Peace Corps Journals

Bonjour!

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

2012-06-01 22:33:28

Bonjour from Cameroon! We arrived! We are in yaounde cameroon. We are in a nice hotel for the next five days for training, then we go to bafia. This place is incredible. I’ve never seen anything like it before. Coming in on the plane it was so beautiful. Yaounde is surrounded by mountains and the sun was setting and here was just a cloud of fog sitting over the entire city. It looks like a normal city except when you get closer the roads Erie all muddy red and there’s so much green everywhere. On the side of te runway it just drops off into thick jungle. They brought us in for our first night and fed us, the food is very good, chicken rice potatoes and veggies. Driving to the hotel was kind of terrifying though, and I completely understand by they don’t let us drive while here. There are no street lights or stop signs or really dven lanes in the road so people jus drive everywhere and anywhere they can fit. You will see a bus cut off a van with a moto buzzing in between and people everywhere. Peace corps is definitely taking great care of us though, and I will take plenty of pictures once it is light out. Tomorrow we have our first language test to see what class we are put in, I’m not worried though, I seem to know more French than at least half the people who came. Everyone seems really cool too, we are all getting along great. I miss you all and goodnight!

The Sound Of Someone Being Brutally Tortured

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

Applicants Taking The Leap: . . . . . . The Peace Corps

2012-06-01 09:14:00

Yesterday I was walking down the street here in town with two of my new fellow PCVs. One of them, a energetic, motivated, visionary fellow, lives here in the same town as me. The other, a young, fresh-faced, wide-eyed young gal, lives just a few kilometers south of this town.

As we were walking down the street, we heard what sounded like someone crying out whilst being brutally tortured. The younger of my companions, the young, recent college graduate, hesitated in her steps, seemingly terrified by the cry of apparent angst and extreme pain. While I certainly found the sound to be less than pleasant to hear, I continued walking, confident that we had just heard something other than a person screaming because he or she was being subjected to inhumane treatment. I found my perception confirmed after we had taken a dozen more steps and saw a couple of goats lying tied up in a cart on the sidewalk.

Summer blast off event at Markham: it’s summatime!

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

Applicants Liz in Service

2012-05-31 04:31:51

Today City Year at Markham Middle School hosted a schoolwide event for students and parents to play games, win prizes and most importantly, find things to do during the summer! My teammates Daniel and Becky worked extremely hard putting the … Continue reading →

Final Interview!!!

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

Applicants The First 27

2012-05-30 17:12:00

So, these past few weeks have been a whirlwind of emotions. A few final goodbyes, more than a few tears, and the last few days in my house have definitely thrown me for a loop. Graduation still doesn't feel real. But it's time to move on to bigger and better things.

I got an email that I was past the preliminary placement review yesterday afternoon, and was told that it would be 6-8 weeks before I would be contacted for a final interview. Luckily for me, 6-8 weeks actually meant less than 24 hours, and I had my final interview about an hour ago.

The final interview was what I had anticipated - how do you feel about the Peace Corps after being in the process for a year, has anything changed that we should know about, how will you cope with an unstructured health assignment or being cut off from technology, etc. I answered those questions with nervous ramblings on the verge of excited tears and somehow managed to convince my placement specialist that I'm sane and normal enough to volunteer. Then came the weird questions - can you walk 5 miles in the heat, can you ride a bike 10 miles, and are you strong enough to carry water. I said yes to all of them, hoping that these strange questions would lead to my specialist giving me some insight into where I'm headed. NOPE. Unfortunately, due to my asthma, I wasn't able to get an official invitation quite yet. My placement specialist told me that he was looking into a few different programs that he would be considering me for, with my earliest departure being August 1st. He said that when they find one that needs a health extension volunteer and can accommodate me medically, I'll hear from him - but it would probably take 2-4 weeks.

That means in 2-4 weeks, I will have an invitation. And if these next 2-4 weeks go by like the past "6-8 weeks" it took to get my placement interview, I might just know by the end of the day.

Oh, and did I mention I was told I am most likely not going to Central/South America, despite my fluency? Look out world, here I come :)

Dare to Dream

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

Applicants Gap Year: Mission: Backpacking

2012-05-30 01:00:00

I was 14 years old when I realized I wanted to see what the world had to offer. It all started with this new band that had popped up out of no-where. This band - who I wont name yet, originated from England. A group of seven members, including one very sexy black man, which I wont lie - I'm not normal attracted to but - he was fine. Anywhoo, so of course I had heard accents and stuff in movies before but when i started listening to this band, I quickly fell in love with their music. My fellow generation didnt appreciate this band as much as they did the new hi/hop R&B artists that were really popular that year. I just felt bad - ya know this was energetic, pop fun music to dance to and I couldn't understand why no-one liked them. Ok, I know i'm getting off point, so, I started learning about the country they came from...England. I quickly became obsessed with wanting to go to London.
So I took my first trip to a bookstore that not only had a starbucks inside, but a travel book section as well. Alright yes, most of you recognize....its Barnes & Noble. I bought every travel book and map I could find on London and began reading about its history and culture. I found it all so fascinating. That these are people, but these are people that are nothing like Americans. So i began to be curious about other cities and other countries in the world. So there I was, sprawled out on the dirty carpet of a Barnes & Noble travel section, with about 20 different books in front of me. So many books that the isle was completely blocked off and nobody could get across. I was 14, I didn't care about other people then lol. I was reading about cultural beliefs, and seeing pictures of the most beautiful landscapes i'd ever seen before and trying to figure out how to read the maps, because I am a very geographically helpless. It was at that moment, sitting in that isle, that I realized I knew what I wanted to do with my life...See all this amazing stuff!
Of course - 10 years later, I find myself without even one stamp on my passport. Reality finally hit me when i turned sixteen and my mom made me get a job. Then when I didn't have any money saved at 18 - I realized I should go to college and find a career that can fund my travels. Turns out I chose a career that I love but, unfortunately, not one that would allow to me travel. I got my B.A. in Culinary Arts and began working at different restaurants. I worked at fast food chains, italian restaurants, greek restaurants, french restaurants, fine dining restaurants...working my way up to a 50 hour work week and realizing that people in the hospitality industry don't really like it when you ask for a month off because you wanna backpack through europe lol.
Now - if anybody is still reading after that huge interlude - the point i'm trying to make is that I am finally ready to take the leap. I have decided that I'm going to get 2 jobs, save up every penny I can for the rest of the year, and come January 2013 - that is unless we all die because of the 2012 phenomenon - I am packing a backpack and hitting the road! Leaving behind my mom and my 2 cats is gonna be the hardest thing ever, but I may never get the chance to do this. I mean come on, I'm 24, female, single and no kids. This may never happen again in my life. At least the single part. I'm always gonna be female lol.
Currently working on a list of locations to hit on my big trip...stay posted :0)

Ambitious? I know :0)

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

Applicants Gap Year: Mission: Backpacking

2012-05-30 01:35:00

London, England
Paris, France
Marseille, France
Reims, France
Madrid, Spain
Barcelona, Spain
Pamplona, Spain
Lisbon, Portugal
Cork, Ireland
Cliffs of Moher in Ireland
Brussles, Belgium
Munich, Germany
Berlin, Germany
Copenhagen, Denmark
Tromso, Norway
Prague, Czech Republic
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Zurich, Switzerland
Rome, Italy
Florence, Italy
La Spezia, Italy
Venice, Italy
Naples, Italy
Milan, Italy
Athens, Greece
Mykonos, Greece

Tokyo, Japan
Beijing, China
Hong Kong, China
Ha Noi, Vietnam
Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Bangkok, Thailand
Mt. Everest in Nepal

Auckland, New Zealand

Sydney, Australia

Cairo, Egypt
Cape Town, South Africa
Kampala, Ugunda, Africa
Tanzania, Africa
Kenya, Africa

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
San Jose, Costa Rica
Cuzco, Peru
Buenos Aires, Argentina

Yes, I realize how crazy this list is...its a rough draft

P.S. Anyone with experience in Backpacking, I would LOVE some tips. On anything from tours to things you should have packed to great little local restaurants to buying a RTW plane ticket to the Eurorail to travel in Asia...or anything :0) Helps in the planning process.

