Invitation Received...and I'm waiting again

At long last I have finally received an invitation. It arrived on Saturday and I got to pick it up and open it on Monday. I was too anxious. The only program I could see on PC wiki leaving for C/SA in late February was Honduras. This country has a 27month home stay. I cannot tell you how disinterested I am in a mandatory 2 year home stay. It may be the best thing ever but could, so easily, be the worst. It didn't take long for me to figure out my placement. The packaging wasn't quite perfect and I could see some of the invite letter through the envelope window. The words 'invite' and 'Rica' could both be seen. Hmm. I wonder what that could be? Perhaps, Kazakhstan Rica...or Bolivia Rica. Nope, neither. It was Costa Rica!! I know, you guessed it right. So did I. Kind of made opening the package a little anticlimactic. I was still very excited though. I've been to Costa Rica and loved it. I had no reservations about going back. On yesterday I emailed my acceptance and I'm waiting again. Waiting for it to be February 20 when I'm on a plane to staging. Departure is 8 months later than planned and I'm doing TEFL in stead of business advising but I'm ok with this. I will just be patient and work on my aspiration statement and getting a new passport. I've decided to only be patient until December though. At that point, I'm going to quit my job and bum around for two months...assuming that I can afford to be a bum for two months.

Call from placement

I'm trying to be really cool about this. I don't want to get too excited until I actually see a post man strolling down my block with a large blue envelope. However, placement just called and asked me a few questions and stated that they were using my answers to determine which program to place me in between January and March. It will be in ESL teaching vs business advising. I am ok with this. The other option was to wait for a 'possible' placement after June 2012 in business. I can neither wait that long nor take that chance. So she told me that she would look at the options in Latin America and then email me by the end of the week letting me know when I can expect to depart. Then, she will mail an invitation which should arrive in 5-7 days. I'm at work right now but I'm having a hard time concentrating. I hope that email comes soon.

This is the day!!

This is the day that I'm going to walk into my boss' office and tell him I quit. I have to quit my job so that I can embark on the exciting new journey that is the Peace Corps. What a glorious day it is...well, except for one thing. I don't have an invitation yet. So, I'm not quitting my job because daddy has bills to pay. I'm apparently not going to make my original nomination. The problem is that I was already emotionally invested in the idea that I would be quitting my job this week to leave on some date in July, maybe August, to some vague Spanish speaking country doing something or other for some company or co-op or something. The details weren't exactly rock solid but I sure was banking on them. I'm looking on the bright side though. I got an email yesterday saying that my file was being passed on to a placement specialist. I should look to be contacted within 4-6 weeks. The email also said to continue gaining experience and be flexible in where I'm willing to go. Of course that's my plan. I really don't mind being told that I won't depart until January. I just want to know something so that I can make plans...even if I'm stateside for another six months. Hopefully some news will come quickly.

I will wait patiently

Ok. I've been cleared by medical and dental. The letter I got in the mail said I was being passed on to placement. I will wait patiently. I am ready to know something though. They always tell you not to quit your job or cancel your lease or anything but I wanna do both, like, yesterday. In the mean time, I'm not mentioning PC to anyone anymore. There's too much uncertainty. Apparently my enthusiasm during the application process lead people to believe that I already knew where I was going and when. Such an incorrect assumption. I'm talking with friends about a 2012 ski trip just in case things don't go according to plan. I will need the vacation.

feeling rejected

So my medical packet was received at the beginning of this month and, half way through the month, half the packet was returned to me. I'm feeling rejected but I am going to comply with everything they're asking for. I got three fillings today at the dentist on three teeth that did not have cavities. I repeat, I did not have any cavities. There was an air bubble that showed up in the xray of one of my old fillings so I had to have it redone. Old filling removed; new filling put in. Then two teeth that were decalcified had to be drilled down and filled. As mentioned, I had no cavities. I spent $105 and still had NO cavities. Then I had to write a personal statement about how I'm not allergice to milk anymore. I had to complete my doctors address on one page, even though it was stamped on every other page. I will also have to resend a copy of a lab report that was printed on thermal paper. The paper was completely black so the PC nurse couldn't read it. Lastly I will have to retake a blood test that showed a high red blood count. If I had an invitation already, I would quit my full time job so that I could have enough hours in the day for the part time job of fulfilling PC obligations. The good news in all of this is that they are very actively looking at my medical paperwork. I'm glad to know that its not under some huge pile in the mail basket in DC....even if it is sitting on my desk waiting to be corrected.

Medical Packet Received

PC has received my medical packet. Note that they are looking at the files of folks nominated for departure within the next four months (thats me). I am going to blink my eyes now. I have been staring at my phone since Thursday before last waiting for that glorious green light to flash letting me know I have a new email.............................sorry, i was blinking my eyes. My dentist indicated that it will be a good idea if I have the gums overs wisdom teeth removed. I don't plan to do that. I'm simply hoping that it wont cause any delay and that the PC doesn't force my hand. Today I am going to relax. Tomorrow I will begin staring at my phone again.