Adventures in Getting Passported

Since I finally got my certified birth certificate in the mail last week, I finally made it down to the County Clerk's Office to get my no-fee passport taken care of!  It looked like things would go easy and quickly from the moment I walked into the courthouse where the office was located as there was no one other than security guards in sight.  We are, however, talking about Peace Corps business, so easy and quick it was not.

Once I made it though security (now without the cat nail clippers I that I had forgotten which have been swimming at the bottom of my purse), I headed to the blue elevators at the other side of the building and went up to second floor only to discover that the office was right near the elevators and SO easy to find. Yay!  When I walked into the office, there were two ladies sitting behind cubicle set up against the counter and neither of which had anyone to help.  I stepped up and said I needed a no-fee passport and whipped out my UPS envelope sent to me by PC to send my Visa and Passport stuff in via FedEx (so silly) which contained my folder with everything sent to me pertaining to these two items in addition to the newly taken terrible pictures of myself.

That is when the fun started.
Long story short: Another clerk was brought over to help and wound up calling an actual passport agency because they had no clue as to what the protocol was for a PCV's no-fee passport was.  They also tried arguing with me about sending in my sealed application with my visa to SATO despite the fact that the paperwork that I brought in and that they read said to do so! Luckily, they eventually ACTUALLY read the mailing instructions and saw that I was, in fact, to mail it myself.  Oy vey.  I also repeatedly heard the term "walk through" and discovered that I have amazing patience with people.  It is nice to know all of my years in retail have paid off!

Now it all taken care of nice and spiffy and hopefully there will be no more problems with it.

And if anyone was wondering, if you do not have and have never had a regular passport and you want one in addition to your no-fee, you need two certified birth certificates since they get processed separately.  Looks like I may have to embassy it up in Ukraine to get a personal one... Unless this passport place lied to me.  Let's hope not.

107 Inches of Checked Bags

Tah Dah!:
Duffel #1 (in Olive)
Duffle #2 (in Grey)

107 inches on the dot!

It only a ton of combinations to find, but yay nonetheless!

Still need to find a carry-on.  Any suggestions?

Yay Birth Certificate!

I had to order a certified copy of my birth certificate from California since mine was apparently lost by my dad during the course of his numerous moves over the years.  It finally came today!  Now I just have to get my passport pictures taken and I can get my passport and visa stuff in :)

Sometimes getting mail sucks.

I received a letter in the mail today from the old property management I was dealing with back in Las Vegas.  No security deposit back.  Long story short, I may have to pay to replace the carpet! I call bullshit, especially since I know there is someone already living there (she moved in on the 29th of this month, I know this because we are friends) and the letter I received was dated for the 30th stating that they were currently waiting on estimates.

Someone tell me how this works out!? That is an ass-clown move to pull on new tenants... 

In all honesty, I am wondering if anything will actually become of it.  I sent my friend now living there a message asking if they had said anything about replacing the carpet, because if they didn't and they try charging me then I shall be releasing the Rage Hippo for non-PC purposes.

And now for something completely different (well, still related..)-
After getting this letter and giving into a freak out at the amount of money this could put me out, I began considering my options.  Let's face it, if my debt isn't paid off (in addition to my lingering medical bills), then there will be no Ukraine for Kim :(
Awesome option put into play to solve this debt problem, allow me to save money for items I will need to buy for service, and (if needed) pay for this new carpet: 401k. 
Reasoning? I have had one since I the day I turned 21, and let's face it how many people have been lucky enough to have one for three years going into their 24th birthday this day in age?  Not a large chunk, I'm sure.  That being said, I pulled enough money to cover all of my current debt and doctor's bills with the mindset of "I have time to save for my retirement, if I am not dead by then."  Better to use that money to help me achieve an amazing Peace Corps experience that I have been chosen for!

Weight, thank you for being lifted off of my shoulders!

I bought my first thing for Ukraine today.

A hat.

It has balls on it.

 I am not quite sure how I feel about having giant balls on strings attached to my hat, but they sure are fun to play with! I love my easily amused nature.



