Baby Steps

April 22, 2009

Happy Earth Day! Just got back from a walk with my dog enjoying a nice sunny day. Thank you Mother Earth :) We will treat you better promise! Upon returning from my walk I had an email from who I know now is my Placement Officer's Assistant. She apologized for the delay in returning my message inquiring about my status. She informed me the the legal questions where a pending issue and needed to be addressed. Once I spoke with the legal department everything was good to go. So I am lead to believe if I hadn't asked her about my status...she wouldn't have looked into to see that I had some follow up questions for legal to follow up on...and then I wouldn't have heard from the legal department until God knows when. So once again I think that being diligent with the fine folks in DC I was able to get answers. She also said that if I don't hear anything in 2-3 weeks then I can hit her up for a status update. Consider it done. So things are progressing inch by inch. Baby Steps...

Above the Law

April 21, 2009

I should have known I was only going to get good news on my momma's birthday! I got a gift too. I stalked the guy at the Legal/Eligibility office and finally got him. He dug up my file (bless his heart) and talked to me for quite awhile. I really appreciate him. He asked me follow up questions about the out standing debts I had. It felt really good to say...yep paid that, paid that, that's taken care of, paid that. So he said that I was good to go. My "file is now complete" according Legal McNicerson..but those are words I have heard before. So I asked him just how complete was it really. Basically he's said the decision maker is the next step. The official placement officer will review my file and place me. However, in real life time, I wanna know now...in Peace Corps time...an August nomination is not even being considered right now. Therefore, my file is going to be sitting on someone's desk for awhile. Also, he confirmed that there are usually 2 people for every one opening. I know that I will be sent to the location that is best for me, so I'm keeping hope alive, it's just nerve racking!

We talked for awhile, I don't know how to act when I get someone on the phone!! I wanted all the info I could get. He also told me that since it takes time to get your passport, they have an 8 week minimum of how late they can send an invite. Therefore, if I don't know by the end of June (I'll say) then I clearly didn't get that nomination. I don't know if they send you a letter if you don't or not. I didn't concern myself with that, I don't see that happening. I wonder who the other soul(s) are that are nominated for the same spot? Do they talk about it allll the time like I do? Are there family and peers holding their collective breath as well waiting to know the outcome? I wonder...

I'll be traveling and visiting a lot during May so hopefully my mind will be off of this a little bit. I'm coming up with a schedule and a exercise/prayer/meditation regimen so that I have structure and have other things to focus on. Wow it's a trip my life could drastically change in the next 60 days!

Trouble with the Law

April 16, 2009

Ugh, I got a voicemail from someone from the Legal Dept. He said he overlooked something in my file and has some questions for me and he'll be out of the office for the next five days. Sheeeeeesh, GREAT! Positive thoughts, positive thoughts, positive thoughts.... There isn't a legal hold on my file, so hopefully I just need to submit some paper work and I'll be golden. Really kind of at this point, I just like hearing from DC, good or bad, at least I know they have my paper work and are actively looking at it! I'll update as sooooon as I know something...

Dental Almost Completed/Legal Clearance

November 17, 2008

So this weekend I got my impacted wisdom tooth pulled. I was soooo super nervous, but it was okay. I'm still on meds though for the next few days. Since I had so much to do that day I completely forgot about my paper work. So I am going to have to go back and get my final and official x-rays that are required by Peace Corps. So Dental is almost completed! Whew. (now I just have to pay for it all!).

I received an email today saying that I have Legal Clearance. WHOO HOO! I couldn't be more pleased, mainly because I had NO clue why there was a hold to begin with. I wonder if that means my student loans are going to be taken care of... I only have about $3,000 of student loans, but if I could use that money to pay for...I don't know, my dental costs...that would really help.

I must admit I have been being pretty slack on my medical journey. I must kick it into high gear so I can have everything sent off by December.

POAL (Plan of Action List)
Still gotta hunt down records from my OB in the Lou
Call my OB here and get my paper work from my pap this summer
Get final X-Rays from Dentist

I'll give myself till the end of November to have those tasks completed... Wish me Luck!

Appointment and Cavities and Costs! Oh MY!

October 11, 2008

Okay, so even thought I wasn't sure where the money was going to come from, I set my dentist and doctor appointment pretty much right after I got my packet. I gave myself the deadline of having that task done by the end of that week...

So my dentist appointment was today and I have my doctors appointment on Monday.

Well lets back up..