The Girls are Not Okay

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

Applicants Live for a Change

2012-05-29 22:26:00

As a Municipal Development volunteer that focuses on working with the women's office, I've always been especially sensitive to finding out stories about the women in my municipality, their hopes, dreams, challenges, and silenced voices. Yet, in the past couple of months, my attention isn't with women but rather with the youth that live in my municipality. Time and time again my heart breaks ever so slightly by the story of a young girl or teenager who is suddenly forced to grow up far too quickly. Below, I'd like to share some of these stories, partly as a personal release but more importantly as a motivator. I would like to pose a challenge: I want you to think of one way that you can help out a young girl or teenager in the month of June or July. I'll make suggestions of things you can do after I share these stories. (Please note, all names are changed, just in case). BettyBetty is 14 years old and was seeking protection from the community pastor who had raped her on multiple occasions. Betty had kept quiet during these encounters out of fear. Luckily, Betty's mother happened to be at the right place at the right time and witnessed the pastor trying to abduct her daughter so that he could rape her again. The moment the pastor was caught by the mother, he ran off. The next day, the walked four hours from their community to get to the Municipal Center. Betty and her mother came to the office of the Alcaldia Maya searching for help from someone that could actually speak their indigenous language as neither the Municipality nor the Judge have translators. My counterpart went with them to the Judge's office to file the official complaint against the rapist and begin the long paperwork process. They were told to come back on Monday so that the young girl could be looked at by a doctor. They walked four hours back to their home and waited until Monday so that they could walk four hours back to the center to be seen by a doctor. My counterpart had to be in the city that day so I was in charge of taking them around town even though I only know a couple words in K'iche'. The young girl looked absolutely stunned the entire time we walked around, she barely spoke and when she did it was in a hushed whisper while looking down at the floor. When we wen to the health center, it turned out that the doctor's were on strike because they hadn't gotten paid and wouldn't be back for a week so we went back to the Judge where he put together an order for her to be seen in the city. The next day, they went off to the city to be seen by a doctor who also did not speak K'iche' and was a male. Imagine, you've been raped multiple times in a day and then you're forced to have a gynecological exam by a male. I get uncomfortable getting a routine papsmear from a male doctor, I can't even think how terrified she felt. A couple of weeks later I had asked my counterpart how things were going and she explained her frustration with the legal process. They were required to fill out numerous amounts of documents in Spanish, neither Better nor her mother speak Spanish and neither can read or write. They were required to do further examinations in the city, the city is a two hour bus ride (one way) that costs Q25, usually more than what people in the community make in a week. Also, the judge was upset that they didn't show up to a certain appointment, neither one of them have a cell phone. Meanwhile, the rapist continues to live his life and who knows if Betty will continue to with the painstakingly long legal process. Where's the justice? AnneAnne is slightly older, 19, and is studying to be a teacher. Her mother found out she was pregnant after she finally confessed that she had been hiding her pregnancy by tying the belt of her indigenous dress tighter, but at eight months, it gets difficult to hide. She made the mistake, as most young women do, of believing that a boy from a neighboring town was in love with her and that she had to prove her love by having sex. When Anne told her boyfriend about her pregnancy, he denied that it was his child and told her to get an abortion and not to speak to him again. This story is slightly more positive in that she is currently fighting for the rights of her unborn child. I spent my Sunday afternoon sitting in a five hour meeting (90% of which was in K'iche') listening to her and her family urge the guy and the guy's family to support the child by being present during the birth, helping name the child, and providing child support until the age of 18. They seemed somewhat receptive but they want her to pay for a DNA test (how they will be able to afford that is beyond me!) and they are not willing to make any decisions until after the birth of the child. They provided her with Q1,000 (about $125 US) for labor costs even though it costs about Q5,000 for a delivery in a hospital where you have better chances of surviving labor. This case also shows the importance of the Alcaldia Maya as they organized this meeting and also fought on behalf of Anne. TrinaThis story breaks my heart the most as Trina is the niece of my counterpart and a beautiful spirit. Trina was 13 when she started talking to a man (22 years old) who recently came back from the States and had flashy clothes, phone and a car. Trina is raised by her grandmother because her mother is working in the States and no one in the family suspected that she was talking to this man. One afternoon a neighbor called my counterpart instructing her to come home immediately because Trina was talking to some man outside of the house. My counterpart raced to her home and scolded the man for talking to a young girl. That's when things got worse, two weeks later Trina coordinated with her new boyfriend so that he could sneak her away. This aspect is a little difficult to explain because it involves some cultural differences, but essentially, he stole her from her family. The grandmother called the entire community searching high and low for Trina until they found out that the man had come in the night and took her away. He argued that Trina willingly went with him but we all know that at the age of 13, girls are willing to do lots of crazy things without properly understanding the consequences. Trina married her 22 year old boyfriend shortly thereafter. My counterpart and her family were devastated. The grandmother is a strong advocate of women's rights in the community and municipality. My counterpart is also an incredible role model, pursuing a college degree and working hard in women's and indigenous empowerment. I found out last week that she is now due to have a baby in August, she hasn't even turned 14 yet. Then we have one of my favorite little girls ever, Paola. She is turning 7 years old next week and we're planning on celebrating our birthdays together this weekend with a cake and a piñata filled with candy. She is a bright, energetic, talkative and gregarious little girl. She is overflowing with potential. She's lucky to have strong women in her life but so did her cousin Trina. I think to myself, what can be done to ensure that she'll be able to stay a little girl, that some older man won't corrupt her thoughts, that she'll be strong enough to overcome the challenges of being an indigenous woman in Guatemala. These stories are certainly not unique to my community, these stories represent thousands of girls and young women in the entire world. Inspire a young girl you know to dream and achieve. How? Start a girls group Look into NGOs that work to help girls in your local community Help organize a girls' camp Volunteer at an after-school program Spend more time with your sisters Lead by example Also, for the males out there, boys and young men need to receive an equal amount of attention to learn about healthy relationships, sexual education and be exposed to positive male role models!

Where we're going, we won't need roads!

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

Applicants Knowhere

2012-05-29 15:56:02

The time has arrived! We are officially on the road to Philly after a whirlwind couple of weeks. It has been a fantastic time seeing all of you, and now it’s time to start the real adventure. I had a fantastic time at my going away party and I wanted to thank everyone that came out, it meant a great deal to me to see everyone before I go and thanks for all the well wishes. We will spend the night in Philly tonight then staging starts in the morning, and I fly out Thursday morning. So that’s probably it for now, see you all on the other side!

I, (your name), am accepting my invitation to serve...

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

Applicants Perry and Elizabeth: Our Peace Corps Journey

2012-05-28 18:02:00

So begins the text of the official acceptance statement Perry and I emailed to the Peace Corps yesterday. After inserting our personalized information, of course :).

We arrived home from our cruise yesterday and our neighbor had our Peace Corps invitation packet! It was delivered UPS -- we had USPS on vacation hold and we were afraid we'd have to wait until Tuesday for our packet. So, the suspense has ended and we're officially invited to...insert small drum roll here...South Africa!

According to our packet, we'll be serving in either the Mpumalanga or Kwa-Zulu Natal province. It should be pretty interesting trying to learn a click language like isiZulu! Both of us will be school teachers at the primary level, which for Peace Corps South Africa purposes is grades 1-7. We could end up in a classroom with no teacher (due to demotivation, illness, or even death due to AIDS) and as many as 100+ students. We could be living in a mud hut with a thatch roof or a brick house with a tin roof. We could have electricity or not have it, have running water or not, internet service or not.

We're not willing to speculate too much (the unexpected seems the norm when it comes to the Peace Corps), but we're thinking we'll end up closer to modern amenities because of my asthma. Flat maps are deceiving because of distortion, but South Africa is actually as large as Texas and California combined, and some posts will be many hours away from a major city. For anyone considering visiting us, know that when it's winter in the United States, it's summer in South Africa!

Now, we need to file more paperwork (visa, PC passport, etc.), get more shots (starting with yellow fever), organize our affairs stateside (power of attorney, selling cars, etc.), and squeeze in a visit to New York (visit family!). The next six weeks will certainly fly by.

We're super excited for this new adventure! It promises to be a life changing experience.

- by Elizabeth

Mpumalanga - Kruger Park in the NE, big 5 territory!


Mpumalanga Vista

Kwa-Zulu Natal Vista

Kwa-Zulu Natal

Conquering Your Fear, Not Letting It Control You

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

Applicants Taking The Leap: . . . . . . The Peace Corps

2012-05-28 11:49:00

Last week 110 PCTs (Peace Corps Trainees) swore in and became PCVs (Peace Corps Volunteers) here in Morocco. All of the brand spanking new PCVs have been traveling to, and arriving in, their sites over the last several days. Last night, I thought about how remarkable all of these new PCVs are. In choosing to live the lives they're living, they're so brave, bold, and audacious, in pursuing their vision of a world shaped by love rather than by fear.

I've told them that as they feel unhinged, as they cope with emotions perhaps on a scale which they've never before felt, as they adjust to a markedly different culture, as they adapt to so much that's foreign, they'll view their situation objectively if they remind themselves that most, if not all, people would feel fear while confronting such challenges. I've told them to remember that in the choice they made to enter the Peace Corps, they've chosen to conquer their fear.