This made me wonder... What was/will be your first Peace Corps purchase for service?

Obviously, mine is probably not the first thing someone declares that they need to buy when going to Ukraine, but damn it, this purchase was a matter of circumstances.  Work circumstances.  As I was walking to the backroom to clock out after my shift, I passed by this nifty hat.  "Well, that should keep the babushkas off my back about wearing a hat" I thought.  Not to mention that it should help with the whole not-having-my-ears freeze-off thing as well.

Spreaking of buying stuff for service, I have totally been building up a Favorites folder of things I will be needing/wanting.  But mostly needing :)

Dear Ukraine TEFL Invitees:

Skype me!
kimberley.rawr

:)

Aspiration Statement and Resume Info

In the off chance that you want to get your resume set up to what PC requests of invitees, I give you this.  One less thing for you to worry about when that invite arrives if it is already done! Plus it may keep you busy during those bursts of RAS :)

It also includes information about writing and formatting your aspiration statement, which I need to get to work on. I thought I was done with essay style writing when I graduated!  I at least didn't think I'd be dealing with it so soon...

Happy writing!

Ukraine (no "The")

So today will be the day I actually sit down with my big blue packet as it is my first day off since receiving it.  I am going to tackle the resume and aspiration statement first and then begin filling out forms.  Is it weird that I enjoy filling out forms? 

I am really stoked that I got my invite so far in advance, however it also means that I haven't gotten around to ordering a certified copy of my birth certificate, so getting my visa and passport stuff in will take at least a month! Le sigh.  Upside is that Kortni informed me that I could do my own passport pictures as long as they follw certain guidelines! Sweet deal since this photographer is by no means photogenic herself.

In other news...
Since getting my invite, I have been sharing the news of where I'll be heading off to March and have been telling those who repeat my desination "no 'The'!"  It doesn't work so well though :)

To any other Ukraine March invitees, SHOW YOURSELVES! :)  There is a Facebook Page for our groups (41 & 42).  I would have created a Group, but apparently those are now only for people you are already friends with.  This is kind of a bummer as I dislike that I cannot post as myself! Oh well!

I was invited on the 9th and received my invitation on the 24th!

And so I shall be heading off to Ukraine in March as a Secondary Education TEFL Teacher!

I was so stoked to see the UPS man (well, I heard his truck first) that I totally teared up with excitement. 

And now, for some invitation kit exploration..

New one sent.

So my PO checked the tracking number on my invitation and it shows it as being delivered, I wish!  A new one is being sent today via UPS ground, so let's hope that it is actually delivered by end of day Wednesday as the web site says it should be.

Damn living in the middle of the forest!
The wait continues...

I keep having these dreams...

Last night I had a dream that I got my invite and it said I was invited to serve in El Salvador.  This totally freaked out dream Kim as I just watched a National Geographic show last night on the MS-13 gang which is pretty big and dangerous in that particular country...

Then, the night before that I dreamt that I was invited to serve in Indonesia!

Both of these dreams definitely have not helped with my wanting my invitation to arrive.  Apparently my brain is having fun coming up with scenarios in which I wind up not being invited to where I was nominated.  I realize this is a possibility, but one of the questions I was asked for placement was:

"You were originally nominated and are currently being considered for a program in the Eastern Europe region that departs in March 2011.  Are you still available for this departure?"

   

So I assume that that is still where I will end up. 

Thank you dreams, I am becoming far more obsessed with knowing.
Le sigh.

Help me decipher!?

If my PO says to let her know if I don't receive my invite by Thursday, does that mean to email her if I don't get it today (Wednesday) or tomorrow? I really don't want to be overly annoying.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.5.9

Damn this anticipation

Still no invite on my doorstep.
Sad Face.

Dear UPS-

I realize that I live in the middle of a forest within a town so small is doesn't even have its own post office (let alone UPS office), but why the hell haven't you brought me my damn invitiation yet?! My toolkit says it was sent out on the 9th, so even if it was sent normal shipping via your company, is should take 3 days max for it to get here (your website even said it was GUARUNTEED!), yet alas I still do not know where I am going nor when.

