06.30.08
August 11
Monday morning. June 30, 2008. 8am.
My eyes are burning because I am still tired. I didn’t sleep much last night because I was watching my TiVoed Eurocup 2008 final between Spain and Germany – Spain spanked Germany 1-0 : just utter domination all over the pitch. Besides the game, I spent a couple hours finishing up my reading on what exactly it would be that I would do in and for the Peace Corps. I still have yet to discover it because everything they give you is so very vague.
So as soon as I woke up, I called my placement officer, my travel agent, and my country desk to confirm everything that I needed to do and accept my invitation. The thoughts that scare me are that I may not have running water, a toilet that flushes, and electricity. There is an indigenous people group of 40,000 that don’t speak Spanish and live on huts elevated by stilts. The humidity is at a rage and the temperature is ALWAYS between 85 and 95 degrees. I don’t like the idea of sweltering heat and wet feet so I went out and bought a few things are REI – among them are flashlights that go on your head, shoes that you can wear in the water, and sandals that the sales rep declared were able to be hiked in. I just hate the idea of squatting when I poop. I am going to poop once a week for that reason and get regular colon cleanings.
My staging period of three days is going to be in Miami. There are a total of 36 volunteers that will be going with me broken down into environmental training (18 people) and community economic development (two groups of 8 and 10). I still have no idea what I am really doing, but I am ready. I got a new Macbook, and iPod touch, and some new underwear to hold my jewels while we endure through the swassy (sweaty @$$) weather.
I fly out on August 11 to stage in Miami for three days, then I head off the Panama. Where the heat likes to torture you with a great supply of moisture in the air. Oh yes, the man that never camped in his life is bound to become the new Panama Jack.
Through it all, I am really excited. I am excited for the chance to make a difference, to learn what God has in store for me through the people there, what I can learn about myself in difficult situations, and other great things of life. Yea, I’m doing it.
One life. Making it count.
06.26.08
Got the Placement.
Ding dong.
Ding dong…
Ding dong, ding dong, ding dong, ding dong, ding dong.
It’s 9 am. I barely slept and if anything, i think I was just falling asleep. Stupid Fed-ex people had to come around and harass me at the perfect moment so I continued with my sleepless night. The night before, my sister drove her drunk friend J. back to our house to rest up. 4 am, she walks into my room. I haven’t had a girlfriend in about 4 years now and feeling the residual loneliness that accompanies the night. I am shirtless and in my boxers as I sleep partially nude. Then, wait, what is going on in your head? You don’t actually think that something happened, do you? Well, she walked in my room with my sister and started to talk to me, then out of nowhere, decides to poke my nipples. Yes, she poked my nipples, at 4 in the morning, then went back to my sister’s room and passed out. The light wasn’t even out for goodness sakes! So I am still tired from that episode.
Then at 9 am the Fed ex guy comes with a package. My friend Tim is sleeping downstairs and gets to the door before I could. Yep, my official invitation came in the mail. They decided to send me to Panama to be a community economic development consultant. Sounds cool, but we will see what that actually entails…
dum dum dum… to be continued. 
06.24.08
All that… and I am finally invited!
Internet is definitely faster than snail mail, but it doesn’t make it more satisfying if the information isn’t all there.
I just looked through my Peace Corps Toolkit, and it read “Congratulations! You have been invited to become a Peace Corps volunteer!”
In the midst of a pretty serious conversation with my sister, I decided to check my toolkit for kicks and I found that the layout was a little different from what I was used to. Before, it would only tell me of the holds and the problems that my application and process was experiencing, but this time, it was full of information to help me prepare myself for the next two years of my life. Then interesting part of it all was the simple fact that I still don’t know where I am going.
So I await the packet, which will hopefully come tomorrow and give me the final details of what will most likely be, the most unique two years of my life.
Stay tuned…
06.20.08
Applied. Interviewed. Nominated. Cleared. Invited?
I think that I applied to the Peace Corps in either February or March, I don’t remember. Whatever the case, it is now the middle of June and I just spoke with my Placement officer who slyly said that as soon as I send in my updated resume, that I would get sent the invitation packet. But the process up to this point was grueling.
Rarely in my life have I ever stuck with anything. It’s not because I can’t stay committed, but simply because a newer and better opportunity arises. Opportunity costs are generally higher when you have more options to choose from and decisions come by with much stress, thought, and internal conflict. So, the more diverse you are as a person, the more interests you have and capacities you can generally fill. At least that’s what I keep telling myself over and over. Interestingly enough, I have stuck with this process for quite some time now – more than anything else that I ever set myself to do. And here I am at the end of one rope about to swing onto another one.
The journey was definitely the hardest thing I have ever endured through. The application process was tedious – as they all are, and getting cleared was like getting poked in the side without any end. The only things that I found were enjoyable about the process were the interview and the actual nomination. If you ever want to apply to the Corps, make sure you have all your medical information in one place. It’s a good thing to have in one place anyway for future reference.
So here I am, about to receive my invitation. A large part of me is excited, another part of me is over it, and the most important part of me is ready to do whatever it is that God has in store for my life.
Peace Corps? We’ll see.
