Accepted and Submitted

Invitation has been accepted, government passport, visas, resume and aspiration statement have been submitted! Now I guess I'll start trying to learn some Twi (one of the languages in Ghana; one of the two I'll be learning).

It's starting to sink in; I'm actually going to be living in Africa for 27 months...super exciting, super scary...I got a lot of crap to do before I can leave.  It's been over a year since I decided to join the Peace Corps; it always seemed like some far off dream/exciting prospect.  Now, I find moments where it hits me and almost takes my breath away: Dude, it's for real!  It's not some idea or desire, it's actually gonna happen.  Damn, I hope I'm good at it; I hope there's not a ton of spiders...at least not ones that jump; I wonder how many times I'll get malaria, you know how the mosquitos love me...maybe I won't be lazy anymore...I wonder if I can get my hair to dread...I haven't rode a bicycle in a long time...I hope they have decent beer...I can't wait to wear the crazy colored cloth...I'm gonna miss cheese.

Anyway, time is flying by.  the number of lists I've made have increased exponentially: things to buy, things to sell, paperwork to do, people to visit, music to download...

Many people have asked why I want to join the Peace Corps; yes, I want to help people, yes, I want to live in a different country, yes, I want to be shocked into some kind of awakened state.  But as a summary, below is a part of my aspiration statement that should sum it up pretty nicely:


E. After the Peace Corps, I hope to have a better understanding of myself and a better idea of where I should invest my energies. I have always had a dual personality: one part of me is very driven, loves challenges, and wants to succeed in a career, the other part of me wants to send positivity out into the world, live simple, and just know that I have done some good at the end of the day. I’m hoping that the experiences I have, the people I meet, and the skills I learn in the Peace Corps can help me bring these two sides of myself together.


I think this experience will give me the confidence to take the next step in my life whether it is a new career field or a life of service or travel. The final outcome of my Peace Corps experience is indefinite at this point, but I am excited to start this adventure and I know it will have a positive influence in my life and what I project into the world.



Thanks for listening to the rambelings.
j

Oh that beautiful blue package!

Yup, I have finally laid eyes on my invite...fingers, too!  So the third time the Placement Office sent it out they sent it FedEx and I got it last night!! Fantastico!

I knew I was going to Ghana as a business volunteer, but now I have a few more dates which I'll post somewhere on the blog permanently.  Staging June 1-2, Pre-Service Training June 3-August 12.  Dates of service are August 12, 2010 to August 11, 2012.  Which means I will close service on my 30th birthday!  30 was always kinda the age where I figured I should start acting like a grown up at least 70% of the time and become less selfish...maybe PC will help with that :)

Now I have to read my packet and call and accept the invite within 10 business days.  I'll read the stuff by this weekend and accept next week; next is getting pics and paperwork filled out for my government passport; then do a resume tailored to my assignment and an aspiration statement to send to the Africa desk.  Let's just say there's a sh*t ton of paperwork.  On a good note, I wrote my will and got the paperwork for my power of attorney filled out this week. Now I need to sign them with 3 witnesses and have them notarized.  Getting little things done makes the whole experience a little less overwhelming, even though I am constantly adding to my "To Do" list all the time.  In the future I'll add a page for the to do list so invitees can compare and we can see if we're forgetting anything.

So awesome! Long post, but you know...
j