Almost there.

Oh my...what a week it's been.

It started off with a bang when I received a packet of information from the PC Medical Office Monday morning.

Not a good sign...

It turns out my medical hold was an actual medical hold, because they had a few things they needed extra information about. Nothing major, mainly red tape... mostly just a frustration.

I am happy to report, however, that everything they needed was faxed back to them this afternoon... and hopefully everything will be all set!

I enjoyed a peaceful afternoon nap in my hammock to celebrate having made it through the week.

Almost there.

Medical Hold?! (false alarm)

I was startled to see another email in my inbox this morning from the Peace Corps, indicating that my application status had changed! When my PO said it could be days, apparently she wasn't joking! 

I hurriedly logged on to Mytoolkit and this is what I saw:

At first glance, this doesn't look very encouraging, but after reading the fine print, I saw that it only meant that my file was under review...which is definitely a good thing!

Oh my...it gets closer and closer and closer. :)

Book List

I've heard from a variety of sources that the Peace Corps presents frequent opportunities to read... and as I've spent the past four years doing a LOT of reading, but very little of it by choice, that sounds amazing to me!

I also recently came into the possession of a Nook...for free (which is a pretty great story, in and of itself) and so the ability to take a virtually unlimited number of books along with me without taking up the space of one physical book is now within reach! I'm definitely a sucker for holding a real book in my hands, turning the pages...smelling the pages... doing other normal book things... However, I cannot deny the merit of an electronic reader in this situation. 

Being so far removed from the world of reading books for pleasure has left me at a loss for where to begin, much less choose enough books to fill up two years worth of free time! So I've decided to begin taking suggestions... here's the list so far: 

Baghdad Without a Map

Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers

The Book Thief

Five People You Meet in Heaven

The Poisonwood Bible

1000 Gifts

Churched

The Pentagon's New Map

All Hail the Emperor

So...fire away! Feel free to comment with books you've read and enjoyed, books you've wished you had time to read, and (if you're feeling feisty) books you've read and hated - just so one day when I'm bored, maybe I'll read it and hate it too. Then we'll have something in common! :) Haha...the list has plenty of room to grow, so don't be shy!

So You Want to Join the Peace Corps...

After some browsing of the Peace Corps' recommended reading for nominees, and cross-referencing the titles with the availability of said books in SWU's library...I was left with one: "So You Want to Join the Peace Corps: What to Know Before You Go", by Dillon Banerjee.

So I picked it up this afternoon and read through it... It was very well written - it addressed a myriad of topics in a question and answer format. Some of the information was quite outdated, as the book was published in 2000. For instance...the recommendation to bring a walkman and plenty of tapes to listen to. :D But for the most part it was informative and enjoyable.

One of the things it mentioned that I hadn't yet considered was adopting a pet while I'm there. Evidently it's quite a frequent thing and has many benefits, including pest control (cats), protection (dogs), and overall companionship. One more thing to look forward to in the field!

Placement Update!

Well, I just got off the phone with my Placement Officer, and so far it's all good news :)

We went over a final review of my file, talked about some of my initial concerns, current feelings, and placement possibilities. I was happy to inform her that I'm still extremely excited, have great family support, and am willing to cover my tattoos and/or dreadlocks (should they be culturally unacceptable).

She couldn't give me any specifics yet, and I can't get an invitation until my medical clearance is processed, but she did mention that they're considering me for several programs that leave in June, and it's probable that I'll be teaching at a high school. Since my potential departure date has been moved up, she did mention that she will be contacting the medical office and asking them to put a rush on my paperwork.

So...my invitation could literally be days away!

Speaking of things that are just days away...I graduate in 31 days! **spastic happy dance** :D

Realization

I recently realized what worries me the most about moving to another country.

It's not adapting to washing my clothes by hand, eating new food, or using a latrine. It's not even learning to speak a new language, although that does worry me more than the rest.

I'm most worried that I will continually be lost for my entire service.

If you know me well enough, you've probably had a chuckle or two at the expense of my complete lack of direction. It's true...I rejoiced greatly when I was able to navigate to Walmart, a mere 2.1 miles from my campus. I've come to terms with it. Long trips are made after copious amounts of google map studying. Directions from friends must be laden with plenty of landmarks and details.

So the idea of packing up and moving to a (most likely) rural area, in a country where I don't yet speak the local language, don't know anyone, and can't simply type in an address on my phone...scares me.

Just thought I'd put that out there.

The sands of time.

Tonight, I sat in a movie theater with an amazing group of friends and watched the first part of an epic trilogy unfold before me on the silver screen.

Unlike some movie goers, I truly enjoy the previews. Sometimes they make me more excited than the movie itself, actually. So at midnight, I settled into my seat in great anticipation...

And then I realized... I probably won't be here when most of these movies come out. Certainly not when the next Hunger Games movie arrives.

Trivial? Yes. But just one of those signs that sneaks up on you to say.... Why hello there. You're not going to be here much longer. Those have been popping up all over the place lately.

It's those types of things that are such motivation to make every moment count. A day with friends isn't just any other day, it's part of a countdown. The hourglass has been turned, and there is no way to hold it back now.

Now it is simply time to pay attention to every single grain of sand that falls... And make every one matter.