Waiting

So nothing to really report yet. As you know, I mailed in my medical packet last Thursday. They say it usually takes a week or two for PC to notify you that they received your information, so hopefully they will send word soon that everything made it OK. I am so paranoid though that it will be lost in the mail, but I'm sure that feeling is common among everyone in my situation. I definitely think that this process and the entire PC experience will definitely teach me a thing or two about patience. I am usually pretty good about that sort of thing, but this is a huge transition for me, probably the biggest transition I will have experienced in my life so far.

To make all this waiting worse (in my opinion), each nominee has what is called a "toolkit" on the PC website that tells us our status during this long process (here's a copy of mine to the right - notice the glaring red exclamation point). I keep checking my e-mail a couple dozen times a day to see if they have updated my toolkit, but then I don't believe my e-mail, so I have to double check the toolkit just to make sure. I know this is only the beginning of the waiting period, but I get so antsy about it all. As school is coming to a close, I feel like it is bitter-sweet. On the one hand, it will be weird to say goodbye to the comfort of my college town, the annoying tourists who drive 10 mph through Colonial Williamsburg (25 mph, people!), my circles of friends that make my life interesting, the randomness of my many adventures on and off campus, some great professors (if you are reading this, you know who you are), and as nerdy as it sounds, it will be sad to stop learning in an academic setting as amazing as this. Not to say that I won't continue to learn throughout my life, but when will I get another chance to take classes like Arabic, Anthropology of Alcohol, Study of Language, and many others? I also feel like this last month of school will not be satisfying enough for me. It will be full of papers and exams and not enough of the things that really matter. I digress. On the other hand, I am absolutely ready to enter the next phase of my life's journey. I don't think it really just the waiting that bothers me but also that fact that I won't know for awhile to where exactly I am going. I wouldn't mind waiting so much if I knew my country because I could begin planning all the details, researching my new homeland, and putting up more specific blog posts for all of you. So that's my rant about waiting (one of many I'm sure).

On a side note, I was able to watch "American Idol Gives Back" tonight which brought loads of celebrities (really, it seemed like it was almost as big as the Oscars) together to raise money for the US and Africa. Now I am definitely a bit skeptical when it comes to the motives of celebrities. There are only a few who I feel do not use humanitarian work for PR purposes (Bono and Angelina Jolie, for example), but I know last year they raised somewhere in the 70 million dollar range, so I can't argue with those numbers. Plus they had some really amazing stories out of Africa from people like Bono and Annie Lennox. Can you tell that I am a big Bono fan? It really re-inspired me watching it all and definitely reaffirmed my motivations for working with Peace Corps. Until I get an official invitation to an African country, I don't want to go into great detail about my feelings toward Africa (if you know me well, you already know my passion for the continent), but I can promise you when I get an invite I will definitely open up more to the rest of you about this fervor that fills me. I am just not one to count his chicks before their hatched. Until next time, hopefully with some good news.

Life Is Calling

Here's a short Peace Corps ad (1:03) narrated by Matthew McConaughey. Inspired much?

Where, Oh Where?

For one of my very first posts, I listed out all the possible countries to where I might be headed. I thought it might be useful for some to see exactly where these choices are located. To the left is a map of Africa (duh) with the countries I qualify for highlighted in blue. By "qualify," I mean these are the non-francophone (not French-speaking) nations to which the Peace Corps currently sends volunteers in Sub-Saharan Africa. As you can see, the majority of these are located on the eastern and southern parts of the continent. The darker blue indicates the countries which usually depart in November as I am schedule to leave. The large island in dark blue is Madagascar, and the dark blue mainland country is Namibia. Peace Corps has sent health volunteers to both of these countries in November during past years, so they are definitely possibilities for me. I also heard that Rwanda might be reopened as a possible country of service towards the end of the year, which I am sure would also be an amazing experience as well. I know most people don't study African geography in depth very much nowadays, which the American education system needs to do something about, so I hope this visual helps clarify where I might be serving. And if it doesn't, it at least gave me an excuse to play around with Microsoft Paint for a bit.