Most, if not all, PCVs, soon after swearing in as PCVs, freak out to a degree they've never before experienced. If you're a new PCV, you're pushing yourself into new territory, and it's scary because it's unfamiliar. As you freak out, and conquer your fear, remind yourself that many people never do what you're doing. What you're doing is remarkable.

In the context of being deposited into towns where you don't know people, where you're struggling to express yourselves and understand what's happening around you, reconsider what's normal and what's amazing. Every day you're choosing to live ridiculously unfamiliar, insanely uncomfortable lives. When you just walk down the street, in the context of feeling such culture shock, you're doing something which, for many people, is unbelievable, unfathomable, unimaginable, unattainable. Think I'm saying something untrue, falsely flattering, exaggerated? It's accurate, considering that many people let their fear prevent them from ever even trying it, even once in their lives. And you're actually doing it.

And the countdown begins...

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

Applicants Marjorie in Benin

2012-05-28 00:35:02

One month ago I received my invitation to serve in Benin.

One month from today, I will be in Benin.

Most volunteers received their invitations many months before I did and had the benefit of preparing in advance. I’m content with only having two months notice. In a way, I think it was probably less stressful. Reality is going to hit us all the last week or so, regardless of how much time we’ve had to prepare.

On Friday, I attended the Idaho Returned Peace Corps Volunteer’s Bon Voyage Picnic. I attended this event last year as an applicant; I don’t believe I had even received my nomination. It was a very fun, informative evening and I was glad to introduce myself as an invitee. The highlight of the evening was meeting Becky, the other Idahoan that will also be serving in Benin, as a rural community health volunteer no less! She is a very friendly and spirited person and she has already promised to take care of me since I am guaranteed to get violently ill multiple times over the next two years. Becky and I spent the evening listening to RPCVs’ stories, in particular two women that served in Benin and Togo. Not only were their PC stories very helpful, but also learning about what they’ve done since their time in PC is very inspiring.

Tomorrow I am going to do some preparation shopping, including, but not limited to, buying a pack, maybe a rain jacket and a two year supply of underwear.

Spelling Bee Morocco 2012

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

Applicants Taking The Leap: . . . . . . The Peace Corps

2012-05-26 16:26:00

Yesterday and today other PCVs and I volunteered at regional spelling bees down here in southern Morocco. Over the last few months, schools and dar chebabs (Darija, or Moroccan Arabic, for "youth centers") held spelling bees. Later, citywide spelling bees were held in those same cities and towns.

The top spellers, who are high school students, from those previous competitions came here to the city of Ouarzazate for the regional spelling bees this weekend. They competed in a spelling bee yesterday in which teams of three students each competed against each other. A team of three girls won the team spelling bee yesterday. Today another spelling bee was held, in which individual students competed against each other. Today one girl won first place, another girl won second place, and a boy won third place.

I was glad to see girls winning most of the top places in the regional spelling bees this weekend after they made it here. Today when we were gathered for the solo bee, one of the Moroccan teachers thanked parents who let their daughters come to participate in the regional spelling bees here in Ouarzazate this weekend. Some of the girls' parents had been hesitant about giving permission for their daughters to attend the regional spelling bees here this weekend.

I can't help but suspect that many of those reticent parents didn't grasp the full scope of constructive impact that these spelling bees could potentially have. And yet in giving or withholding their permission for their daughters to attend, the parents held the key to the doorway of not only opportunity but also development for their daughters. To the extent that, in their reluctance, they refused to grant permission for their daughters to attend and participate in the spelling bees, they correspondingly hampered their daughters' development.

All of the students, but especially the girls who competed, stood to benefit in so many ways above and beyond becoming more proficient in English. In the team spelling bees, the students were practicing teamwork. In both of the bees, they were developing public speaking skills. In gradually becoming more comfortable while speaking in front of an audience, they were probably developing confidence. They may have raised their self-esteem by succeeding at spelling words in these contests. These youths, who are especially studious, and particularly the girls among them, might not have other opportunities through which they can derive these benefits.

Here in Morocco, athletic students, especially boys, seem to have many opportunities to exhibit, practice and develop their talents. As is often the case in many countries, and which also seems to be the case here in Morocco, studious kids, bookworms, seem to have fewer chances to compete in public events. And here in Morocco, I've seen fewer competitions--of any kind, athletic, academic or otherwise--in which girls compete.

I hope that we helped these studious youths--especially the girls, who can find it even harder to speak up--to become more bold and assertive in expressing themselves. I hope that they gained some skill in collaborating with each other this weekend. If they have been developing these qualities and skills through these activities, they will be improving their standing and their station in life so much more than by simply learning more English.

Two months to go!

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

Applicants Flaming Kaleidoscopes

2012-05-26 03:57:00

Two months from today...I will be leaving for Namibia.

Oh my!

Okay...literally, I'll be leaving for staging (the Peace Corps' two day orientation) in some yet to be determined city....but still!

To say I'm pumped would be the understatement of the year. It's becoming more and more real by the minute. I've been slowly adding to my packing list and subsequently checking things off of it. I have an ever growing pile in the corner of my room with things that are meant to come with me. I am NOT thrilled about the idea of actually packing it all. Luckily I happen to have a best friend who has instilled lots of sound packing advice in me throughout the years (such as: always wear your bulkiest shoes! pack things inside your water bottle! wear layers on departure day!) so I'm sure I'll manage, one way or another. :)

There have been those sad moments too, the ones where I realize how much I'm leaving behind, and how many things will be different when I get back. It's difficult to comprehend what that will be like. So instead, I'm focusing on taking things one step at a time, concentrating on the day ahead of me, and doing my best not to stress about the inevitable "what if's".

Really, I'm just incredibly blessed to be surrounded by such amazing friends and family who are supportive and excited with me. A common phrase for people to use is that they are excited "for me". But there is nothing quite like having people by your side (physically or figuratively) who identify with what you're doing and why you're doing it enough to be excited with you. So this post is for you... the ones who are there for me through all my crazy plans, and love me anyways.

Check back soon for more information about Namibia and a follow-up post (from a while back) on why I've decided to join the Peace Corps (*cue intense music*)

Good night!

Graduate

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

Applicants The First 27

2012-05-25 21:19:00

Congratulations Johns Hopkins Class of 2012, WE DID IT!

"Tomorrow, your work begins anew.

Tomorrow, we place the challenges of our society squarely on your shoulders.

And we ask you to make a choice—I or Us?"

- President Ron Daniels of the Johns Hopkins University

"I'm excited for the chance to work toward that future alongside a new generation that is smarter, more clear-headed and more hopeful than any I've seen.

I hope you will keep that spirit—the spirit of this day of commencement … the spirit of seeking new opportunities, of embracing the future with pragmatic optimism—as you embark on your own life travels.

A remarkable new world is opening before all of us. Don't limit your options. Go out and grab it."

- Sam Palmisano, chairman of the board of IBM and chair of IBM's executive committee

T - One Month!

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

Applicants Sarah's Peace Corps Blog

2012-05-25 18:54:00

I am officially at the less-than-one-month-before-I-leave-Florida mark...crazy, huh? Time has definitely gone into warp speed these past few months. Now that school's out (and I've graduated(!!)) I've been working on visiting family and hanging out with friends as much as possible, in addition to trying to move out of my apartment this week. Busy busy!

I'm so thankful I started packing as soon as I got my invitation, because that has taken a lot of stress off of me when it comes to PC stuff. I got to book my flights to Philadelphia the other day, which instantly made this feel really real. I also brought my cat to my sister's and that made it feel even more real (and heartbreaking). I'm gonna miss that little man like whoa.

So... 30 days until I arrive in Philly for staging, 31 days until I leave for NY to board a plane to Cotonou, and 32 days until I land in Benin!! Currently I'm like 99% crazy excited and 1% sad about leaving everyone I love for two years (but it's only two years...we got this!). I'm not nervous at all...that will probably hit me on the 14+ hours of plane ride I'll have to Africa.

You're Not Going Anywhere Anytime Soon

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

Applicants Taking The Leap: . . . . . . The Peace Corps

2012-05-25 13:46:00

On my travels back down south this week, I stopped in the town where my friend, who's also a fellow PCV, lives and works. After he met me at the bus station, he took me to the shop where his friends, some Moroccan women who are local artisans, sell rugs. As we were sitting in their shop speaking with them, they invited us to their home for dinner.

After we were at their shop for not too long, we left to go to their home. When we arrived at their home, perhaps around 10:00 p.m., some helwa shebakiya, a sticky, sweet Moroccan dessert, was served. While we knew we would be eating pasta for dinner, there was no sign of when we would be eating it. As the night wore on, it became clear that we weren't going to be eating dinner anytime soon.

