how i got here:

Tonight i'm having dinner with a couple friends who are curious about the Peace Corps application process and it got me thinking about my application timeline and exactly what has happened in the past year to get me to this point!!

So without further adieu:

• Feb/Mar 2009: Started looking into Peace Corps and even started filling out the application, but decided to wait because I hadn't yet heard back from a Fulbright position I'd applied to.
• Mar 2009 (i think): Heard that I didn't get the Fulbright and decided to go ahead with PC!
• April-June 2009: Asked my three references if they would in fact like to be references for me (i needed a volunteer supervisor, a work supervisor and a friend)
• July 7, 2009: My last reference recently turned in her letter, so i gave my application one last go over and turned it in!
• July 30, 2009: Received an email from my recruiter and set up my interview!
• August 14, 2009: Interviewed with my recruiter. And received my Nomination!! (a nomination basically says that you are a candidate for the job). I left my interview thinking that i could be leaving as soon as Dec 2009, but my recruiter called back that same day and said he found a program for Math Education in Francophone Africa for June 2010 and i was nominated to that program!
• August 2009: Received my medical packet in the mail (the next step towards being cleared as a possible volunteer)
• Oct 23, 2009: Had my physical (including 3 shots and about 6 vials of blood drawn...)
• Dec 2009: My application status became 'inactive' because i'm a procrastinator :P
• Jan 2010: Mailed in medical forms, no longer inactive!
• Feb 2, 2010: Dental exam (definitely less blood than the physical) and dental exam mailed in!
• Feb 18, 2010: Medical clearance
• Feb 19, 2010: Received email that it would be a good idea to review my application and resume to ensure that everything is up to date.
  and just as i was about to do that:
• Feb 24, 2010: Received a phone call from the Placement office that turned into a second interview of sorts. Was told that i just received dental clearance and would be receiving legal clearance the next day. More importantly, i was told that i would be receiving an invitation! (aka, the job offer!) They don't tell your country though, so i was left waiting!
• Feb 27, 2010: Invitation arrived at my house when i was out of town! i had my brother hide it until i got home though, and found out i would be going to Burkina Faso!
  Also found out i needed to get a cavity filled and my wisdom teeth out :P
• Mar 1, 2010: Accepted invitation!
• Mar 10, 2010: Emailed the in-country desk another Aspiration Statement and resume
• April 8, 2010: First appt. with oral surgeon
• April 15, 2010: Cavity filled!
• April 22, 2010: Wisdom teeth out!
• May 10, 2010: Received my staging email, booked my flight to staging in Philadelphia, learned I needed H1N1 vaccine
• May 11, 2010: Got H1N1 vaccine
• May 19, 2010: today.
• June 7, 2010: Fly to staging
• June 9, 2010: Land in Ouagadougou, BF
• August 25, 2010: Officially start as PC Volunteer (end of training)
  
• August 25, 2012: Done!

So, there's the journey so far. I was told that the application process typically takes over a year, but as you can see, i'm leaving less than a year after I submitted my application! There were periods of waiting, but i feel that most of them were because of me (i.e. oct-jan), not because I was waiting on the PC :)

But it's about time for that dinner, and the countdown is at 19 days to go!

things just got real!

alright, things just got real around here! I just received my staging email (the email that says everything i need to know before leaving!!!) I also just made my flight arrangements, during which, the guy asked if I wanted window or aisle and when I responded that I didn't mind he said "you're leaving for 3 years, i'll give you window so you can wave goodbye." yikes.

But I will meet the rest of my group in Philadelphia where we will turn in a lot of paper work and get some shots (I also just found out that I have to get the H1N1 shot before I go, too, it's like a bonus shot!)

Below is my schedule for the two days:

First of all, I love how in the email 'completed forms' was highlighted, and above it is in bold. I think they really want us to have those forms completed. :)

Iit is so entirely surreal to look at that and see "Flight departs for Burkina Faso" I really don't know what to think about that right now. But I should probably start tracking down paperwork! Eeek!

one month left!

Well, I haven’t updated this in a while, and to be honest, I feel like not a whole lot has been happening!

Since the last update, I had my wisdom teeth removed. It went really well, no dry sockets and I was back to work on Monday (I had them out on a Thursday). Unfortunately, my insurance didn’t cover as much of them as I’d hoped, so they were expensive little buggers, but at least it something I won’t have to worry about later in life (or while I’m in Burkina!).

I feel like it’s lame to talk so much about things I’m buying, but at this point, that’s about all that’s going on. I finally decided on a solar charger! (I just ordered it yesterday even!) I decided on the Solio charger (the one recommended in the first place), but the key reason I finally made a decision was this little guy; a battery recharger that charges through a USB port. With the Solio you are able to buy a different tip for the different devices you need to charge, so I can buy a USB port to charge both my ipod and batteries. Until I found that the USB charger, I was really stuck on what to get, so I was super excited about that find!

I recently found out that some volunteers use car batteries as a source of electricity at their homes. They are able to get the car batteries recharged as needed, and they have a strong enough current to charge laptops, too. I’ll check that out when I get there, but that is something I would have never thought to do!

So, as the departure date gets closer and closer (33 days!) a lot of people are asking if I’m getting more nervous or excited to go. To be honest, I’ve been a crazy mix of emotions since I found out I was leaving, but lately I don’t really feel strongly one way or the other, just sort of neutral. I think a big reason for that was now that my wisdom teeth are out, I don’t really have anything else I absolutely have to do before I leave. Before this I had two vacations, multiple dental appts, wisdom teeth, and researching and buying the bigger items. And now I’m sort of just coasting to the finish line. I’m guessing that as these 33 days left start to dwindle down I’ll start to get back into a state of mixed excitement and terror.

I’ve also decided that I need to practice my French! My little brother had ordered these French CDs online, so I have them on my ipod and I’ve decided to use my time at work before store open to listen and practice. And now that I think of it, I think there are a couple Mooré (the most common local language) lessons on the PC website! So maybe in my coasting time near the end here, I’ll finally focus on language practice.

Final note: I am having an open house before I go! If you’re at all in the area on May 22, swing on by! Send me an email if you need an address or details. If you’re not in the area, give me a call! I would love to hear from you before I go :)