The Joys of Limbo

I've had some time to think about this whole Nomination Confusion thing and to get used to the idea that I no longer have a program I am nominated for. A part of me is still generally very confused about how this all happened (I never would have agreed to leave before my Masters program was done, how did I get nominated for a time I couldn't leave?) and another part of me is still worried about the consequences of this Confusion (do they still want me? will I still get an invite? what if they think I'm not dedicated or responsible enough because of this happening?), but as the days go by, these parts grow smaller and smaller. And more and more of me becomes excited.

When I thought I was leaving in September to Eastern Europe / Central Asia, no matter how much I tried, I couldn't keep off of PCwiki and looking at the staging dates and trying to figure out where I was going to go. I had narrowed it down to two or three places, and I had read blogs about them and wondering what life would be like in those places. I was constantly wondering about where I would be going and secretly hoping for one of those two or three places. I know you shouldn't get your heart set on any specific place because it's probably going to change, but I just couldn't help it.

Now, pretty much any place is a possibility. Any program leaving in September or October (or beyond) anywhere in the world is fair game. I gave a quick look at the list of places with Staging in those months, and it's just incredible the wide range of places that are possible: Jordan, Tonga, Ukraine, Mozambique, so on and so forth, on and on. And pretty much every place I read about, that I do a little research into, I get excited about. Each place has their own challenges, their own personality, and sounds simply amazing.

It's funny, now that there are so many more possibilities of where I can go, I am no longer plagued with wondering where I'm going like before. I am no longer hoping for a specific place. That aspect of my restlessness is completely gone. After my quick search through PCwiki, I no longer have the desire of trying to figure out where I might be going. There are just too many places, too many possibilities to even begin to wonder which of them I could be heading to. The entire world is a possibility. It's incredibly liberating and very exhilarating.

As my wonderful dad said: 'It will work out and you will be assigned someplace that you will find interesting and challenging; a place where you can help the people the most.' I am absolutely thrilled to see where that place turns out to be.

So You Wanna Join the Peace Corps?

I got a kick out of this site:

So You Wanna Join the Peace Corps?

Two of my favourite lines -

About packing light:

'If you want to kill two birds with one stone (something that you might actually get to do on some assignments), strap on your luggage and run around your neighborhood. That way you can also begin to get used to people staring at you strangely. It's going to happen.'

About thinking 'Why am I here?' after being in-country for a while:

'In such dire times, also remember that you're pretty much a guest of the government just visiting. Most of the people live there year-round. So stop your bitching.'

Too funny!

That Explains It...

Got an e-mail back from Placement Office. And my oh my, how the ballgame has changed.

At my interview I had been told I was being nominated for a September departure. I am almost certain I had received a letter to this effect. Turns out I was nominated for a program that was leaving mid-July to mid-August.

Ahh...that's why they were so confused about me wanting to leave after September 1st...

I'm not sure how this happened. My master's program doesn't end until August 20th, so I wouldn't be able to leave before then, which I'm sure I had told my recruiter. My saving grace was that on my original application I had put my date of being available to depart as August 15th, which would mean a mid-July to mid-August departure wouldn't have been possible anyways. Someone, somwhere, mixed something up. I'm not sure how, but I guess it happens. Gotta roll with those punches.

I'm still being considered (thank God), but my region is more likely than not going to change since I'm now, basically, not attached to a program since I'm no longer a part of the one I was nominated for. She said she's considering me for departure in September to either Africa or Central Asia, or in October to the Pacific Islands or the Middle East. Basically I can be sent anywhere at any time after September 1st. God, I hope this confusion doesn't penalize me in any way...

There are a lot of emotions going through me right now, but mostly I just feel numb as questions run through my head. How did this happen? Where am I going? When am I going? What if they try to send me to Africa, the only place I said I wouldn't go at the request of my parents? What would I do?

She said she would be done reviewing my application by early August at the latest. So I have at worst two full months to wait and see what happens. Which is fine, I've been waiting so long already, what's a few more months? It'll all work out, I know it will. I really believe this is what I'm meant to do, and I'm sure it'll all work out and I'll go where I'm meant to be.

I guess I'm back to playing the waiting game, only this time it's much more interesting because when I receive my invitation, when I leave and where I go really will be a surprise. No more possible speculation, the entire world is a possibility. Which, you gotta admit, is kind of cool. Fingers crossed!

Stress Relief

I've been having trouble focusing on my reading today because of this latest little development with the Placement Office. I know it isn't much of an issue, it'll work out, but I really want to know what's happening, patiently waiting for an e-mail that hasn't come yet. So I decided to relieve some stress in one of my favourite ways. I baked a cake.

My classmates are well aware by now of how much I enjoy cooking and baking. They even started a little fund to help 'support my habit' (as I like to teasingly say). I find cooking and baking to be an excellent way to take my mind off of things, measuring out ingredients, focusing on mixing things together, having that sense of accomplishment when it comes out of the oven. I love it! And I love sharing my creations with people, love seeing the looks on their faces as they eat, being able to give somebody something they hopefully enjoy. This is why my classmates love me baking - I usually feed it to them!