In closing, make sure I get that shit on Monday.

Or else!

Love,
Kim

155 Days.

Or 5 months, 2 days.

That is how long it took me to go from submitting my application to recieving an invitation.  After reviewing the Timeline Page on PC Wiki, I have come to the conclusion that I lucked out massively in terms of not having to deal with RAS for too long.

I didn't seem to get some of the applicant experiences others had in regards to placement such as:

• writing a personal statement about my tattoos (I have a lot and saying that are visible a bit of an understatement)
• reviewing my current financial responsibilites (I have a car loan, credit cards, and student loans)
• a phone interview or follow up questions to my e-mailed statements!

I am quite thankful I will know so far in advance as to where and when I am going.  I won't have to sit around wondering if I should be looking for a FT job or if it was smart of me to leave Las Vegas with so much uncertainty in the air.

 My focus now will be paying off my credit cards!  My loans are deferrable and I drive a Yaris, which is pretty in demand as far as cars go due to excellent gas mileage, so I am not worried about being able to sell and still get money back on it. Oh, and my other focus is getting my mom to agree to take in my two cats ( I will succeed in this!)

Let's hope my invite is in the mailbox tomorrow! :)

And today was like Christmas.

Hello 5AM wake up call via phone notification of e-mail, you were a welcome joy this morning.

I shall be harassing my mother all week about the mail :)

After hearing from Placement, weeknights feel like Christmas Eve.

Oh the anticipation of maybe getting that 5:15AM e-mail with a status update which, upon logging into your toolkit, will tell you "Congratulations! You have been invited, now you can stop stressing about where you may be living for two years!"

Every morning that I wake up and it isn't there, there is going to be a little bit of disappointment served with my morning cereal and juice.

Oh, Hello Placement Specialist.

I got an e-mail today with the nifty little final questions that seem to happen prior to an invite.  Yay!  I am bit bummed I fell asleep on my mom's couch while hanging with the miniature brother since the e-mail was sent at 1:37 as I could have totally gotten my responses sent back before the end of the work day! Oh well, now I get to be antsy in my pantsy over the weekend.  Here is the e-mail I recieved, in case anyone is curious as to what questions you may be asked (my name is spelled wrong!):

"Hello Kimberly,


I hope you are doing well. I am the Placement and Assessment Specialist responsible for conducting a review of your application.


Below you will find questions which will help in my review. Please respond via email or contact me to schedule a time to talk through your responses.


1. How have you been preparing for Peace Corps service?


2. Have you communicated with current or Returned Peace Corps volunteers regarding challenges you might face?


For instance, the realities that most Volunteers face in any given country, such as:


· working in unstructured settings
· adapting to a lifestyle without the regular comforts of home you are perhaps accustomed to here in the US (i.e., limited access to internet, phone, etc)
· being far away from friends/family for an extended period of time with very limited communication – particularly with not having previous experience overseas
· working at a comparatively basic level and not always seeing tangible results of one’s development efforts
· lack of privacy while living with a host family

Please discuss what coping strategies you are prepared to employ in an effort to overcome these potential challenges.


3. What prompted you to apply?


4. What has been the response of your family and friends to your decision? Do they have any concerns? What are your thoughts on the separation for 27 months with not having spent time overseas previously?


5. Often, Volunteers are placed a fair distance from each other when based in rural areas. How would you handle possibly feeling isolated in this situation?


6. You were originally nominated and are currently being considered for a program in the Eastern Europe region that departs in March 2011. Are you still available for this departure?


7. Has your email or address changed – or will it in the near future?


I appreciate you taking the time to consider your responses to the above and I look forward to hearing from you soon.


Sincerely,
Christa George
Volunteer Placement and Assessment Specialist
Education Skills Desk"

Packing for PC

Brilliant Video.
This will come in handy:

E-mail from Skills Desk

"Dear Kim,


I hope this email finds you well! I'm writing to you from the Peace Corps Placement Office in Washington, D.C. We are busy reviewing and evaluating your Peace Corps application to be sure that everything looks good for you to be approved for service. I reviewed your file this morning and I identified a couple items that needed follow-up.

