medical clearance...its about time, where where are you??? :(

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!?

Progress Report

1. As you know, I found my counselor. I have finally handed off my forms to her, *sigh* and will pick them up next wednesday. She wanted to actually make me an appointment to pick them up so that she could go over them with me and I could decide if they were okay or not, or if I wanted anything worded differently. So it is GREAT she has them! But I don't want to wait a full week to get them back :( Damn that real job of hers that keeps her busy--everyone in the world should concentrate on my medical kit right now ;) Okay maybe not....(hrm...I suppose I still have to call the BTown hospital to get an ER record faxed to me)
2. A girl I've talked to had a similar nomination as I, Latin America at least...but due to medical, she and her husband were getting flip flopped all over the world, but mostly in the Latin World. She had a hell of a time, but I remember thinking, wouldn't that be funny if somehow we randomly started talking like this and in the end she ends up getting invited to my nomination? AND SHE DID! She just got her invite today! Belize, Aug 18th--and tho there is no gaurentee, that's most likely the place I'll go to! So I'm super excited! I'm sure she's insanely excited after the last few long months!
3. I have looked through the invitations and decided on the most likely countries I'll be invited to (should medical not ruin my life!) And this is what I have decided on (considering that my nomination is C/S America in Mid-August '08), in order:
   --Belize leaving August 18th
   --Dominican Republic leaving August 18th
   --Eastern Caribbean leaving August 25th
4. Other possibilities based on the fact that they have Youth Development (and usually Business, sometimes Health) and left long enough ago to be able to have another group coming in any time are in no particular order (I don't think):
   --El Salvador
   --Costa Rica

So really, hrm, everything is waiting on the counseling forms. I'd just die if she called back tomorrow like "oh they are done, can you come get them?" I'd hug her and buy her chocolates and cookies and flowers! So, I'm banking on having this sent off by this time next week. 

Oh, and we got a Wii, somehow...and we can't stop playing it

Medkit

Today I got my last paper from my pulminologist...and *drum roll please* I GOT MY PAPERS FROM MY NEUROLOGIST BACCCCCCKKKKKKK!!!!!!!!!  

I looked over them and under restrictions, it said something like "swimming and bathing unsupervised" ...swimming, I know that, but now I'm not allowed to take a shower without someone supervising me? Entirely unnecessary. I think she's just trying to get back at me. Ho-hum.

So now, except for that counselor that still eludes my entire family, I am ready to send in that paper work to the PC Med office!!!!! I'm so excited! I MUST find that counselor so I can go get this finished Monday.

Update: my dad was able to find the counselor's name! Hopefully I can contact her tomorrow and get this finished in the next few days!

Slight Medical Update

I went into my neurologists office today, and when the assistant told me they still weren't dont, I asked to speak to my doctor or her nurse.  A few minutes later, her nurse came out to talk to me and she said Dr. B wanted to appologize, it was nothing personal. Apparently they wait til they have a huge stack to do them.  The nurse said that Dr. Brandt would do them tonight, and they'll call me in the morning to confirm they are done and ready to pick up. I guess sometimes going there in person is a lot more helpful, I just didn't think it would be this crazy.

I picked up forms from my doctors office, and the nurse practitioner who has handled all my stuff, came out to hand me everything and wished me luck with everything, and said to come back in even for the smallest detail.  Oh I love her...I am highly considering sending her a PC themed cookie bouquet! Hehe :):)

I took a last form to my pulminologist, the girl at the front desk now knows me by name, haha. I asked if it was possible to get them done by tomorrow, even though I knew it was friday and everyone was busy. She told me to come back tomorrow afternoon. After I left, about 10 minutes later I got a call from her saying it was already finished! They are amazing!

I tried to find my old counselor by going to the office building they were at, but there are only 4 people in the entire building anymore, and none of them was counseling/psychiatry/etc that would indicate anything.  She's gone. Disappeared. My dad is going to try to look through some old files tonight to try to find it.

Also, when I got in the car to start this whole process today, I saw that my left side of my face has a bright yellow bruise from the wisdom teeth removal! Yay!

PO

I know I have a PO, but who my PO is, I don't know. :(

I know I have a PO because, as I mentioned a while back, I shot my recruiter an update e-mail and she said she was going to forward that onto my PO since that's who had my file.  Everything was out of Hazel's hands pretty much.  

Last night, I sent Hazel another email, asking for my PO's name and e-mail and/or phone. This morning I had an e-mail waiting in my inbox:

You should have received correspondence from the Placement Officer by now. The best I can do is to give you a general telephone number of the IAP Desk which is the office handling your nomination. It is: ###-###-####

Sad. I haven't gotten an e-mail from my PO. Then I got worried that I maybe accidentally deleted it or it got spammed! So I immeadiately got on my gmail account and searched my Trash and Spam files.  All of what had been put there for the last 30 days was there. Good because it was 30 days ago that I had my nomination.  I searched high and low in Spam and Trash, even looking at stuff that maybe possibly could've been a PO e-mail.  But alas, no PO e-mail. :(

Now I am sad, I don't want my PO to forget about me! And even if I call the IAP Desk, I don't know if they can track down my PO. So if I need to get ahold of my PO, about something really important (luckily I don't have to right now, but WHAT IF!) then how do I find my PO in an instant. :( I really hope my PO calls me or e-mails me with just a "hey, I'm your PO"

Excitement

Outside news about the PC is sometimes exciting! Still don't have medical in, and yada. However, one girl I had talked to through e-mail a bit was having a big problem getting a nomination because of a medical restriction and the fact that they were a couple. They had their fingers crossed on a Latin America July program and a South East Asian September program.  But today they just found out that their PO found a program that accepts them with the restriction, and it is MINE! Of course, we all assume Belize....but it is the same region/month nomination, so YAY! I'm excited!

Also, a few weeks ago on the Facebook group Peace Corps Latin America, I put a message about anyone with departures leaving in August. For weeks no one responded, but then yesterday I got a GREAT response, better than I could've excepted, the dream response:

Hi,
I'm a PCV in Belize. I know that we are expecting new trainees in August of this year and Youth Development is one of Belize's programs.
Mike

So how exciting is that! Now I know for sure that Belize is indeed a huge possibility! EXCITING!

Now, if I could just get the damn medkit in. Grrrr