At one point, my fellow PCV's female artisan friends left the home. He explained that someone had called expressing interest in buying rugs from them, so they went to meet the potential purchasers. As we commented to each other that it was already late to eat, and that it was getting later for dinner, my fellow PCV joked that his female artisan friends went to Italy to buy pasta.

I was getting very tired since it was getting so late. I was glad when we finally ate, partly because the pasta sauce was delicious, also since I was happy to be eating vegetables in the sauce, and because my fellow PCV cooked the pasta so it wasn't so soft as it is when Moroccans cook pasta. But I was also thankful to be finally eating, since we ended up eating dinner at 1:00 a.m.!

Prepping for Education

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

Applicants I'd Love to Change the World, But......

2012-05-25 01:25:00

Preface: What a shame that Peace Corps limits itself in some countries to having just the education program, sometimes solely for English instruction. Without diminishing the importance of a singular operation or the laudable efforts of its PCVs, my opinion is that additional programs would generate a more multifaceted positive PC impact. These countries (excepting

China

) would welcome the expansion, particularly those touching upon food security.

Such is the case with

Liberia

which had a long, storied Peace Corps presence before the civil war. The critical need for primary and secondary educators in this country and everywhere else in Africa should be met, but PC can feasibly expand their operations in

Liberia

; the groundwork was laid generations ago. Because of my professional background, I automatically read all I could find about rice agriculture in

Liberia

once this country became my designated destination. Rice is the major basic grain, but must be imported because of faltering domestic production. Over the last decade some work on land expansion from upland to wetland cultivation has taken place with several points still to be addressed (pollution, aquatic parasites, wetland reclamation). Oil palm plantations are rebounding to pre-civil war importance with its concomitant controversy (deforestation, climate change). Also vegetable cropping, watersheds and soil conservation, watsan, and more could be added to the list. A PC forestry or ag or env program would be ideal to re-initiate. There are many potential Liberian counterparts working for the government, international agencies, and NGOs.

____________

Most of the past two months, however, has been spent researching education in Africa. The World Bank constructed several papers in the 1990s that summarized needs and made recommendations, particularly the well known call for constructivist teaching methods. There is input from USAID, IE, UN, etc., with various white papers, projects, and funding, and TVET and IIEE documents on teaching in post-conflict nations. In

Liberia

, the MOE and USAID-funded LTTP (Liberia Teacher Training Program) efforts for education are underway. The LTTP final report should be available by now but it is not yet online. Teaching methods, status and livelihood of teachers, and teacher shortages continue to be mentioned.

The MOE Liberia Sector Plan complimented the efforts of PCRVs at the forefront of teacher training at the RTTIs (Rural Teacher Training Institutes) as has articles from the PC homepage. The ~12 Response Volunteers comprise a sizable addition to the PCV presence of only 38 in

Liberia

. This number will soon almost double with the new training group next month. Then another batch of PCRVs, me included, will follow in August. I am very glad to part of an entering group and not just inserted in-country as an individual. If Peace Corps can locate a math instructor, I should have a partner at Cuttington University where my duties lie. But good math instructors are more difficult to obtain than good biology instructors.

The next two months will alternately pass very slowly and then quickly. I sold my spare vehicle this week, which paid for my PC medical expenses (just joking, sort of). This assignment will be rewarding and also a decent networking opportunity. I hope that there is sufficient time to at least observe development efforts in other arenas within

Liberia

Peace Corps South Africa Aspiration Statement

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

Applicants Liz in Service

2012-05-24 18:12:58

After I accepted my invitation to serve in South Africa, I had to do a lot of things quickly — apply for my visa, renew my passport, get the yellow fever vaccine, update my resume and write an aspiration statement. … Continue reading →

Los Angeles

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

Applicants The Lone Traveler

2012-05-24 04:30:00

It was wonderful to finally get out to LA after a (very) long 8-month wait. I really missed my friends, I missed the area, and I missed the sunshine. I missed the heat. I missed the traffic on the 10 and the 405. I missed Diddy Riese, In-N-Out, and yes, even Del Taco. I missed USC. I missed South Central. I basically missed everything there was to miss and not to miss.

I felt free for the first time in months. I felt like me again.

I know that I am eventually going to have to move out there, without a doubt. I know I don't belong on the East Coast, but this is where I am at the moment and I am trying to make the best of it in every way possible. I even applied for a *real* job today! I am more than likely not going to get it, but a girl can dream, can't she? Ha!

I'm upset that I did not get to see as many people as I wanted to see, nor as many sights as I wanted to see, but I finally did do the hike in Griffith Park. One week was way too short.

On the Peace Corps front, I have definitely decided to put off leaving until at least next August. If I get the job that I applied for, I can plan my class schedule in such a way that I will have all of my classes done by next August, at which point I will be ready to leave. Hopefully, I can squeeze the MCAT in there somewhere, but we know that plans always change. Here's to hoping!

Each Ending is a NEW Beginning

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

Applicants My Peace Corps Journey

2012-05-21 23:38:00

I graduated with a 3.89 GPA from Texas Tech University with a BS in agricultural communications this weekend. I am still waiting to for medical clearance. However, my dental clearance has been affirmed. It is nerve wrecking to be waiting on an invite when I could be applying for jobs. But I will keep waiting :)

Peace Corps Medical Packet

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

Applicants FUTURE DIPLOMAT

2012-05-21 13:09:00

"Dear Applicant, This email is to notify you that Peace Corps’ application process is changing in late summer. This will have an impact on your medical review as the changes to our application process involve a new process for medical clearance. If we do not receive your physical exam form with a postmark date no later than July 9, you will be required to complete a new online tool to evaluate your medical history when the new medical process begins. Additionally, you risk being delayed for departure with your nominated program if your physical exam form is not completed by the July 9 postmark deadline."

Well. That's hilarious. I guess I'd better get on it, then! I've already mailed in my Dental Packet and have my last appointment for the physical portion today. I just need those darned Polio and TD boosters!

Peace Corps update: SOUTH AFRICA HERE I COME!!!

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

Applicants Liz in Service

2012-05-21 04:48:28

Hold fast to dreams and they will come true! It took a whole week for my invitation to travel across country, but it finally came! I didn’t get to actually open it myself because I went to Las Vegas this … Continue reading →

Lovely Endings

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

Applicants What Ships Are Built For

2012-05-19 20:50:00

So, first things first. I graduated!

Second things second, my tutoring at Leyden came to a close a couple days ago. It was actually quite sad saying goodbye to the youngsters. But they sent me off well! I've never seen so many bags of chips in my life. And those chips were GONE in 20 minutes. They wiped them out. It was rather impressive, actually.

They also bound the short stories and poems we worked on together a couple months back. I almost lost it, it was so beautiful. One of the girls drew a marvelous picture for the cover. It was unbelievably thoughtful. I should have pictures from the festivities soon. Can't wait to post those up!

I owe that entire experience to the wonderful teachers at Leyden. They made everything possible. They opened up their doors to me, sharing not only their time but their knowledge in teaching. Without them, I wouldn't have been nominated for Peace Corps. I wouldn't have had one of the most incredible times of my life.

My last semester of college was certainly a memorable one. I've learned so much from all the different places I've went and all the different people I've met. Each one with a purpose in guiding my life. I can only hope I've led others even a tiny bit like they have led me.

Happy Summer, all!

Place Your Bets!

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

Applicants FUTURE DIPLOMAT

2012-05-19 14:13:00

If you voted in the poll located on the lefthand side of the page, please go back and add your vote again, because I lost the original poll when I changed my blog around!

If you need help with your decision, check out this post!

Another Update (May 2012)

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

Applicants The Lone Traveler

2012-05-19 03:04:00

So as of right now, I think, after my deferral is up for appeal again at the start of next month, I am not going to jump right into getting all of that stuff done. One, I think I want to push back my leave date by about a year, and two, I have a great job and I love it. Right now I tutor. I absolutely love the feeling of helping somebody succeed; there is almost no greater feeling in this world. I already promised two families that I would be in NJ through the next school year for their kids. I don't like to break these promises. Also, I will be taking a full course-load of classes at a local University to do all of the fun Pre-Med stuff that I never did at 'SC. I really want to finish all of the pre-reqs for Medical School before departing for the Peace Corps. I think this is the best option for me, especially because I want to start applying while in the PC. It seems strange to want to push back the Peace Corps by a few more months after being devastated that they deferred me for far longer than I would have liked or that I found comfortable at the time. I guess there may be a reason for everything on this small ball of chaos floating in space. I hope everybody is having a wonderful May! I will write about my trip to LA in my next post!