I would like you to send me an updated professionally formatted resume which includes the following: Name, Address, Phone Number, Permanent E-mail, Summary of Skills, Education, Volunteer and Work Experience and Additional Interests or Skills. Please use a format similar to the following:
English Teacher-8th Grade                                                         March 2008 - Feb 2010


Kline Middle School, Chicago


Develop curriculum and implement interactive lessons


Teach 100+ students daily


Classroom and records management


Parent/teacher communications


Afterschool English Tutor



**Please be sure to tailor your resume to highlight the volunteer and work experiences that are most relevant to your nomination.

Please keep in mind that many computer word processing programs provide nicely formatted resume templates which you can use as a guideline. This document should be no more than two pages long and have exact dates (month/year) for employment/volunteerism. For volunteer experiences please note the approximate hours per week.

Please also complete and return the attached skill addendum with any relevant teaching or tutoring experience you have had.

Once you submit your updated materials, it may take some time before you hear from your Placement Specialist regarding their final evaluation of your application materials. Our current priority is to finish placing applicants nominated to programs with departures between October and December of 2010. Once we have filled these programs, we will begin working more with applicants nominated to programs with departures between January and March of 2011.

Best,

Morgan"
 
Whenever someone has said they got an e-mail requesting an updated resume, I always thought it would be a little short blurby e-mail.  Nope.
 
I updated/slightly re-did my resume and sent back the edu. skills addendum.  After completing those I went back into the "I just don't look too competitive on paper" thing.  Le sigh.
 
Hopefully I will be up and back to volunteering soon thanks to Miss Liz helping me out with her contacts.  I figure if I am going to be working in Gainesville (I start today!), may as well volunteer there too since it will get me out of this tiny town more often.

And Now I Live in Florida!

Long drive...
Upside is I received zero speeding tickets! 

Cortez is not a fan of being cooped up for long periods of time, especially in the car. I let him out of his carrying case and he walks around what little available space there is in my packed to death car and decides that there are two good places to lay: my lap and behind my head. I had a pillow against my back, so he had a nice little place to rest. It didn’t really bother me either as I barely noticed him there and at least that way I didn’t have to worry about him sticking his head through the holes in the steering wheel as I drove…

Spaghetti, on the other hand, in a quite literally a scaredy cat. Not wanting her to feel punished or left out, I took the door off her carrying case so she could also roam about the car. She appeared very concerned about getting proper footing to move around so, instead, she just laid in her case and occasionally poked her head out. That was Thursday. Friday she said “Fuck it!” I helped her out of her case when she tried to leave at which point she decided to try and squeeze into tiny parts of the packed items on top of the front seat. Lucky for her, it worked out. Unlucky for her, Cortez is a dick and commondeered any place Spaghetti wanted to lay within 10 minutes of her laying down. Ultimately, she wound up on my lap…

In other news from the road trip:

I used fancy old school gas pumps in AZ! This town had tons of dinosaur statues, too…

I missed my exit and didn’t realize it until 40+ miles later. It worked out though. I got to drive through farm country (I saw cotton!) and I didn’t lose anytime, in fact, I think it was a slight short cut!

Here are some trees from TX 70?

I would have gotten out of the car to take a better photo (this was done from my parked car out the window), but it it taking me about 5 minutes to get in and out of my car on this little adventure… I like it though :)

Today the plan is to get my stuff to my grandmother's (AKA: Meme) house and go to Gainesville to talk to the ON store manager there at 2.

Oh Happy Day!

"Hi Kimberley,


These items completed your file and I was able to finish your review today. Our system had already been updated with your medical qualification and you should get your letter early next week. As we discussed before, it will state that the countries of qualification are those with GYN medical care, in case you need this.

Have a great Peace Corps experience.

Laura"
 
Yep, medically cleared!

$5.50 to Fax Four Pages to PC?

I call bullshit.  Damn you PostNet and your excessive fees.

