10 days and counting till staging! It still doesn't fully feel like reality yet, but I'm sure once I step onto the plane to DC it will hit me. March 8th, 6am, Traverse City-Chicago-Washington DC. Then...March 9th- fly to Dakar for training with my future group of Peace Corps friends!
The past few weeks have been a whirlwind of adventure, fun, and enjoying every last royalty that I will miss in Senegal (that includes taking 20 minute hot showers each and every day, drinking way too much alcohol with friends, and eating excessive amounts of my favorite foods...and snowboarding as much as possible!).
My first stop after Phoenix was Pittsburgh for my birthday weekend, which turned into my birthday week as a result of the insane snowstorms that hit the east coast (I swear I bring insane weather with me wherever I go...historically huge waves in Hawaii, a years worth of rainfall in 2 days in Phoenix, record blizzards in Pittsburgh....what's next?!). It turned out to be one of my best birthdays ever, with a weekend full of drinking, dancing, playing in the snow, and eating great food all over the South Side of the burgh with some of my favorite people (thanks for the awesome party Anthony, Kim and Katie!). The 5 extra days were a bonus, as the entire city practically shut down and I was able to spend some quality relaxing time with some awesome people...I didn't exactly mind being forced to spend a few extra days with one of my best friends :)
Once Amtrak was finally up and running, I had to say a sad goodbye and continue on my pre-departure rounds of family and friends. Leaving Pittsburgh was probably the hardest part so far...my first really tough goodbye. Leaving the drama of the week behind was easy, but leaving Anthony and the friends I've made there behind was the saddest part of my journey.
The week that followed was a blur, seeing friends in Toledo, my brother in Canton, more friends in Jackson, a stop in Albion to visit old college friends (and meet up with Brett/discuss the awesomeness of Peace Corps....we're all crossing our fingers for his invite to come soon!), and finally the drive home to Traverse City, the last stop. I've been in Traverse for about a week now, and it's been nice to be back in a familiar place where I can relax and breathe for a few days before starting up the next adventure!
It always takes a few days to settle into a new place and get to the point where I can finally relax and stop going-going-going...I've managed to pretty much get everything I need in terms of packing, but I still have lots of other logistical things to take care of. Finishing up my taxes, going over student loan deferment info, making sure I have all the right paper work to bring to staging- it all adds up!
I'm getting anxious excited too, ready to meet my training group and start my first "real" job! More recently I've started to think of it more like a job than just volunteering, because it really is- my first "professional" job position. I'm a little nervous that others will be way more experienced or knowledgeable than me, but I'm positive that I will learn quickly what I need to know in training and be prepared to use whatever skills I do have to my full advantage.
I've been warned against exceedingly high expectations, like being overly optimistic about all the amazing things I'll be doing or the huge difference I am going to make while there...so I actually feel well prepared to handle whatever happens or whatever I end up doing. I don't really even know what to expect, so I'm just flexible (haha, TSS flashback here) and open to the possibility of anything! I feel like I should possibly have more defined expectations or goals for what I hope to accomplish during service, but at this point I'm just excited and ready to learn a new language, meet some great people, and really get involved in some sort of positive development projects regardless of the visible or tangible results.
So the plan for the rest of the week seems to be just finishing up packing (ahh scary) and spending as much time enjoying the company of family/friends and the comfort of home (meaning the USA...I'm technically homeless in the sense of having a house to call home, but Traverse will always be home as will anywhere in the US where I have people I love). I feel prepared with all my gadgets- my netbook, ipod, solar charger, familiar clothes, daily necessities etc, but I'm constantly trying to grasp the reality of when I get to Senegal and when these things will be relatively obsolete. From previous travel experience I know the feeling of getting to a place and realizing that I don't need half of what I brought with me, but trying to know that beforehand is the challenge. I feel like I'm doing a decent job with scaling down and bringing only what I really think I'll need, but it's not an easy task at all. So wish me luck!
If anyone feels the urge to write me letters, please do! (I LOVE MAIL...I absolutely love hand written letters at any time, even if I'm not in Africa). It does take several weeks/perhaps months for things to travel by snail mail though, so start writing NOW and I might get it during training :) I also have Skype and have heard rumors that I will have decent internet access during training at least, so lets chat!