Smile!

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

Applicants Ben and Sarah See the World

2012-05-16 13:00:00

Ben and I awoke this morning to find our Peace Corps Application Status had been updated. We have officially passed the rigorous dental review portion of the application process. Our teeth are healthy enough to go abroad!

Additionally, I received an email from the Office of Medical Services indicating a missing lab test for Hepatitis B surface antibody. Although the doctor's office told me they had completed all the required tests, they did not realize that this specific test was not included in their typical Hepatitis panel. I will have to go back to their office next week to get the test done.

On the bright side, we are thrilled that the medical office is even looking at our paperwork this early. Our files are no longer gathering dust. We are one step closer to finding the answer to everyone's favorite question: "Where are you going?" We would love to find out about where you would like to go if you were in our shoes. Share your dream destination with us by completing the poll to the right!

Next Steps: Sarah will complete her missing lab work; Ben gets to wait some more, but will hear from them soon! In the meantime, we are trying our hands at learning Spanish by revisiting my old college textbook.

News from the Spanish Ministry of Education

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

Applicants FUTURE DIPLOMAT

2012-05-18 21:13:00

"Ha sido adjudicada la plaza en <DESC_CENTRO> - Madrid - España a su solicitud 12_1AXC000042 del programa de Auxiliares de Conversación en España."

This basically means that I have officially been offered a spot in the ministry program. I have 7 days to decide whether or not I will defer Peace Corps for three months, or tell this program (as I have told BEDA), "no".

I will try to do the right thing for myself - it sucks being stuck in two places. I know I will make the right decision, though.

Traveling As A PCV In Morocco

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

Applicants Taking The Leap: . . . . . . The Peace Corps

2012-05-18 14:38:00

I still have a couple of weeks of vacation time left. Given that I'm nearing the end of my Peace Corps service, I've got to use my vacation time now, if I'm going to use it. Therefore, I've been traveling this week. At the beginning of the week, I visited a friend who lives north of my town. He showed me around his town. Since he's a PCV (Peace Corps Volunteer) who works in small business development, he was introducing me to women who have been learning how to make shoes, weave rugs and baskets, and make keftans (long Moroccan women's robes) and handkerchiefs. In addition to giving me the tour of his town, he also hosted me in his apartment until the next day. I was grateful for his hospitality and generosity. Since it's been getting hot, I especially appreciated how he served another PCV and me cold watermelon and green cantaloupe.

Later in the week, I was happy to visit a Franciscan monastery. I managed to make it there for a service at 7:15 a.m. It was all in French, so I understood very little of it. I'd previously attended masses in French here in Morocco, but for some reason I seemed to encounter a particular difficulty which I don't recall experiencing on prior occasions. I found singing hymns in French more difficult than I'd expected. Later I considered that when singing in English, I'm not only reading the words, I'm also looking to see if the notes go up or down. Then I realized that when trying to sing in French, I'm struggling with words I don't know in French as an added element on top of trying to read and seeing whether the notes go up or down. But I was glad to be worshipping with others, since I don't get to do so much here.

After the service, I spoke with the expatriate Franciscan monks and nuns who live in the monastery. They were very warm and friendly. I told them that I've benefited considerably from having a lot of time to read while living here. Consequently I've devoted much time to opening the door for God, to trying to place myself before God, so as to be receptive to what He has to say to me. I often think of Revelation 3:20 as a reminder to approach my relationship with God in this way. I was grateful to these monks and nuns for their implicit support of me and other Christians in our walk of faith and path in trying to emulate Jesus.

A couple of the elderly nuns were especially sweet, continuing to clasp my hand as they spoke with me. As I spoke with one of them, I was finding it difficult to speak in French, since I've been infrequently speaking French. She told me to speak in Darija, which was much easier!

After not too long, I was parting ways with the monks and nuns. As I was saying goodbye to them, one of the elderly nuns called me "Xuya," which is Darija, or Moroccan Arabic, for "my brother," as she next further noted that we're all brothers and sisters.

After I bid adieu to the monks and nuns, I caught a bus so I could continue further north on my journey. I was happy to be able to take a bus with the CTM bus company. CTM buses are nicer, and newer, than most other buses here in Morocco. In addition to also being more reliable than a lot of other buses, they're also air-conditioned, unlike many other buses here in Morocco. As I traveled north, I enjoyed more beautiful scenery, including green meadows giving way to hills covered with evergreen trees. In this area of Morocco, snow covers the ground in winter. But this month, there was no snow on the ground there, unlike when I traveled the same route on my way to PPST (Post-Pre-Service Training) back in February 2011.

This time as I approached Azrou, although I didn't see any snow, in addition to the green meadows, I also saw purple and yellow flowers. At one point, the bus slowed down since sheep were running into the road. Their shepherd, protective of his sheep, got them back off of the road. I saw other flocks of sheep later before arriving in Azrou.

Once I arrived in Azrou, I caught another bus to the town of Ifrane. I'd heard that Ifrane seemed different from the rest of Morocco. The French built Ifrane in the 1930s. Thus it has architecture different from rest of Morocco, namely houses with pointed roofs. However, I must admit that I was disappointed once I arrived in Ifrane, given how people had told me that Ifrane was very different. It didn't seem significantly different from the rest of Morocco. Ifrane is also known for its gardens, some of which are quite pleasant and pretty, with trimmed grass and flower beds with purple, lavender, orange and yellow flowers.

After visiting Ifrane, next I headed to the city of Meknes, where I stayed for the night. In the morning, I headed further north, to the ancient Roman ruins at the site of Volubilis, or Oualili in Arabic. Volubilis is still being excavated, but there's much interesting already to see there. A massive arch, built by local residents out of gratitude for being exempt from taxes, still stands there. The ancient baths remain. I was most impressed by the mosaics. In addition to enjoying the skill of the artists, I marvelled at how well they've endured against the elements for nearly two millenia.

After exploring at Volubilis, I continued north up here to Chefchaouen. I'd been wanting to come to Chefchaouen for a while, and I'm glad I finally did. I'd heard that a planned visit to Chefchaouen of a few days often easily turns into a stay of a week or more, since it has such a mellow, relaxed atmosphere, which I'm now glad to be feeling myself. I've also been appreciating the scenic beauty here. Chefchaouen is nestled at the foot of the Rif mountains. Its medina, that is, the old part of the city, is whitewashed and also covered in various shades of blue. I also tend to especially enjoy a medina when its streets slope more steeply, as they do here.

I'm thankful to be a PCV here in Morocco. There's so much to do and see here, and more importantly, I'm grateful to be surrounded by such warm and generous people here.

Week 33-34: Celebrating completing the CST!

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

Applicants Liz in Service

2012-05-18 06:10:37

All Markham students have been testing for the past two weeks. Four days out of these past two weeks school ended at 12:50. Our after-school program runs until 5 p.m., so we had to come up with some fun things … Continue reading →

The Paraguay update/invitation!

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

Applicants Breton's Adventures

2012-05-18 00:08:23

I just got my invitation!!!! I am ultra excited! As I found out last week, I am going to Paraguay in September! Until then I got to finish my last humanities class, get my final transcript, write up a resume and a aspiration statement, and then work on my Spanish! I am beyond excited because [...]

Invited!

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

Applicants Perry and Elizabeth: Our Peace Corps Journey

2012-05-17 23:13:00

In the wee hours of the morning, I had a gut feeling that the Peace Corps might have updated our status, so I grabbed my iPod and checked my email. Updates occur sometime in the middle of the night, and sure enough, there was a message in my inbox saying they'd updated my application status. An invitation perhaps? After incorrectly typing in my password -- twice -- I managed to log on and was greeted by the happy message: "Congratulations! You have been invited to become a Peace Corps Volunteer." I got out of bed and found Perry. He hadn't yet checked his email, so I showed him my updated status. Of course, I couldn't get back to sleep after that!

Wow! This is really happening!

Our invitation packets were mailed yesterday, so we hope to get them before we board our cruise to Alaska on Sunday. We won't know where we'll be going our when we'll be leaving until those packets arrive. We're pretty certain that the invitations are for Africa, with a July departure -- when it comes to the Peace Corps, though, the only thing that's certain is uncertainty ;). After receiving our invitation packets, we'll have 7 days to accept or decline. We'll be accepting! Then, a new raft of paperwork and planning will begin. We're ready for it.

- by Elizabeth

A picture to sum up my first year of service

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

Applicants Liz in Service

2012-05-17 18:56:09

A picture of me taking picture of a teammate fake posing with a student. I’m trying my hardest to not take a picture of the student’s face because he doesn’t have a LAUSD media waiver form signed. Story of my … Continue reading →

Medical Packet Received

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

Applicants CoFeeh's Journey Into Peace Corps

2012-05-17 14:59:33

Well, the title kinda says it all. So I guess more waiting is in order, the website says that if I’m not scheduled to leave in the next 4 months that my medical packet won’t be reviewed until sooner to my departure date….which is January to March of 2013.