So I got both my pap waiver and TB evalutions signed.  Pap waiver wasn't so much signed as it was stamped since the doctor was not at that office that day.  So I sat in the waiting area for about 15 minutes waiting for them to come back with my paper after calling the doctor for an "okay." I really hope a stamp is okay, especially since she wrote 15 months was okay on my Medical Kit stuff....

My other doctor scoffed at the fact that I had to have the TB eval done since I CLEARLY had a negative TB test.  The upside is since I was already there I told her how my inhaler hasn't been doing much to help my recent bout of asthmatic symptoms, so she prescribed a steroid inhaler to use if the sample sized albuterol she gave me didn't help.  She also gave me a Z-pack prescription since she saw my throat was a little red.  Weather shifts fucking kill me and I am a baby when sick.

Moral of the story: I hope I get cleared this week!  I'd be okay with next week, too.

On the "moving my ass to Florida" front:
I heard back from BOTH Old Navys I tried to get into contact with today.  It looks like there is a slight chance I'll be a manager in the Gainesville store (I guess he is working with his boss to get me the position), but if not I should wind up a seasonal key holder (no closing on the weekend!).  I have a sit down with the store manager on Monday at 2 so that I can show him how fucking awesome and amazing I am.

Oh, and I HATE packing.  Like, a lot.  I leave in two days and still have so much to do... Guess I should finish that laundry...

This is Spaghetti:

She may look relaxed hanging out with my packed items, but she is going to be hating me this weekend as we move to Florida.  She is quite literally a "scaredy cat" when it comes to car time.  I anticipate her hiding out for a good little bit.

Cortez on the other hand...

He will assume the sleeping postion once he has worn himself out by meowing in my face at the start of our adventure.

I am quite the happy camper that I am able to keep my kitties.  It will be sad to say goodbye when the time comes.

Is it weird that I find this oddly encouraging?

PC Wiki "Out-of-100"

April Dates? Really?!

So close to medical clearance.

I hoping with all my might that I get an invite by the end of November. Mid-November being preferrable :)

Medical Hold!

I kind of feel like I conned my way to the front of the line with my medical assistant, but it was definitely inadvertent.

I started trying to call my medical assistant last Thursday to find out if she could quickly tell me if my "out of range" lab results needed to be re-done since I am leaving next Friday and may or may not have insurance after I move.  I went to voicemail, but it was an indistinct voicemail with no name.  Suspicious.  Rather than leave a message, I tried calling again on Friday only to get the same scenario.  When I came around to Monday and I again got the voicemail, I decided to just try e-mailing instead.  This is how I found out my screening nurse no longer worked for Peace Corps: 

    " Thanks for your message.  I no longer work for the Peace Corps.  Please email all inquiries to Pre-serviceunit@peacecorps.gov.  For immediate assistance, please call 1-800-424-8580, option 2, ext. 1500. "

Gah!  Annoyance hit my face, so I just called the number above, only instead of using the extension, I just asked the operator for OMS and then asked the OMS operator who my new person was.  She transferred me to her and I explained my situation.  This is when she said "I just got your file and you have about 100 before yours."  I explained that I was moving out of state and would really like my insurance to cover it.  After all, all I wanted to know was if labs had to be redone.  She looked through my file telling me my out of ranges weren't worrisome, but I would need my gyno and I to sign a release (there goes another $25, I am sure...) and that my TB test raised a little flag as I had a bigger induration than most people (though, still on the negative side.)

I had the forms sent to me to fill out yesterday via e-mail (after I scanned in a signed waiver allowing her to do so) and my doctor thankfully squeezed me in next week (she was booked up!).  The forms that have to get filled out for the TB thing is pretty much just a risk factor sheet (all of which being things I have a "no" answer for), so it should be pretty quick and painless and hopefully there will be no chest x-ray involved.