2 things...I hard that the medical clearance is expensive so I had to ask my dad if I could use my emergency card (the card we share that are strictly for emergencies only) for these medical expenses. He said okay, even though he is having a tough financial time right now. I was feeling bad about it, but really I shouldn't because I shouldn't be expecting him to pay a penny of it! Right? Right! Well, I just found out MY assignment at work could possibly be ending next week...hmmmm...so I have no clue where my money is gonna be comin from if that really happens....so that's just some background...

NOW, today, I go to the dentist knowing that I will probably need a tooth pulled eventually and that was going to be that on that....

Um how bout no...

Why did I have 9!!!!!!! 9!!!! NINE Cavities!!
What in the?

I mean I brush!!! twice a day!
I know weak teeth run in the fam a bit..and I know I have been killing the sugar this past year...seriously my job keeps the candy bars flowin and I always come back for more..

Granted my dentist said some of these "cavities" are not real cavities and are more or less surface grooves...but in the interest of joining the Peace Corp I should get them all filled so I'm set for the next two years...

Oh and he agrees my third impacted molar...while painless....should come out...

So I don't even want to talk about what my bill is going to be..

Insurance you ask? Yeah I believe I get a free cleaning and that's it...We'll see...
Because on top of everything, they couldn't pull up my insurance information so I had to come out of pocket today...and then on Monday they will have to file with my insurance and then refund me. The most I may get refunded is 70 bucks for the cleaning... a VERY small dent in the grand bill! I will most definitely be applying for the reimbursement that Peace Corp offers for this.

So today I ended up getting all the work done on my right side which was...what...five cavities or something ridiculous like that...a cleaning and headache!

Charged it to the game and now I gotta see how I'm gonna pay for it...It'll work out...

I have an appointment on the 25th to get the other cavities taken care of and then I don't know sometime after that I will get my wisdom tooth pulled..it may not even happen before December...but we shall see....

This really has me diving in deep ya know?
I was still considering myself a person still "deciding" on whether or not I'm going...
but man when you drop this kind of dough...you're going...

We'll see, I still have that legal hold...and I have not been given any further information on that.

Tomorrow is a Peace Corp Potluck dinner so I can't wait to pick the brains of all the Returned Peace Corps Volunteers! I hope everyone else has similar stories to mine!

Peace Corps Timeline

September 8, 2008
Sent off online application!

September 9, 2008
Received an email from recruitment Coordinator acknowledging reciept of my application. Email also includes documents about: Student Loans, Financial Obligations (eeeek!), Relationship status (n/a..as of today..), Vegetarian Doc (I try not to eat meat in the US, but else where I will), HPV Shot Doc, General Medical Info Doc. In the email I'm instructed to have all applicable documents completed in approx two weeks. That is the soonest I would be granted and interview. Also, have my letters of recommendation in as soon as possible because no interview can be granted before all three of your letters or rec are in.

This is pretty exciting. I printed off the documents and I'll read over them when I go home.

September 10, 2008-
Received a phone call from my local recruiter.
Called her back and we scheduled an interview for September 24th.
This based off of the condition that I have my references in before that time.
No reference, no interview.

I was also given a list of things to bring to the interview, that I need to start working ASAP.

-University/College Transcripts (unofficial is fine)
-Copies of any certification (such as CPR, teaching credential etc...)
-Any of the forms that relate to me from the initial email (as listed above)
- (the one I dread the MOST) A statement about your outstanding debt...(bank loan and association debts) They need a letter stating how I plan on making payments while I'm away... or that it will be paid in full before departure (hmmm maybe I can just commit to that?), If someone is going to assume responsibility, I need to have a notarized lettter from that person stating just that....

For real in real life where my stress about the debts are coming from IS that I intend on having those debts paid before departure...So if they can take me on my word then, that's fantastic. Maybe check back and six month or so...see where I am on that... I think that's fair.

So I guess I won't be buyin a MacBook after all...

September 11, 2008
Totally and completely bought a MacBook today!

That's hilarious. The only reason why I thought it was worth writing because I clearly stated...just yesterday? (is that right?) That I won't be buying one... I mean I said "I guess". I clearly guessed wrong.

A couple of things happened. First of all, my Dad gave me the okay and thought the deal I was getting was a good one. Second of all I went to a talk on Life Coaching and was VERY interested and it seemed like having a computer would make life easier when pursuing this career. Plus, I want one. I think this computer is the very last "thing" I'm really going to buy.

From this point on my goal is to get rid of, not acquire things.

Now this is all pre-interview even. Lets see if the Peace Corp group and I think that I am even a potential match for volunteering at this time!

September 12, 2008

Faxed in a request to receive my transcript and received it 30 min later

Contacted my references to make sure they received their reference form from Peace Corps.