(FYI: Tonight's Jeopardy had a category devoted entirely to "African Geography." What a coincidence!)

In the Mail

Well, it is officially out of my hands. I put my completed medical kit, including all dental, eye, and medical forms, in the mail this morning. I am so glad that that part is done, and I don't have to constantly be thinking about what I have to do next. Going back and forth between Williamsburg and Richmond all those times was getting really old. Let's just hope my doctors and I did everything necessary and that they don't send the packet right back to me for some reason. So what's next, you ask? Lots and lots of waiting. It could take anywhere from a couple of weeks to a couple of months to get medically cleared, and since they would most likely clear people with earlier departure dates before the November departures, I am thinking it will be more like a couple months for me (but miracles do happen). After that, it will probably be another couple months before I get an official invitation and finally know exactly where I will be going and what I'll be doing. So yeah, I wasn't kidding about the waiting, unfortunately. I'll still try to make this blog somewhat interesting, if that's at all possible, so don't nobody go nowhere.

Peace Corps Promo Video

I found this cool promo video (8:29) that talks about the history and goals of the Peace Corps with interview clips of past volunteers. Take a look!

Blog Motives

So I have already briefly outlines my motivations for joining the Peace Corps. Now, as I sit in my bed still recovering from my first run of the spring season, I thought I should talk a little about my motivations for blogging the next 3 years of my life (give or take a few months). First, I have to say, I think blogs are creepy. I don't need to read about how much you love Hello Kitty, or about which celebrities are in rehab now, or anything like that. I never understood the "MySpace" thing, and I though Facebook was much better a few years ago when it was used just for college students to keep track of each other. That said, I think there is an exception to the rule. I love reading travel blogs. Hearing the adventures of others makes me able to live vicariously through their writings. Somehow the mundane becomes the enthralling when it's written from overseas. It is the next best thing when I don't have the money to travel myself.

To me, PC blogs are like extended travel blogs, only better. Perhaps it is because as my dream of being a PCV gets closer, I tend to stalk others' PC blogs. It is a great tool to understanding what PC life is like, what challenges I will face, what I should bring and overall provides great advice from the field. So by writing my own blog, I feel like I may be helping other people who are considering, curious, or in the process of applying to the Peace Corps.

I also consider myself a writer by nature. While most of my work is comprised of fiction, I've always wanted to try my hand at journal writing. I've just never thought my life was interesting enough. It could be very therapeutic too to have an outlet to share my trials and tribulations, but don't expect much crying and complaining (it's just not me). I also think I bring an interesting perspective to the table. As a student of cultural anthropology, I am fascinated by the social practices and cultures of others. If you continue reading my blog once I'm abroad, I can guarantee that it will be filled with my take on the culture of wherever I go, trying to stay clear of any ethnocentric thoughts as best a westerner can. Who knows? It could be the beginnings of a real ethnography.

Beyond this, hopefully I can use this blog to keep in touch with friends and family. It will be an easy way to let everyone know I am alive and well, as well as share pictures (I love photography, so expect amazing photos) and stories of my new life. As I begin this ginormous transition, it will be more important than ever to keep in touch with loved ones back home. This is still not an excuse to not send me letters, got that? Well, that's all I can think of for now. I hope this blog is helpful, and I hope it doesn't turn creepy.

Medical Forms

Well, I just got a call from home letting me know that my lab results are back and the last of the medical forms has been completed. So I am planning on heading back to Richmond on Thursday to pick up the forms, add them to all the others, and stick it all in the mail. It will also give me a chance to swap cars again, now that mine is back from the shop. I feel like I've been in Richmond more than I have in Williamsburg these last few weeks, but it's all worth it. Let's hope once I get there that everything was filled out correctly. Well, I better go. I need to read a chapter about Afro-Peruvian musical traditions for tomorrow.

P.S. I just added some new features to my blog (time, weather, visitor map), so let me know what you think. I thought once I'm overseas it will be helpful for everyone to know what time it is and what the weather is like there. Right now, it's just there to fill space (kinda like me).