That brings me to this morning at 2:21 AM when, as I was hanging out with my friends after being kicked out of my condo communities hot tub, I noticed the little envelope on my phone telling me I had mail.  Lo and behold: Update to my toolkit :)

I am going to consider myself someone who get medical right the first time.  I may have gotten the letter telling me my kit was incomplete, but that's not exactly my fault if the forms needed are follow-up forms given after a quick review.  Go me!

PS-
I am pretty positive I don't have TB, however my recent asthma flare ups due to weather change is causing me to question that slightly.  Damn coincidences.

It is official:

I own far too many clothes.    My goal is to condense it down to two of these 18 gallon storage bins:

Shouldn't be too hard right?  Let's just say I had 7 full of clothes (and I still have about a bucket worth's of clothes hanging in my closet!)  I figure if I can get it all down to two of these (plus the one I intend to house coats and fancy/special occasion clothes), then choosing clothes to take to PC out of what I have should be a bajillion times easier.  Plus, it just means I won't have to deal with moving it all to Florida with me.

So far, there is a giant duffle bag (and I do mean GIANT) full of clothes for the donating.

My overall goal for my big move is to get my life into six of these (maybe seven...) 18 gallon containers in addition to the few boxes of DVDs I have.  Not a bad thing to aspire to, and a great way to anger the slight pack rat in me.

In other good news on the moving front:  I sold my coffee table! Yay! Hopefully the guy actually buys my TV and Blu-Ray player like he said he wanted to.  He definitely seemed interested and quite enjoyed hitting on me, so let's cross our fingers that he buys it tomorrow so that I can pay off my doctor's bills and speeding ticket before I skip town.  Then it is just my couches left to sell as well as the freaking bunk beds my dad left me with.  My bed is going to a friend who LOVES my mattress and I am pretty sure getting rid of my bookcases won't be too headache inducing.

By this time in two weeks, I will be sleeping in the sunshine state and enjoying the fam! :)

PS: Thunderstorms in Vegas!  I love it!  Here's to hoping it actually lasts as long as forecasts say it will.

A leap of something..

I am making some changes despite not knowing what is going on with PC quite yet.

First thing is first: I love my job.  Like, a lot.  I have worked for Old Navy for 6.5 years and have moved up in the company to management, a position that I have been in, in one form or another, for the past 3 years.  I have been a bit bored and complacent at work for the past few months after being told I won't get promoted with PC hanging over my head like a "Don't waste your time with me light," which also meant that I couldn't get a change of scenery in a new store. In addition to this, we recently got a new general store manager, who once upon worked in my store as the assistant store manager.  Let's just say I like him as person, but he is not the greatest for morale.  I say this having worked with him before and having to correct the shitty morale of the stores shipment team after he went to work in another store and I took over his position for 4 months. 

I like to say I can adapt well to change and can get along with anyone. I would also contend that I am quite the ridiculous optimist.  With all of these things working for me, it is sad that I have come to dread going to work and feeling negativity.  A friend of mine told me that it is good to see other management styles and personalities (to which I told him that neither of those have much to do with a "I know better" complex and knack for disrespect and snap judgements).

What does this have to do with changes sparked by PC?

Well, here is the second part:  I put in a 30 day notice on my apartment so that I wouldn't have to put up with my inconsiderate roommate anymore and to pay less in rent/bills by moving in with a friend from HS to get credit cards paid down before a possible March departure. 

Two weeks into having the new store manager, I have decided that I'd much rather move to Florida to be with my family for the holidays than leave Old Navy hating my job and being unhappy for the next few months at a place I spend 40 hours a week. 

Honestly, if it weren't for Peace Corps, I would be looking for another job in town to work for the next few months before making a move to Oregon with a friend who graduates in December. 

I really am quite excited to be near my family though!  I am going to live with my Meme and transfer to the nearby ON as a part time associate.  It will be SO FREAKING NICE not to be stressed by holiday in retail management. :)

Basically, I have no clue as to what my plan will be if I don't get in! Keeping my fingers crossed for two things:
      1) OMS gets back to be ASAP on my medical so I can get stuff taken care of before I don't have insurance anymore
      2) Invite!



**I didn't feel like proof reading.  Don't judge me.

The Competitive Applicant.