Now that my cake is done, I still haven't received an e-mail back from the Placement Office. But my mind is clear, I feel much calmer, and hopefully I can now go back to focusing on my reading. Plus, I now have chocolate cake to munch on, and what could be better than that!

Availability Confusion

It's never that easy, huh? Thought I was in the home stretch, but then I wake up to another e-mail from the Placement Office, and now I'm completely on edge. It said something along the lines of that if I want to change my availability date, I have to write a statement explaining why. Except I have expressed no interest in changing my availability date: I was nominated to leave in September and I stated I am available to depart any time after September 1st.

So I wrote them back explaining my confusion, and now I'm just sitting here wondering what this is all about. I mean, I haven't been asked to leave earlier than September, so being available starting on September 1st shouldn't be a problem. And if they want me later than September...well, they wouldn't have sent an e-mail like that, would they? They would have just asked me if I would be willing to leave later, right?

All I can figure is that the confusion arises from the fact that I technically don't graduate with my Masters until December. I will be completely done with my studies in August, I won't even be a student any more after that point, there is just a small time delay between finishing the course and actual graduation so that my thesis can be evaluated. A quirk in the United Kingdom education system I explained in both my interview and in my e-mail.

I don't know. I'm sure it'll work out. Until then I just need to relax, take a deep breath, and see what happens.

Contact!

I have been checking my e-mail account every couple of hours (or more...) every day for the last 24 days, increasingly wondering if it's possible to blow up Gmail from checking it too much. So today, before heading out to a movie, I automatically opened an extra tab for Gmail, reading an article as it loaded, not expecting anything to be there. The tab loaded, and there is was. 'Gmail - Inbox (1)'. My heart skipped. I clicked on the tab. And there it was. An e-mail from Placement Office.

I must admit - I squealed in excitement.

Though I almost had a bit of a panic when I started reading it. The first thing the e-mail asked for was my MA transcript. I had explained in my interview that even though I will be done with my studies in August and will technically no longer be a student after that point, I won't graduate with my MA until December. When I read they wanted a transcript, I was like, 'Aw...crap.' But not to worry! They said not having it won't impede the process, they'll just need it when I have it. So I plan on mentioning in the e-mail I send back with my updated resume, skill addendum, and departure availability how I won't have an official transcript until December, just so they know.

And the skill addendum! It wants my training experience, and even though I have had plenty of hours of training (required by the school I had taught at), I don't have ANY of that information with me. I searched every last file on my computer hoping I had saved something with that type of information in it, but alas, all of my training certificates are safely tucked away in the bottom of a box in a storage unit in Texas. Does me no good there, but what can you do? So I guess I'll just have to leave those spaces blank, which sucks because I DO have training, I just don't remember what it was called, who taught it, how to contact them, et cetera. Oh, well, it'll work out.

Gosh, I'm so excited I could just burst! I'm going to take the rest of the weekend to polish everything and will send it in on Sunday. Can you believe I didn't have to wait multiple more weeks/months for contact? Oh, I'm so happy! On to the home stretch!

Still waiting...

It's been 21 days since I was medically cleared (but who's counting?). Placement Office said my file would probably be under review within 4 - 6 weeks, so I'm about halfway through that period. I know, I know, it'll probably be more along the lines of multiple months, not weeks, before I hear from them, but that doesn't stop a girl from hoping. And this girl sure is hoping. Patience, got to have patience. Been waiting for over a year, what's a few more weeks and/or months for such an incredible adventure?

In the meantime, I've been reading blogs and looking at various programs leaving when and where I've been nominated (thanks to PCwiki - behind Facebook, this is my ultimate procrastination tool), and I have a couple of sneaking suspicions on where I might be heading. I've been reading the blogs by the PCV serving in those places, learning about them, wondering about them. Though I'm not going to set my heart on any place because I know how the Peace Corps likes to keep people on their toes!

But actually, I've recently heard about another program that I would really like to do. And as in 'really like to do' I mean, as soon as I heard about it, I sent an e-mail to my best friend basically squealing in barely contained excitement. It's not in the region I'm nominated for, and it leaves a little later than I'm nominated for, but that's all right in my book since it would be such an amazing opportunity. I'm not going to go into more detail, just in case I don't (or do!) get the program, but it would totally rock my socks off to be sent there. Though it would rock my socks off to be sent anywhere!

Leaving later actually does strike my fancy, though. My first reaction: so I can travel more before heading back to the States! My second reaction: so I can actually spend time with my family and friends! As it currently stands, if I leave in September I'll have just a few weeks between returning from England to going off wherever. I would be fine leaving in September, that's when I told the Peace Corps I would be ready to leave after all, but it would definitely be a whirlwind adventure filled with a lot of emotion. I saw Super Dad and the Sister over Spring Break when we met up in Greece, but the last time I saw everyone else was in December, if not later. So it would be nice to leave a little bit later and have the chance to spend some real time with everyone. And to spend some real time in my favourite restaurants before leaving them again (oh, what I would do for a steak and a big glass of sweet iced tea...or some good tex-mex...).

Hopefully I'll know what's happening within the next few weeks. So that when my friends ask, 'How's the Peace Corps thing coming?' I can say something besides, 'Still waiting...'