September 22, 2008

My interview was scheduled for this wednesday the 24th @ 11:00. Due to a lunch meeting for work I had to rescedule for 8:00 in the morning so now its even earlier! I'm getting nervous!

The status of my 3 references is:

1 submitted
1 started
1 not started

So I am keeping hope alive that all references will be in before my interview. If the references are not complete. I will have to change my reschedule my interview...(again yeeps)

I'm most nervous about having all the paperwork that they are requesting...especially all of my financial responsibilites... I'm going to through all that right now actually...

September 24, 2008

What a day, what a day, what a day!
So first of all... all of my references came in. Just like I knew they would. Tori, my super nice, super cool, hardcore seriously about Peace Corp recruiter saw me even though the last she checked all of my references last night they weren't in. They were in by this morning, so that's all that matters :)

It was really great meeting Tori in person. The interview is very structured. I believe she said there are three parts to it...like..Why do you want to volunteer, questions ...about things you are absolutely opposed to (like climate, regions, practices...etc), and I think explaining more about what one would be getting into as a volunteer.

They have to forward all of your information to D.C. So she is filling out the questions on a laptop to send to D.C... so as I spoke she typed. That could have been nerve racking or distracting, but that took me back to my membership days with Detla...those who have been through such a process know what I'm talking about....

At the end of the interview (approx 2 hours I would say) I was actually nominated! But before that one thing that was intersting to me... although I have been taking some very informal Spanish lessons here and there, it didn't really count as a language because it wasn't from an accredited institution. However, the option is that I can go take a test at language center, and if I test at the intermediate level...then it could be considered. I am planning on signing up for a 10 week course coming up...so I think I just might take the test if I feel confident in my skills..

Anyway, back to the fun stuff...she read off a couple of possible places in Asia, North Africa and LAtin America...after a discussion (Which doesn't normally happen), it seemed like Belize was a good fit. In Belize they speak majority English amd that is why I would be able to function there.

Since I did not have a full time job ever working with at risk youth, I was more qualified for teaching. I LOVE youth programming, and while it has not been my day job, I'm always involved some how some way with youth development. After giving her some examples of my volunteer work, she was willing to push for me to be able to be nominated for a youth development program.

Oh and August 2009 was the date that was thrown out there for departure. Soooooo I guess I need to start wrapping my head around that...

I feel nervous...
Do I start telling everyone?
Or keep it in the spiritual realm right now...
If I DO start spreading the word...when?
Clearly if someone happened upon this blog...all the info is here...
but I tried to google it and nothing comes up.. so its locked away safe in cyber space for now...

The only thing that keep me from going is not getting either medically or legally cleared.

I had a condo and I hope the complications with that don't keep me from going on the legal tip.
All my financial debts I really want to pay off..even if that means getting a second job so that's that on my legal concerns...
Medically... I should be cool, I have like a tooth that might have to be pulled, but other than discovering something that I never knew I had (heaven forbid!) I should be straight. It's just a matter of going and getting EVERYTHING checked out. I hear this process is not cheap either...

Also, Everyone says that getting medically cleared takes forever. If I wait to spread the word then... it maybe really late...you know, to inform your loved ones that you are going to be up and outtie for dos anos (see? I'm totaly bilingual!)

So I guess I will inform loved ones...just that I am going through the application process...and who knows what will come of it... Cause... for real..who knows...

Belize huh?.....Belize....(cue: dreamy harp music as image becomes wavy....)

September 25, 2008
So I have gotten both a letter in the mail, and an email that instructed me to go to my online Tookit...

It's making it seem more real already...

Let's see, since I'm so nervous about the medical and legal clearing, I was reading all about it, just to ease my mind...

Yeah not so much...

Shots, shots and more shots....sigh... If you're leaving the country...then yes you need shots... I KNOW, but just thinking about it made me squimish. I have a thing about needles. Get over it right? Sigh...so yeah there is a laundry list of shots to take.

Also, I could see from the dental thing that I'm definitely going to have to get a wisdom tooth pulled...and who knows what else...

I suppose a couple of things are happening here...
a) its becoming more real already
b) When you are getting multiple shots, you are no longer in "we'll just see what happens..." mode...

Gasping reality, grasping reality...sigh...

Next step... waiting for my medical packet in the mail so the fun can begin!

September 29, 2008

So, just checked my email and I already have a Legal hold on my account!
Argh, its okay though, I was so anxious to stress out about something, lol, so here is my something. I want to "take action" somehow, but I think it's just under closer review, there is nothing I can do about it now. Luckily it's a year in advance lol so I guess I have to figure it out.

Also, my online toolkit says that my Medical packet was mailed out on September 26th, so I will hopefully recieve it this week.