I tend to worry, which is a bit odd for an eternal optimist.  As far as the Peace Corps is concerned, I worry about not being competitive enough as a nominee.  I updated my PC resume yesterday to include my current volunteering and just felt under-qualified!  I went to school full time while working 40 hours a week to support myself, so I had little time for volunteer work in college.  I did little random bits here and there, usually by helping the local We the People class prepare for competition, planning drives, or doing the here or there day of random volunteer helping, but never anything on-going. 

I have noticed most people's recruiters tell them to get some volunteer experience in this field or that, but not mine.  I took the initiative to find something regarding ESL to get experience in my nomination field.  This whole thing got me wondering if I was already considered competitive (for whatever reason.)  The verdict? I just discovered via PC Wiki that my degree is considered a nice plus for Secondary English Education assignments!  So that has me feeling a bit better and less worrisome about my qualifications.

After my tutoring session today with Jodi (my Chinese ESL student), I definitely realized how helpful it is to have a linguistics background when teaching someone to read and pronounce a language, so that too eased my mind on where I stand with PC.

In other news:
In preparation for my move to Florida at the end of this month (which I am 80% sure will happen), I discovered a new place to volunteer in the middle of the forest!  I need to start packing soon, so thank goodness my dryer is getting fixed this week so I can begin going through the millions of pieces of clothes I own to figure what to donate and what to keep.  Selling furniture, on the other hand, is a pain in the ass.  Le sigh.

An optimist says the glass is half full. A pessimist says the glass is half empty. A Peace Corps Volunteer says, "I can take a bath in that!"

This is a nice little thing put together on the MSNBC website.

The title of this blog was kidnapped from a comment left by a RPCV on the series.  I loved it.

Dear Peace Corps OMS-

I know you just received my medical kit on Thursday, but if you could start taking a look at my health and such, that would be great.  I am placing a bit of weight on your decision to either medically clear me or not, because medical clearance equals a nifty move to Florida at the end of the month.  Besides, I know that you have cleared others for my timeframe, so I am hoping you make this a bit of a priority as I have also seen some invites go out for said timeframe as well.  In short, please do not prolong this (or my slight impatient anxiety) for too long.

Love,
Kim

PS
I will give you cookie. 

RIP Stephanie Chance

A volunteer in Niger has recently passed at 26 years old after being at her site for less than a month.
Press Release
Her blog

FedEx is taking my medical to Washington!

Hip-hip hooray!

And I totally paid the $20 to two-day that shit.  The sooner the better.

My First PC Event.

I received an e-mail last week that my recruiter would be in town and doing multiple info sessions.  I went to the only one I was free for- the 6:30 session at Green Valley Library.  I hadn't met my recruiter until tonight, but her southern accent and voice made her incredibly recognizable.  I, being the overly punctual being that I am, arrived at the session a half hour early but, thankfully, I was not the first person there.  I introduced myself to Elene the recruiter and informed her that she nominated and that I was on the brink of submitting my medical kit.  Upon learning these two tidbits of information, she asked that I talk about the nominee/applicant side of the process, to which I agreed. 

During my mini-speech, I let the room know about the PC Journals and PC Wiki sites since I know that PC isn't supposed to tell people about the sites.  I let them know how incredibly helpful reading the journals are to the process and learning about being a volunteer.  It was nice to see everyone bust out their new PC pens and jot down the sites I mentioned.

I don't feel that I learned much new information regarding PC, but I did learn that there is a RPCV group in town (which quite surprised me).  Plus, I got a little book full of stories and anecdotes from volunteers which I am excited to read.

And now for something completely different:
Titers came back today! I am picking that shit up tomorrow and getting my medical mailed before work!!  I have my excited face on.

Oh scanning..

Let me just say that scanning 27 pages of medical history is a great way to cause a backache if there is no desk involved.  That being said, I should have my varicella titers next week then get boostered up on Monday and this bitch will be complete!! You know it's intense if I use multiple exclamation points.  I anticipate the final page count will be at 30.

