Skip to main content

"Adopt the pace of nature; her secret is patience" Ralph Waldo Emerson

When I decided to apply to serve in the Peace Corps (PC), I knew that it was going to be a lengthy process.  It was late in 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic surged ahead, and I was still doing my job from my living room.  There were a lot of uncertainties--not only in my life, but for everyone, everywhere.  

One of the positive outcomes of the pandemic was that Peace Corps had a lot of online panels, workshops, and meeting opportunities.  I took full advantage of these!  In addition to attending panels with returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs), I also went to online office hours with my local PC recruiter from Seattle.  PC provided a fantastic resume and personal statement workshop; and the local recruiter read over both and gave me feedback.  I also got feedback from colleagues; for anyone thinking about applying, I strongly encourage you to solicit impact from multiple folks on your application materials.  I finally submitted my application in July 2021.  

And then I waited...

In July 2022 I received an invitation to interview with PC (you read that right--1 year later).   I had my interview about 2 weeks later.  My invitation to serve came in late September.  Once you're invited, you still need to complete medical and legal clearance.  Legal clearance took until the end of November (involves things like fingerprinting and an FBI background check); medical clearance took quite a bit longer.  There were a lot of lab tests, appointments, vaccinations, and forms to be completed.  I finally got my medical clearance at the end of March. 

It was at that point that things got REAL.  I am so very fortunate to have a job where I can take leave of absence for the length of my service.  And even though I live in a very small space (~600 sq ft) it still all has to get packed up and put into storage.  I’m also currently teaching 3 classes and have a pretty heavy service load at work. 

I’m chipping away at things!  There have been many trips to Goodwill, and I have also started putting things into storage (I was very excited on the day I actually started moving stuff in there, LOL).  

There are still a lot of unknowns, but here's what I can tell you right now--the next step is "staging" where I will meet my cohort in Atlanta, GA (June 3-5).  Then I'll be going to St. Lucia to start my training.  This is also where I will meet the host family who I will live with during training.  

More soon as I countdown to departure!!  

 


Comments

  1. AnonymousApril 24, 2023 at 2:20 PM

    This is feeling even more real! Beyond excited to follow your journey.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Laura SiegesmundApril 24, 2023 at 3:23 PM

    So proud of you sister!!! I am looking forward to following along with you on your journey!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Julie OliverApril 24, 2023 at 3:48 PM

    Beyond exciting! So happy for you.

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousApril 24, 2023 at 7:32 PM

    Way2go Amy!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnonymousApril 25, 2023 at 5:43 PM

    Things are getting exciting now! So happy for you. 💕

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

"This wasn't a strange place; it was a new one" -Paulo Coehlo

 Thanks again to everyone who submitted questions.  A couple notes about this video: 1) my voice is a bit scratchy and crackly because there was burning happening when I recorded and the smoke messes with my voice 2) In some of the slides, it sounds like a teapot is whistling--my apologies that was the fan getting picked up by my headphones (its not too loud, I promise) 3) In the slide following my intro, I state that the "ministry of health" was involved when I meant to say "ministry of education" (the error is actually quite obvious, lol)
Post a Comment
Read more

"allow it to end with grace and an open mind for a new day" -Brendon Burchard

 Full quote:  It's official--my close of service (COS) date is July 5, 2025, which means I have less than 6 months left!  I know that a lot of volunteers talk about how hard it is to think about leaving and returning home.  I am definitely not one of these volunteers.  Don't misunderstand me--I am deeply thankful for this experience and I remain glad that I did this.  I have learned so much about so many things, including myself.   But simultaneously, I am feeling very, very ready to be done.  There are a multitude of reasons, most of which are best left unsaid in this forum.   I remain deeply commited to being present and finishing my projects.  There are still roadblocks beyond my control holding up a big part of the library project.  While I really want to see these pieces come to fruition, I've also made peace with the fact that they might not get done before I leave.  It's the reality of the situation and I've do...
Post a Comment
Read more

"Sometimes you gotta take a break from all the noise to appreciate the beauty of silence" -Robert Tew

We have made it (almost) to the end of term 1 at school.  Students finished exams last week and after exams instruction stops.  So for the last week and a half of the term, its a bit more of a free-for-all than usual at school as teachers are trying to do their grading and the kids are left mostly to their own devices.  I was hoping to use this time to make some big leaps forward on my library projects, but there's been another bump in the road--and that's a whole story that I'm not going to get into right now.  What I am going to get into is saying goodbye for a few weeks.  I'll be back here sometime early in the new year.  I'm going to be traveling to WI for most of break (as many leave days as I could spare).  My plan is to relax, sleep with a blanket (!), run in the cold, cook, bake, eat, and drink.  I need this trip to be a chill one, so I'm just hanging with family.  To all my WI friends--I miss you and will visit you when I return to t...
Post a Comment
Read more