More vacation photos

I had a blast with my sister Ariel!

 

 

 

  

Vacation Photos



Snorkeling in Honduras

Costa Maya, Mexico

Costa Maya, Mexico

Cozumel, Mexico

Isla Roatan, Honduras

Isla Roatan, Honduras

Honduran rain

Gulf of Mexico

Isla Roatan, Honduras

Neat painting



Cave tubing in Belize







Zip lining in Belize



Dear Reader,

As the format of my life is changing, so too will the content of the postings on this lovely webpage you have stumbled upon on your computer or other internet capable device. Before today, I have been mostly speaking to PC applicants who look to the blogs on peacecorpsjournals.com for support and inspiration (like I did for many months). I will now turn to a more personal and descriptive prose chronicling my journey through Guyana as a Volunteer in the United States Peace Corps. Thank you for paying your taxes so that I may serve in South America for 26 months! I will update you with stories of my travels, things I learn, reflections and other fun stuff (like pictures). I just wanted to make a bit of a statement regarding the change in direction. So, if you are interested in going on a fun adventure vicariously through me while learning all about Guyana and the rich culture of the people, the internet will allow you to do just that.

I know I haven’t even left yet, but I will start today with a reminder that all PCVs love mail. I know typing is way easier than writing something down on paper, putting it in an envelope (or a package with goodies) and taking in to the post office, but for some PCVs a trip to get mail is an all day affair, so… it is kind of a big deal. Mail is awesome! And internet access may not be readily available. :)

 

I am currently reading The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains by Nicholas Carr.   It is fascinating. If you are at all curious as to what the internet is doing to our brains and what that means for the future of neuroscience or human evolution, pick it up and read it. Reading has become a problem in America- people don’t do it the way they used to. Just a warning to those of you who are interesting in reading the things I have to say, there will be many words that you will be required to read in succession. For some of us, that simple task has become difficult (thank you Internet).  I will write a synopsis of it soon.

My current status: I am in the beginning stages of overcoming a mild case of R.A.S. Some PC applicants suffer more than others; it is the first syndrome that almost every hopeful future PCV gets in the first 6 months after applying.  What is this crazy illness I speak of? Restless Applicant Syndrome –I have a unique tale to tell about my journey with this strange affliction. Just to reiterate, my case was very mild. I believe I was able to use the natural self healing properties that all humans have to decrease the severity of my symptoms. I was hopeful, patient, and drum roll please…..flexible.  I know I have said it before, but get used to it because it is the PC mantra: “Patience and Flexibility”. My Buddhist practice has awarded me with an abundance of those fabulous qualities, so I was able to handle my R.A.S. very well. It all started in December 2009, I asked myself: “Self, after you graduate what you like to do?” I answered myself: “Peace Corps!” Isn’t it funny how we can think of ourselves? I am so fascinated by the brain -it is the only organ that can learn about itself. As many of you know, I really like being single; I especially love the mobility and ease of decision making. For PC, not only did I have to be mobile, I also had to be willing and able to put my personal and professional life on hold for 26 months. So, after I decided I could do that, I dove head first into the application process. MMMMuuuaaahhh hhhaaaaa hhhhhhaaaa. I though the waters were warm, oh what I didn’t know. The Peace Corps application process is a marathon job interview. Your competitors are all over the US and some are in the same position you are- just graduating and wanting to give back by volunteering for two years. Ok, so I decided to join PC great, now what? Now you make yourself as competitive as possible and then wait. I completed about 200 volunteer hours just to qualify for service...They wanted 30 over 3 months HA! Oh, I also graduated with honors and I worked at a 4H camp all summer as a Senior Counselor. So while I was working my way through the maze of the application process, I did stuff that I should have been doing anyway. I am currently spending time with family, reconnecting with friends, reflecting on things I have learned and generally enjoying my life. I know that the healing method I chose for dealing with my R.A.S. is not appropriate for everyone. Side effects have included but are not limited to: learning to live a more fulfilling life with less, increased appreciation for people and things, increased enjoyment of life, increased awareness and perception, and excitement which may result in a scream out loud. I actually screamed out loud just after hanging up the phone following the interview with my Placement Officer. (Hang up the phone, good one. We don’t actually “hang up” phones anymore. I am waiting for our vocabulary to change. “Rewind” is another term I discussed recently. We don’t actually rewind anything anymore, but we still use the term….) Google, tweet, bookface- all new terms that will be obsolete in a decade or two. So, remember on the office when Jim wrote the word book on his face for Halloween? Well, I didn’t get it and kept saying “book face” because I saw book on his face which is on top so I though should have been said first…anyway when I refer to facebook, I will use the term bookface. Thanks to bookface I have been able to connect with long lost friends and future colleagues (PC GUY23!)

