Friday, January 7, 2011

Guess who is going to Africa!

Me! To Malawi specifically.  For some of you this is no shock, you have been in on things since the application started.  Some of you may not know, for that I am sorry, I'm sure I meant to tell you but something probably happened.  For those of you I don't know, welcome to my blog.

Back in December of 2009 I submitted an application to the U.S. Peace Corps.  Then entire year of 2010 was devoted to two things, graduating from college and Peace Corps.  I was impatient to graduate.  Imagine a road trip *cough cough mom cough* where you only get to pee at every other rest stop when you stop for gas...and you forgot to go on the last one.  That kind of impatient.  Waiting for Peace Corps, that was worse. 

For those of you who may have missed the whole process, you start out with an application that is roughly 90% questions about your current health state.  I can only assume this is to ensure you will not flop over in the dirt if you are more than 10 minutes from a Walgreens pharmacy or your doctors office.  You must also submit references, one from a work supervisor, a volunteer supervisor, and a friend you have known over 2 years (thank you Megan). 

Next comes the phone interview, mine was about a hour and a half but I think I asked as many questions as she did.  If you make it past the phone interview you then get fingerprinted and do a security check.  Make it past this and you get to level one up! Wooh! Now you get the medical packet.  

I think this would have been less of a pain if I wasn't 300 miles away from the only place my insurance works.  As a result I was poked, prodded, and drained of blood over Spring break and over other various three day weekends.  There is also a dental part and eye exam, that is right everyone, you get the full work up.  Then of course you will probably have to make a few trips back to the hospital to get things signed that weren't and finish other blood work and vaccinations.  

After the medical clearance you wait...and wait...and wait. But when things start to happen they really happen.  You interview with a placement officer, send transcripts and talk with other people about what program is really right and why you can't go to a tropical island (sorry Catie).  You are waiting on pins and needles for something, anything, that says where you are going.  Then over the course of one final phone call you are told congratulations, you are accepted, now wait for the packet that tells you where.

As my roommates can attest, I was more than a little impatient.  I don't think I checked the mail that often since I thought Santa would write back.  But it did come, on the 10th of December, earlier than I thought it would.  And the country is Malawi!  Where is Malawi you ask, simple, South East-ish Africa. It is a long skinny country right next to Lake Malawi.  

What am I doing there, well the simple answer is that I will either be a Community Forestry or Community Parks Extension volunteer.  Right now that is as specific as it gets.  I should know more once I get there.    

So sit tight sports fans.  We are entering the final 6 weeks prior to departure.  There is a lot to buy, pack, learn, and stress about before February 24th and it has only just begun.          

2 comments:

  1. I can't believe it's only 6 weeks til we go!! I wrote about north face under your comment on my blog. Hope it helps!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Malawi!!! I can't wait to come visit you! <3

    ReplyDelete