One Week

One week left before leaving. Crazy how much it can change around from being scared, nervous, sad, excited, etc. But always know it's fine. I gotta say I wouldn't have seen this coming a year ago. No, have to admit, I wasn't one of those that knew their whole life they wanted to join the Peace Corps. which is good. because if i had planned on it, it probably wouldn't have worked out this way. can't plan things really. not even shouldn't, just can't. so it might be worthwhile, hopefully even helpful to someone, to share how i got to this point.

the seed was first planted i suppose last summer, august. i guess sometimes its good to be jealous, it can be a good motivator. hadn't really considered PC before, but after hearing from someone else looking to do it, i was kind of wishing i was too. i didn't know too much about it at that point, but i knew it seemed better than starting a typical job after college. still, thought it was too late to want to try and to that. everyone who does the peace corps plans on doing it for years and has done some awesome international service beforehand to be qualified, right? i studied abroad in europe, but that wouldn't even count for anything, it wasn't a service trip.

went to the career fair and happened to talk to a recruiter from an engineering company who had done the peace corps after ND before he started work. he suggested i go talk to someone from the PC table, so i figured why not. the recruiter i talked to basically erased all the fears i had about being too late or unqualified. he told me about his service in Morocco, and about the different PC volunteer programs and all. I saw one that seemed absolutely perfect. doing water sanitation work, something i was very interested in and a perfect way to use some of my engineering skills for something really meaningful. so i got excited. but its still a long process, he said, so i need to get moving if i really want to do it right after graduating.

did pretty much the entire application that night, and got my recommendation letters and all within a few days. i knew it was a selective process, but i was sure it was what i wanted to do, so it would work out. so i had my interview - the only interview i've actually enjoyed being in - and was nominated for service. i mentioned that i was interested in doing water sanitation, and she thought that was great.

i get a call a couple days later. turns out those programs required fluency in another language, not something i had to offer, so she couldn't nominate me for that. but she saw i had done some tutoring... how about teaching science in Sub-Saharan Africa??

teaching, eh? well, it was the water work that had first really attracted me. i knew i could be effective doing that with my engineering and construction backgrounds. but i had never taught before, would i even be good at that? sure, i'll get an amazing experience out of the peace corps no matter what, but if i can't be effective in what i'm trying to do, then i'm not really helping anyone.

but again i got some unexpected inspiration. gained some pretty random connections to other serving or soon-to-be-leaving teaching volunteers, and i was able to get a lot of info from them. i realized the job title i had as a volunteer wasn't all that important. you might think you can save the world by doing some work in particular, but in the end the real impact you're going to have is from the connections you make with the people you're living with. no matter where you are or what you're doing. and i know i'll be able to do that, and that's what i really want to get out of this.

and so a few shots, blood tests, medical exams, forms, phone interviews, and a good amount of patience later, i got my invitation to go to Tanzania to teach math. and now im just a few more shots, medical exams, forms, and international flights away from being there!

so many people who helped me with this. for those who were my first inspiration, wrote a recommendation letter, gave me good advice, or just encouraged me along the way, you probably know who you are, so thank you. and to anyone who might be interested in serving in the peace corps at some point in the future, i hope i can be of some help to you too.

ive been trying to brush up on some Swahili before i go, but i dont think that's really going to be all that helpful once i'm there. there'll be a time for that. but now probably best to spend time with friends, family, go to sox games, and eat Giordano's pizza. and stay up til 5am writing blogs i guess.