Afflicted with Restless Applicant Syndrome

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

Applicants rarely have i never

2012-05-17 01:18:00

Disillusionment. Extreme curiosity. Frustration. Crazy ass dreams.

All symptoms of Peace Corps Restless Applicant Syndrome, or RAS for short. Of which, I've self-diagnosed myself as having a moderate to severe case. Please, allow me to elaborate.

Unfortunately, not the prescription.

Disillusionment: Between waiting for the Office of Medical Services to clear me, frustrations at my job, and desire to embark on a career of sustainable development, it feels as if the sky is falling every day I don't hear from Peace Corps and I have to deal with vocation shenanigans. Regardless of the rational thought that my September departure I was nominated for is a mere four months away, even m aking it through an eight hour work day is laborious. Every day that passes without communication from PC, is another day I'm convinced my medical information is just rotting on someone's desk and that I'm going to have to wait another four months to depart. RAS is sucking dry my ability to always be positive and know something better is always on the horizon. With the Peace Corps, it always seems that the light at the end of the tunnel moves back three feet for every two you advance towards it.

Cry more, right?

Extreme Curiosity: How many of you can quickly point to exactly where Togo rests on a map? Or know the official language of Cape Verde? Or study the political stability of Francophone Africa? Well, I can supply you with the answers. If I'm not working or sleeping, there is a good chance that I'm researching Peace Corps, PC blogs, Peace Corps Wiki, and/or any news pertaining to service. Given enough time, RAS will likely infuse me with enough knowledge to be a genius when it comes to African trivia.

Frustration: I feel like my late Grandma Geri, lately. If you don't know the unwritten rules of the world, I have little time for you. Working at a behavioral facility for kids does not mesh with this too well. And by "too well," I mean I facepalm innumerable times a day.

The Picard is fully aware of the undignified actions that prompt a facepalm.

I imagine my patience as a big tank that dwells inside me. It starts full every morning and as I make it through the day, drama, pettiness, racist remarks, things being thrown through the air, being called a "dickbag," having little authority in my own classroom, being disrespected, and openly being mocked all tax it. Being afflicted with RAS, it appears as if the tank size is steadily shrinking and there is a direct correlation to an increase in facepalming.

Crazy Ass Dreams: Seeing as how my days are permeated with thoughts of Peace Corps (research, daydreaming, waking up at 200 am to see if I received an application status update), it's understandable how I've begun dreaming about it as well. RAS is like a combination of obsession and depression. It infiltrates your thoughts and actions and demands your obedience all day every day. However, it is debilitating and immobilizing, ensuring your dutiful frustration and negativity, convinced the process will never end.

The first Peace Corps related dream [that I remember, at least] starred Craig and I wandering aimlessly through an airport. We were totally lost, unsure of the gate to which we needed to go because PC never told us definitively the country we were serving in! For some reason (beer, likely), I wasn't freaking out; I only began harboring negative feelings towards PC (perhaps indicative of reality) for putting us through such inanity. I recall thinking that we were serving in Greece due to their economic crisis and then making our way to a flight that was destined for Athens.

My second dream involved myself with a number of very good friends and various dream people populating a very rural farm for staging. I had dream knowledge that it was Peace Corps staging, but there was otherwise nothing that would indicate it. People were all dressed as country bumpkins- red long-sleeve Ts and denim coveralls. Everyone. We definitely shucked hay and boozed the entire time (and from what I gather, this isn't actually too far removed from most PCV's staging experiences). Even Kaitlin Olson, Sweet Dee from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, arrived and apparently had the hots for me. Not only that, courtesy more dream knowledge, I understood she and I had been engaging in adult relations (sorry, Mac) long before this farm hoedown and while this dream remained PG, I did at least get a handful of ass, which is shocking because Kaitlin is... Well, skinny is an understatement. Regardless, as soon as Kaitlin arrived, dream conversations changed pretty rapidly from Peace Corps related talk to naughty talk. Go fig.

Today's Nominee Toolkit Reading

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

Applicants FUTURE DIPLOMAT

2012-05-15 01:00:00

The Nominee Toolkit is an online application-checking interface that Peace Corps uses in order to communicate progress to its nominees.

Every time Peace Corps changes something or receives something from me, they update the information in the Nominee Toolkit. Everytime the toolkit updates, I get an e-mail at around 5AM the next morning, which always gives me a happy little surprise when I wake up.

Today's Toolkit reads like this (as it has since the end of March):

FORMS required to become an invitee

Medical/Dental Forms

Peace Corps mailed you a Medical Kit on March 27, 2012. Be sure to schedule your medical appointments immediately so you can submit your medical forms as soon as possible. TIP: Some medical forms, reimbursement forms, and samples of correctly completed forms are available in the Download Center.

Physical Exam

Peace Corps has not yet received the results of your physical exam. Please make the required medical appointments and submit your physical exam, along with any other required documentation, as soon as possible. (Note: Notification of receipt of dental information may precede notification of receipt of physical exam. Allow for a 2 to 3 day delay.)

Evaluations required to become an Invitee:

Dental

Peace Corps is currently reviewing your dental documentation.

Legal

There are no legal holds on your account at this time.

Medical

Peace Corps is currently reviewing your medical documentation.

Place

There are no placement holds on your account at this time.

----

By the way, I just sent off my dental packet today and I am not even finished with my physical, so those last couple of circles are kinda wrong, lol. I believe they are just place-holders until they actually receive the information (which should be soon!).

Ball is in their court

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

Applicants Peace Corps Adventures

2012-05-15 00:17:00

I finally finished all my medical paperwork/ tests/ X-rays/ vaccines/ etc. It's in the mail back to D.C. and needs to be reviewed by their medical office. After (hopefully) a quick approval, my Placement Officer (whom I have not met) should take a final look at my application and skills and match me up with a country. Then they should send me an invitation kit with all the details. I am so excited and ready to find out where/when I'm going and what my mission will be! It's been a quick turnaround so far, so let's see if that continues.

Taking Pride In His Heritage

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

Applicants Taking The Leap: . . . . . . The Peace Corps

2012-05-14 19:51:00

Last week I was playing blackjack with some kids at the dar shebab (Darija, or Moroccan Arabic, for "youth center"), where I spend most of my time volunteering as a Youth Development PCV (Peace Corps Volunteer) here in Morocco. Thinking about how Moroccans so enjoy drinking tea, and how we weren't drinking tea as we were playing "21," and how I've heard some Moroccans facetiously call their tea "whiskey Berbere," I suggested, "We need some whiskey Berbere!"

One of the boys playing the game retorted, "We are not Berber! We are Amazigh!" There's not only one Berber tribe; there are multiple kinds of Berbers, including those who are Amazigh. So it seemed to me that this boy was taking pride in his particular strain of Berber heritage. Also, more recently I learned why he may have such a strong sense of pride instilled in him: Amazigh means "free man."

Application Timeline

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

Applicants deirdreinthepeacecorps

2012-04-02 16:52:42

Fall 2004- Heard two RPCV’s and old ECC counselors talk about the PC at camp and decided that day that I wanted to join the Peace Corps after college. March 2011- Start seriously researching the Peace Corps and attend online seminars. May 2011- Begin online application. July 2011- Submit application along with recommendations. August 2011- [...]

The story so far...

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

Applicants The First 27

2012-02-15 19:23:00

I submitted my application to the Peace Corps on August 1st, 2011. The past six and a half months have been a whirlwind of fingerprints, waiting, interviews, waiting, doctors appointments, waiting some more, and forms upon forms upon forms. Despite being told in my interview that I would probably not be leaving until December 2012 at the earliest, on December 9, 2011, I received my nomination to serve. I was presented with the following assignment:

Health Extension	September 2012	Worldwide
*Program Name*	*Tentative Departure Date*	*Region*

Extra Program Information: Applicants must be flexible to serve worldwide in isolated, rustic areas (This is a pool for programs in many different countries). They require that you do not smoke. They prefer applicants have experience with teaching, youth, nutrition education, and gardening. They prefer that you can walk 5k and swim.

Worldwide. Worldwide? My recruiter told me I would be going to Latin America! But how could I say no to an opportunity like this, especially since I would be leaving months earlier than I had expected? Plus, the mystery intrigued me. I accepted the nomination and began the medical review process.