That's all for now,
Peace.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Application Timeline
I thought a timeline of my application process would give you an idea of how long it's taken to get to this point:
Mid-Fall Semester 08- Sent in PC Application & Recommendations
January 2009- 2 hour Phone interview with Chicago's PC Regional Office
February 3rd, 2009- Nominated for Community Development in Africa
March 09- Recieved Medical Packet, started scheduling required doctors appointments
May 09 (or later?)- Sent in all required Medical Documents (after numerous doctor and dentist appointments)
Mid-Summer 09- Sent in immunization records (including Polio) requested by the Medical Office
Late Summer/Early Fall 09 (6 or more weeks after sending in Polio Documentation)- recieved another request for polio immunization documentation-- only after calling the MO did they clarify that it has to be since you turned 18....!!!!!
November 09- Got Polio immunization booster shot, sent the MO documentation
Early December 09- Got Medical Clearance-- FINALLY!
December 16th, 2009- Call from Placement Office to ask some follow up questions, found out I might not be the best applicant for my original nomination, started thinking I might be going to Eastern Europe for Youth Development....ahhhh.
December 30th, 2009- got THE call-- invited to serve as a Preventative Health and Environmental Education Volunteer in "Africa" (he couldn't tell me the country over the phone)
January 4th, 2010- (after an agonizing long holiday weekend of waiting)- recieved my Invitation Kit in the mail. Job Title: Environmental Education Extension Agent, Staging: March 10, 2010, Training: March 12, 2010- Thiels, Senegal!
January 7th, 2010- called the Senegal Desk to accept my invitation to serve! & mailed my no-fee passport application and Visa application to SATO travel.
January 12th, 2010- emailed my updated Resume and Aspiration Statement (my first impression to the in-country staff!!)
January 14th, 2010- wrote this blog, avoided cleaning my room & packing :)
Mid-Fall Semester 08- Sent in PC Application & Recommendations
January 2009- 2 hour Phone interview with Chicago's PC Regional Office
February 3rd, 2009- Nominated for Community Development in Africa
March 09- Recieved Medical Packet, started scheduling required doctors appointments
May 09 (or later?)- Sent in all required Medical Documents (after numerous doctor and dentist appointments)
Mid-Summer 09- Sent in immunization records (including Polio) requested by the Medical Office
Late Summer/Early Fall 09 (6 or more weeks after sending in Polio Documentation)- recieved another request for polio immunization documentation-- only after calling the MO did they clarify that it has to be since you turned 18....!!!!!
November 09- Got Polio immunization booster shot, sent the MO documentation
Early December 09- Got Medical Clearance-- FINALLY!
December 16th, 2009- Call from Placement Office to ask some follow up questions, found out I might not be the best applicant for my original nomination, started thinking I might be going to Eastern Europe for Youth Development....ahhhh.
December 30th, 2009- got THE call-- invited to serve as a Preventative Health and Environmental Education Volunteer in "Africa" (he couldn't tell me the country over the phone)
January 4th, 2010- (after an agonizing long holiday weekend of waiting)- recieved my Invitation Kit in the mail. Job Title: Environmental Education Extension Agent, Staging: March 10, 2010, Training: March 12, 2010- Thiels, Senegal!
January 7th, 2010- called the Senegal Desk to accept my invitation to serve! & mailed my no-fee passport application and Visa application to SATO travel.
January 12th, 2010- emailed my updated Resume and Aspiration Statement (my first impression to the in-country staff!!)
January 14th, 2010- wrote this blog, avoided cleaning my room & packing :)
the beginning
Live in the sunshine, swim the sea, drink the wild air... Ralph Waldo Emerson.
So here it is. I'm currently preparing to become a Peace Corps Trainee in the Preventative Health and Environmental Education program in Senegal, West Africa. This blog will hopefully allow all my friends, family, and all other interested people to read about my adventures, see a few of the thousands of pictures I take, and generally keep updated with my ventures.