So I received my invitation, know where and when I am going and am now left with more waiting. February 15^th, where for art thou so far away? Packing should be on my mind, but I am still decompressing from my crazy fun vacation including a cruise to Mexico, Belize and Honduras! You can see some pictures on bookface for now. I will post the underwater photos at a later date. 

Thanks for reading; I hope I sustained your attention.  :)

Guyana!

 

I am moving to Guyana in February!

More paperwork and tons of research to do...

Invited!

Congratulations! You have been invited to become a Peace Corps Volunteer.

 

What?! WHAT?! Yup, it's official- 9 months after submitting my application, I have been sent an invitation. I am anxiously awaiting that big brown UPS truck carrying my very important package. I don't think that it has actually hit me yet. Maybe when I tear open that beautiful blue package and dive through the paperwork... I will be departing early next year, but finally knowing what country I will be serving in will be a great relief. I can start researching the language and culture- oh yeah and start gathering my 80 lbs of belongings to take with me. 

To celebrate my graduation from UCF and my invitation to PC, I am going on a cruise to Mexico, Belize and Honduras. What a way to start my new life- traveling to the area of the world I will be living in for 2.25 years. The region changed because I missed my original nomination, but I am actually happy about it. The PC application process really is training for service. I know now after doing everything I had to do to get to this point (and handling it with patience and flexibility) that I have been prepped for what I will encounter in country. 

 As I have stated before, this process is long and arduous. For those hopeful applicants reading this, I say stick with it and appreciate that you have already begun training.

Medical Clearance

 I received this cryptic message on my toolkit on Friday:

 Wait for a letter?? What! What does that mean...A decision has been made. Why didn't they just give me a nice gray check mark? Am I not qualified? Am I deferred? WHY PC WHY??? So I tapped into my patience and decided to enjoy the wait. I would stroll out to the mailbox on Monday and check...

WELL...my patience escaped me so I did a quick search for "A decision has been made regarding your medical clearance" and found blogs of actual volunteers- which means they were CLEARED! I kept reading that they received an e-mail from placement. Well, if I am qualified, where is my e-mail? My thoughts raced as I contemplated my life after being denied medical clearance. AmeriCorps? Graduate school?

THEN not two minutes later I check my e-mail AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!! "Greetings from the Assessment & Placement Office at Peace Corps Headquarters in Washington, DC!"  It's official, I have received medical clearance!!

So, now I must submit an updated resume and my updated transcript. Oh, BTW, I graduated! My final GPA is 3.94...not as high as I hoped, but high enough! Now that I am officially in the 'placement' phase of this process, I looked up staging dates. (peacecorpswiki.com has so much info) I read about someone who received an invitation to Burkina Faso departing October 13th...I would have to receive my invitation by September 6th in order to go there....AH I need to submit everything TODAY! I know my dad won't like it, but it looks like Africa is where I'll be headed. I JUST missed the dates for Samoa and Tonga. :-( Sad... I was really hoping for the Pacific Islands, but wherever I go I know I will learn a lot and make a positive impact.

Medical Process

So here is the general process in a fun flow chart:

I am still going through the medical process- I am one month in and almost done! After many visits with specialists, a dentist, an optometrist, the health department (polio booster), and a gp, I only have one more appointment to attend, 3 personal statements to write and who knows how many pages of records to obtain.

One tip in the packet: be your own advocate. I am responsible for ensuring that everything is filled out correctly. I had to ask the examining physician to give me a moment to look everything over- sure enough she missed something. Because I read the packet over and over I knew what was required and was able to assist her. After about 45 minutes she was anxious to be rid of me. She said was concerned about her other patients and their wait time. She asked that I leave forms with her to fill out later. After a minute of pleading and convincing that the rest wouldn't take long and that I was the source of the information she needed, she obliged. A good 15 minutes later, she verbally expressed her annoyance with the forms. I apologized and also mentioned that I was told I would have an hour... (Why is scheduling such a problem with doctors?)