Instead of spending my winter break lounging on the couch, letting my brain relax from one of the toughest semesters I've ever had, I spent it shuffling between doctors and dentist appointments. In the course of the three weeks I was home, I had 3 dentist appointments, 4 doctors appointments and one appointment for lab work. My teeth were x-rayed, poked and prodded to measure my gums, cleaned, scaled, and cavities were filled. I got 4 shots, a full physical exam, body measurements done, my entire clinical history printed out, and about 30 different papers signed by my doctor. Not to mention having about 6 vials of blood drawn.

I flew out to volunteer in Honduras before I had the chance to send in my medical forms. This week gave me my first taste of what life as a Peace Corps Volunteer would be like - living in an isolated community, spending my days speaking only Spanish, working to build latrines, showers, floors, and water storage tank for members of an extremely low income rural community, and developing and running a health education program for the local school children. Oh, and how could I forget the lack of hot water? Cold showers are something I'm probably going to need to get used to. It was an amazing experience, and completely renewed my interest and desire to serve. All of the paperwork and waiting had gotten me down, and this trip back into the real world was exactly what I needed.

After finally getting my last papers in order (the school health center messed up my vaccination records - surprise, surprise), I sent out my medical packet on February 7th, a little less than 2 months after receiving my nomination. And as of this morning, February 15th, they have received it. Let Restless Applicant Syndrome (RAS) kick in. I've spent all of my free time since sending in my packet researching what countries were leaving in September (so far, only Nicaragua, Rwanda, and Peru have been announced) and what countries were possibilities. Since the Peace Corps usually only reviews medical forms for those leaving in the following 4 months, I have up to another 2.5 months to kill until I could be getting any form of contact. Coincidentally, that's around the same time as graduation. Let's hope for a speedy review, and fingers crossed for a nomination by graduation!

Ask and you shall receive

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

Applicants The First 27

2012-04-20 16:51:00

The past few weeks have been quite a whirlwind. I had become nervous and disenchanted with the idea of doing the Peace Corps, mostly because I thought I was going to fail medical qualifications due to my crazy allergies. After a rough 8 weeks of radio silence, RAS (restless applicant syndrome) kicked in full force, and I called the medical office begging for some news on my status.On top of that, I got offered a well paying job with the Johns Hopkins Center for Communications Programs, where I currently intern, and applied for a job in Nicaragua that despite paying next to nothing, seemed perfect for me. And minutes after I turned in my resume and cover letter, the Peace Corps called. Divine intervention.

Of course, my medical paperwork wasn't perfect (but let's be real - does anyone go through medical in one shot?) but it was damn close. All I needed was a polio booster and an explanation of some abnormalities in my bloodwork. Being the neurotic, anxious applicant that I am, I had it all taken care of within 24 hours. And just a mere 48 hours after that initial phone call, I got my clearance. I don't know if I've ever been so ecstatic in my life. Of course, I have a find a country that can accommodate my asthma...but I don't care. I can still go somewhere!

Monday morning brought even more surprises. There's nothing better than waking up to the "Peace Corps Application Status Update" email...except maybe an email from placement themselves. The Health Desk emailed me (which confirms that I'll be a Health volunteer!) asking for some supplementary information - updated resume, transcript post graduation, etc - and also let me know that I'm still being considered for programs that depart as early as JULY 1, 2012. A full TWO MONTHS earlier than my nomination stated! Does this mean I'm going to be moved up? Who knows. Maybe they're just keeping their options open. But having options as early as July doubles the number of possible countries I could serve in, since my nomination is still worldwide. Who know's when I'll hear from them next - people have been saying that it takes an average of 6 weeks to hear from a placement officer before nomination - but what I do know is that the next time I hear from them, it will probably be for a placement interview and final review!

I have never been so excited in my life.

Making decisions

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

Applicants The First 27

2012-04-24 18:01:00

With graduation looming and my placement underway, it's been getting down to crunch time. I've been having fairly regular dreams (and by that I mean actually every night) about my invitation and service. One had me going to a brand new country in Africa, which was called Mazimbia (a combination of Mozambique, Namibia, and Zambia) that I actually thought was real...until I woke up and checked my email. Last night's was also pretty vivid and realistic, with me getting invited to serve in the Dominican Republic doing health education in the middle of the country. It could have totally been a real trip, except for the fact that we all had to parachute to our placement sites before we even had in country training. Guess this is what I get for obsessively checking my toolkit, peacecorpswiki, and the prospective volunteers Facebook group before bed every night.

But down to the real struggle - what to do with my summer. It's nearly impossible to plan what to do without an invitation. At this point, all I really know is that I'm leaving sometime after July 1st. Awesome. Keeping in mind my original nomination, I had planned to stay in Baltimore at my current internship at CCP until the first weekend in August, and then head home to go on vacation to Wyoming with my family and hang at home until I left. But more and more, I have a feeling that I may be leaving earlier than I anticipated. There are people getting invited for health extension leaving at the end of August in Dominican Republic, does that mean I could end up there too? Or are they going to take my ability to learn Spanish and place me somewhere completely unexpected, like Mozambique, and have me learn a new language entirely? And what about the need to swim as my nomination stated, does that mean I'm going to the Philippines? All of this has been stressing me out to the point of exhaustion and that's when I finally realized...I should just go home and de-stress for a bit. So, for the first time since 2009, I will be in New York for an extended period of time. That's right, the overachieving ball of anxiety that I am will be taking a major vacation from, well, everything. I'm getting a one month sublet, working full time through the end of June at my current internship, and will be spending ALL of July chilling at home doing absolutely nothing.

This is gonna be interesting.

“Officially Official”

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

Applicants Sally's Peace Corps adventure

2012-05-13 22:56:52

It is somewhat surprising that I waited this long to make this update… nearly 6 months of waiting and hoping, and the big news finally came! Last week, I accepted my invitation to serve as a Health Extension Education Agent in Cambodia, departing July 9th! It is certainly an understatement when I say this came [...]

Eugene Marathon

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

Applicants rarely have i never

2012-05-13 03:53:00

Inadvertently, I began training for the Eugene Marathon in August 2011. I was merely trying to get my feet back under me. I had grown fat and sloth-like. Desperate to lose weight and improve my mental and physical health, unbeknownst to me, I started down a life altering path.

Now, perhaps you have already perused my post on running. In mid February, my best friend Craig and I decided to begin training for the Eugene Marathon. Aforementioned, he had already run in some half marathons and was eager for a new challenge and to share the experience with me. I was capable of running around twelve miles at the time, so it's not as if we were totally starting from scratch at that time. This prompted us to think about the potential reality of adding an additional fourteen miles to a single run in two months time. We figured we'd see how training went and if we hit appropriate benchmarks along the way, we'd run it.

The Eugene Marathon means a lot to me. After finding so much purpose and passion within running, I feel honored to have honed this ability in Eugene, aka Tracktown USA. Literally, following in the footsteps of some of the worlds best runners is completely humbling and motivating.

Could not be more true. Thank you, Pre.

Alas, April 29th. The big day. Craig and I had trained so hard, strengthening our friendship even more than our legs, and excited to demonstrate our abilities. Butterflies abound, but we attempted to let cooler heads prevail. "Let's run our race." We didn't want to get sucked up into the excitement. We knew our 8:30/mile pace should be sufficient to meet our goal times. Even then, we just wanted to finish, and time was allegedly on the backburner.

"We'll do this smart- Keep our pace, be injury free, have fun. Caballo Blanco said it best- easy, smooth, light."

Oooooh boy, hah.

We identified the 3:35 pacer and thought, completely contrary to everything I just stated here and two months of conversations about running our race, "Hey, let's follow him. Maybe even aim to beat him and be sub 3:30."

The race starts and we're away! We stay true to our word for the first few miles and keep the pacer within sight, but aren't killing ourselves to do so. Also, if you're ever in need of free, albeit used, running gear, follow behind marathon runners on an ambiguous weather day. It was about 48 degrees at start, and people were shedding and throwing their clothes onto garbage cans, yards, cars, etc. immediately.

I digress. Craig and I were our usual selves- We were chatting with other marathoners, cheering the crowd on (to get them to cheer us on), making quips, and having fun. You can't dedicate yourself to running twenty six point two miles without having fun. It's just impossible. We had a number of other people thank us, noting our ability to incite the audience and leech energy from the cheers. One even noted, "You guys are working twice as hard, but I love running behind you!" We just thought it was a blast and wanted to help others out.

Over the first eight or so miles, our splits were way below our aimed 8:30 at 8:08 or so. Red flags are an understatement. It should have been a fucking full blown alarm. We were crusin'. Loving every moment, having a great time, doing what humans were born to do- run. We passed the 3:35 pacer and "even though time didn't matter," it did. We loved our progress come hell or high water, we were going to keep it. As we were looping back past legendary Hayward Field, I asked Craig our mile nine split. The dialogue went exactly as follows:

"Hmm, what was that last split?"