As a general introduction of myself, I just graduated from Albion College in Michigan with a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology, minors in English and Psychology. I spent the first 7 months after graduation working my butt off to save money to fund my ongoing desire for random adventures. After a long 7 months on a tiny, secluded, rich east coast island (Nantucket), I flew to Phoenix, AZ for Thanksgiving, followed by 5 glorious weeks on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii, where I became an extremely lazy beach bum while I waited for my PC invitation. I'm now back in Phoenix for a few weeks to visit my mom while I plan out the next two months before PC Training starts. Hopefully these next few weeks will be filled with some great final adventures with my friends throughout the mid-west (Pittsburgh, Ann Arbor, Albion, and Traverse City).
At this point, I am working on the seemingly impossible task of gathering and packing all the things I will need for the next two years, and fitting it all into two bags, 80 lbs max (total). Let me tell you, it's already been great fun. Deciding whether or not to take valuable yet critical pieces of my daily life (computer, ipod, etc) has been somewhat agonizing and challenging. I most likely won't have electricity (or running water) wherever I end up living in Senegal, so perhaps a solar charger will come in handy? The decision making process of downsizing all my material posessions has been frustrating and overwhelming at times...
Other than getting all my packing done and planning my travels back east, I've spent an inordinant amount of time sitting on the couch, using my (adorable) new Netbook to research Africa, Senegal, Peace Corps, Environmental Ed, flights back east, flights home from Senegal (perhaps if/when my oldest brother gets married?!), living conditions in Senegal, reading PC books, (starting a blog), and getting in order all my financial and legal "responsibilities" that will remain here while I'm away. Oh and in the process of all this, carving a nice sized chunk out of my summer savings now that I'm unemployed and have no income while also enjoying the end of my student loans grace periods. Lets get the ball rolling here, I'm overly ready to start training and turn my brain back on to learning new things and having daily challenges!!
Thanks for readin my ramblins,
Aloha- PEACE- (and Love)
So here it is. I'm currently preparing to become a Peace Corps Trainee in the Preventative Health and Environmental Education program in Senegal, West Africa. This blog will hopefully allow all my friends, family, and all other interested people to read about my adventures, see a few of the thousands of pictures I take, and generally keep updated with my ventures.
As a general introduction of myself, I just graduated from Albion College in Michigan with a Bachelor of Arts in Anthropology, minors in English and Psychology. I spent the first 7 months after graduation working my butt off to save money to fund my ongoing desire for random adventures. After a long 7 months on a tiny, secluded, rich east coast island (Nantucket), I flew to Phoenix, AZ for Thanksgiving, followed by 5 glorious weeks on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii, where I became an extremely lazy beach bum while I waited for my PC invitation. I'm now back in Phoenix for a few weeks to visit my mom while I plan out the next two months before PC Training starts. Hopefully these next few weeks will be filled with some great final adventures with my friends throughout the mid-west (Pittsburgh, Ann Arbor, Albion, and Traverse City).
At this point, I am working on the seemingly impossible task of gathering and packing all the things I will need for the next two years, and fitting it all into two bags, 80 lbs max (total). Let me tell you, it's already been great fun. Deciding whether or not to take valuable yet critical pieces of my daily life (computer, ipod, etc) has been somewhat agonizing and challenging. I most likely won't have electricity (or running water) wherever I end up living in Senegal, so perhaps a solar charger will come in handy? The decision making process of downsizing all my material posessions has been frustrating and overwhelming at times...
Other than getting all my packing done and planning my travels back east, I've spent an inordinant amount of time sitting on the couch, using my (adorable) new Netbook to research Africa, Senegal, Peace Corps, Environmental Ed, flights back east, flights home from Senegal (perhaps if/when my oldest brother gets married?!), living conditions in Senegal, reading PC books, (starting a blog), and getting in order all my financial and legal "responsibilities" that will remain here while I'm away. Oh and in the process of all this, carving a nice sized chunk out of my summer savings now that I'm unemployed and have no income while also enjoying the end of my student loans grace periods. Lets get the ball rolling here, I'm overly ready to start training and turn my brain back on to learning new things and having daily challenges!!
Thanks for readin my ramblins,
Aloha- PEACE- (and Love)
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