I called my medical service contact with a question- she answered on my first try! Her advice was to be very detailed in my personal statements and include all information available. I only get one shot with one nurse to be cleared. If I am deferred or not qualified, I have one chance to appeal, but I must submit 'new information'. With that in mind, I think it is best to include everything the first time. I would rather take more time now to make sure I have included as much detail as possible instead of just submitting something only to have them sit on it then finally realize that they  need more paperwork/ blood work etc. It is repeated over and over in the packet that missing forms are the #1 cause of delays. I can't afford a delay! I was nominated to leave in October. It is May already. October seems like sometime far far in the future, but at the same time so very close.

Congratulations! You have been nominated to serve in the Peace Corps

YAY!! I am officially a Nominee! Instead of Eastern Europe as I was originally expecting, my recruiter has nominated me for a Secondary English Teaching position in Africa. Flexibility and patience, remember? I am totally willing to go wherever PC wants to send me and now I just need to wait. The medical packet will be arriving in the mail in the next 'couple of weeks'.

I am a NOMINEE!!!!!

The process

Following is a bit of what I have learned about the process.

The Peace Corps application process is just that- a process. Not only is there an application, but essays, references, health questionnaires, interviews, fingerprints, background checks, medical evaluations, and more. You must wait wait wait and wait some more. Don't forget about patience, that comes in handy from day 1. If you are sure that this is something you want to do, go for it. Do not give up. Prepare yourself and BE FLEXIBLE. You may not get to go where you want or even where you are told you will go. Everything can change, so flexibility and patience are imperative.

You will receive different labels which indicate your progress through the process:

1. Applicant - After many hours spent on the application, you will be proud to call yourself an applicant.

2. Nominee- After you have met with a recruiter, usually a RPCV (Returned Peace Corps Volunteer) [get used to acronyms!] and have been selected for a specific program. This is the longest stage as you must WAIT after being nominated for your medical evaluation. The medical process takes time and money. Once you receive word from your recruiter, you will be proud to call yourself a nominee.

3. Trainee (PCT) -  After receiving an invitation (!) and accepting your assignment, you will be given 4-6 weeks to wrap up your life in America and embark on your journey. For the first three months of service, you will be in training. You will live with a host family (your host family will not speak English) while you receive cultural, language, safety and technical training.  You will be proud to be a trainee.

4. Volunteer (PCV)- If you make it through training, you will 'graduate' to volunteer status. Another proud moment... finally after months of planning and waiting. Get ready to begin "the toughest job you will ever love". While being away from friends, family and modern conveniences, you will have the adventure of a lifetime. There will be good days and bad days, but most of the time you will be proud to be a volunteer.

5. Returned Volunteer (RPCV) - Wow, after 27 months of service, traveling, meeting new people, learning a new language, getting involved and making a difference, it is time to come home. You will forever be labeled a RPCV. After service there are so many opportunities open to you. Get ready to talk about your experience!  This is when the pride beams brightest.

Good luck!

The call

Life is calling... It isn't calling very loudly, so you must be alert and listen for it. One must also be patient as life may call, but it will also put you on hold. I first heard the ring about a year ago. College graduation was still far away, but graduate applications were oh so close. I never had a doubt that I would attend graduate school and one day become a psychologist. It just always seemed so far away. Well, the application time line approached rapidly.  Before I knew it, it was time to make a decision- apply to graduate school or figure out something else. If something doesn’t feel right, I usually don’t do it. While I know graduate school is something I want to do, I just couldn’t apply. Not yet.

I have found something to do with my time that will make a difference. Instead of working to feed the consumerist society we live in, I decided to remove myself from it to devote at least 27 months of my life to meaningful service. What better way to do that than through Peace Corps. Although 27 months may seem like a long time, it is but a minuscule blip in the scope of the universe and time itself. Next month will mark the 27^th anniversary of my birth. For 27 years my entire focus has been on myself.  I am grateful for the opportunity to take a break from my egocentric life and focus my attention on the betterment of others. I hope to be nominated as a Secondary English Teacher, somewhere. That's part of the fun- not knowing where you will serve.

First lesson learned- Be Patient. The Peace Corps application process is quite laborious. I'm sure it is designed to weed out those who are not serious about service, but if you are passionate about giving up your privileged American life to for at least 27 months to do some meaningful work, learn patience.  More on the process later.