"<nervous laugh> Um... 7:55."

"Oh SHIT."

But we don't stop. We cut it back a bit again to our 8:08 pace, but not our gameplanned 8:30 pace. We tear up the worst part of the run through Springfield and cross the halfway point at one hour forty seven minutes, maintaining a 8:05 pace for the first half of the marathon. We're still loving our pace and feeling great.

Mile seventeen rolls around and I ask Craig, "Hey, how you doin'?" I had noticed that the both of us had pretty quickly backed off the horseplay and crowd interactions and I had become a little concerned. Additionally, I felt as if my pace was backing off and he was having to run down to me, and I felt bad. "This sucks," is Craig's response. While I felt some relief to hear that it wasn't only me who was struggling some, I noted that there was certainly no high water, and this was definitely hell at this point.

We were both miserable. Around mile eighteen, the question of walking was posed. I was opposed to the idea, but could not see us running for another eight consecutive miles without stopping. We relented, and thus began a monumental cascading downward of our pace. By mile twenty, our pace had dropped seventeen seconds to 8:22. We were thoroughly destroyed and it was hard to even imagine finishing at this point. Mile twenty two came, and I distinctly remember thinking that an additional four point two miles might as well be another full marathon. This was devastating.

Just beyond mile twenty three, some awesome dudes were offering shots of free beer! It perked me up in the moment and cut across the path to take advantage. After spilling a majority of it on my face and hand, I got some down and felt empowered. This feeling faded after no more than a half mile, yielding to nausea, farting, and a general desire to die. I should always remind myself: If Craig doesn't do it, I probably shouldn't either. I'm positive there are innumerable times that I could have applied this rule and been better off because of it.

3:45 pacer passes us and at this point, we just don't care. Finishing, and running together, was our only goal at this point. My legs were so tight, I could barely bend them. I looked like a damn robot. Poor Craig had his calf cramp on him at mile twenty five and we had to stop to stretch it out. "We're doing this together and not to injure yourself. Take your time." I'm sure he had slowed down for me at some point and now I was just paying it forward. Running without the other was never an option.

While we hit mile twenty six and knew that the last "sprint" towards Hayward was all that remained between us and our first marathon, it was crippling. It felt like forever. Even the thought about finishing, on historic Hayward no less, could not push our legs any quicker.

Three hours and fifty three minutes later, at 8:55 splits and with plenty of support from both Craig's and my families, we crossed the finish line. We were blindly herded through the end of the race to obtain our bounty of medals, chocolate milk, pancakes, and strange reflective capes.

She knows what's up.

We did it. Craig and I laughed at how ridiculously we performed, but were still proud of the culmination of two hard months of training and completing something together that less than one percent of Americans have accomplished. More, we had grown closer, and in my opinion, became better people for it.

Lynette, Craig's wife, asked immediately after we finished if we would want to do another. Of course at that moment, feeling like total shit, we both barked an emphatic "No." However, we both knew how stupidly we ran and couldn't help but think we left a lot of potential performance on the racetrack. But isn't that life? We make mistakes. Hopefully we learn from them. We apply our lessons and be better the next time.

Yes. There will be a next time.

Oh, what was the hardest thing about the day, you might ask? I dropped my pancake fork on the ground and let out a completely defeated sigh. Figuring out a way to get to the ground to pick it up was agonizing. Actually completing the task was nigh impossible. Doubt I have ever eaten a better pancake.

Reggae and Amharic

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

Applicants This is Not Dowagiac

2012-05-12 16:32:00

I've been doing lots of research on Ethiopia the last few weeks, though not as much since I've been in Florida fighting through theme park crowds lately. I found out that Ethiopia is pretty much the birthplace of reggae culture, and that the word Rastafarian is based in the Ethiopian language Amharic. It makes me wonder if the Peace Corps could have put me any place further from my interests. But then I get excited, because I know that I'll be able to take an interest in and understand a culture that has never been in my path, in my line of sight. Maybe it also means that my family will be less likely to understand and empathize when I get back, but that's something that I'll have to prepare to deal with. Reverse-culture shock made me confused and miserable for six months after I got back from Japan, and I'm hoping that experience will help me deal with it in August of 2014.

We've been sent loads of Amharic material that will help us transition. Turns out Amharic, while difficult to learn for English-speakers, is not as difficult as Japanese (officially, nothing is) so that is somewhat of a comfort. The language sounds beautiful, but there are over 200 characters that I'll have to learn. I'm starting today with five, and just learning five characters and 10 words a day until...well probably for a good long time.

My first semester in Japan consisted of 10 weeks of intensive, 5 hours a day of Japanese study. Amharic lessons, as far as I have seen, will be around 4-5 hours a day for about a month, then we'll all have a second language to add to it. So, I'm thinking I'm not going to be very good in either language. At all. But I'm really really really excited to try!

Anyway, mostly positive feelings, some overwhelmed feelings. Departure is coming up really fast, and I still feel like there's so much purchasing and saying goodbye that I have to do yet. Most of it will have to wait until I get back to Michigan on Monday. Until then, I'm going to bug my family by trying to speak in Amharic to them! They have to learn this shit too goddamnit!

:)

Una semana mas.

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

Applicants jaimegilliland

2012-05-12 03:58:48

One week. Dang. I leave Denver a week from tomorrow and head to New York to visit my lovelies for one last time before I leave for the Peace Corps this fall. I haven’t updated in a while again, so here’s the rundown: I’m supposed to have my final phone interview with the Peace Corps next [...]

A Letter of Love to My Friends

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

Applicants Shambling After...

2012-05-11 22:05:58

Friends, in case you weren't sure how I felt about you... this should clear things up. I love and miss you all -- already. Continue reading →

Three Years Ago

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

Applicants Peace Corps Dave

2012-05-11 22:10:00

Three years ago, I returned to the United States, ravaged by depression and feeling worse than I ever had about myself, my future, and my chances for normalcy and happiness. I was lost, confused, ashamed, and had no idea what to do next.

I'm happy to report none of these things is true any longer. I know what I want and why I want it. I don't know every step on the way to achieving it, but I have an idea. I have direction.

I've moved on from shame to candid acceptance and understanding. I'm open about my time with depression and my concern about its reemergence. I'll never be totally protected against falling into it again, but I'm confident that I can recognize it when it comes up, and deal with it appropriately.

While I do find myself making some of the same mistakes as before, I am aware of it as it's happening, and I feel like that's an important step on the road to self-improvement. I don't have the unreasonable expectation that I'll never make the same mistake twice, and I look forward (more or less) to all the new mistakes I'll discover as I grow.

All in all, I feel good about myself again. It's been a long time since I could say that.

____________

In just under two months, I will return to Africa – Togo, as a Peace Corps Volunteer. I am of course nervous, but I'm so excited to finally begin my life. That's really what it feels like: a new beginning, an actual fresh start.

The nervousness I feel is largely related to the difficult work I'll be taking on, and not the concerns I had in Guinea. The temperature will be high, the insects and spiders large and numerous, the potential diseases serious, the food unknown and probably inordinately spicy, and the people and customs initially different and strange from what I've known. But these things don't worry me too much.

My job is described as English and Gender Education. I'll be in a large village or small town, working with a school to increase gender equality in the curriculum and in the community. Including prep time and grading, about 10 hours per week will be spent teaching English to a class of about 80 12- to 20- year olds in their first or second year of English. The rest of my time will be spent working with the other teachers to create an environment that fosters gender equality through after-school groups, events, additions to the curriculum, and (hopefully) a plethora of other ways, the mixture of which will depend on the needs of the particular community to which I'll be assigned.

That's what worries me: coming up with creative, effective, culturally-sensitive ways of improving girls' education in a culture that doesn't value its female members as equals. Becoming part of any community is hard, more so when it's a different culture. Becoming part of a community in a different culture and then advocating change in that community is quite the challenge. But here's the point: I feel ready for this challenge.

Three years ago, I wouldn't have been felt ready for this. Three years ago, returning home after failing a similar challenge, the prospect of a such goals laid before me would have driven me into a panic attack. Three years ago, I couldn't conceive of being capable of contemplating such a conundrum. Today, I'm alliterating about it.

Today, I feel prepared (as much as I can be). Today, I'm antsy to begin the work – even frustrated at the delays. Today, I feel ready. Bring it on.

Hiatus

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00

Applicants rarely have i never

2012-05-12 00:25:00

Please forgive my most recent hiatus from the ole' blog. My laptop's power supply finally took its final breath and I finally relented and purchased a new one. I have some stories to catch you all up on over the next week or so.