And now a mini vent: Charging me $31 to have paperwork filled out and lab work copied for my file is a bullshit way to make money off a patient.  I mean, really?!

***Update: I am so freaking close to mailing this thing that I am getting quite antsy in my pantsy.  Got the boosters today since I was up early enough.  I lucked out that the travel clinic I went to had an administrater who's husband was PC doctor in South Africa, so they lived there for 3 years.  Why is this lucky?  It meant that I only had to pay $50 rather than the $80 or so it would have cost with the clinic's visit fee.  Upside of the day was that I had no bad reactions to either booster.

Yay! Yay! Double yay!

So let's just say I am really glad I was in the office at work when my phone rang today. it was the doctor's office calling to tell me that my test results came back negative on the inner biopsy and with mild dysplasia on the outer one which means she will sign off on a 15 month check up with a pap and colposcopy! Fingers crossed for this to be an acceptable accommodation!

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We PC Kids are all about the Clearances.

This being said, I sent in my dental stuff last Thursday because, in all honesty, I want SOME kind of clearance. 
Medical on the other hand, still waiting on lab results from the colposcopy.  Tomorrow's to do list is varicella titer testing!  I found myself quite annoyed I need a doctor to order the lab work when I called the lab last Friday, so after I called them I made a call to my doctor and found my way to her answering machiene.  I left a message telling her I need the test done and to find out if she could order them.  Lo and behold her assistant called today letting me know I could pick up the order. Yay!

On another note: I have found myself amused at the snowball effect of my Skype post. Copy Catters! ;-)

Bulgaria in March?!

AH! This whole time I have only been anticipating Albania or Ukraine for an EE March departure, but apparently Bulgaria is scheduled to depart in the last week of the month!  Now I REALLY REALLY want to get this stuff done.

Well that was no fun.

Thumbs down to a colposcopy. 
Discomfort is a bitch and I hate cramping.

Fingers crossed for not-bad test results (because in all reality, they will doubtfully be "good" test results as the HPV is there).

The doctor seems apprehensive about clearing me for a 15 month screening, even with not-bad test results.  We will see and hopefully everything will work out and I will be able to leave in March. 

I have a booster shot left for tetanus and, apparently, they don't have a booster for polio (according to the health department) but I did get a shot for it prior to 18, so I am confused on this part of the paperwork.  It would also appear that the doctor writing that I have had chicken pox probably won't do it, so titer testing for immunity it is.

It appears Skype is the thing to do.

Hello fellow PCers.  Do you have AIM  Skype? Hey! So do I (now)! Let's chat.  Support is definitely helpful, especially since, as most of us have learned, it is easy to wear out our friends and family with PC worries and hopes.

Skype Name: kimberley.rawr

Getting Anxious.

I have officially finished my dental stuff as of today and I have what will hopefully be my final doctor's visit next week for my colposcopy.  I am hoping the results are such that I can get away with being signed off for a full HPV screening in 15 months (which the doctor seemed okay with doing when I told her 6 month paps would get me deferred).  Fingers crossed I can get this packet out by the end of the month.  I also need two booster shots.  Fun stuff.

The closer I get to finsishing, the more anxious I am becoming about getting invited *fingers crossed* and leaving for the fatastic adventure that is the Peace Corps.  Seeing people getting medically cleared and invited for the first quarter of next year, only makes me think "That could be me!"

New glasses

I have never worn glasses in my life.  My eyes aren't bad by any stretch of the word, but I could be seeing better, hence the new glasses.  This is going to be an adjustment...

Anyone have any idea how long it takes for your eyes to adjust to lenses?

Goodbye Teeth of Wisdomy Goodness!

I had the wisodm teeth on my right side removed today at around 2p.  Suffice it to say, that side of my face is still numb.

It really wasn't so bad.  I didn't get knocked out or have them gas me up for it, just good ole shots to the gums for some numbing action.

Seeing as how the pain has not kicked in yet, I am not looking forward to it.  I head back to the dentist for wisdom teeth part two on Thursday and to finish my fillings on the left side.

So, to those who have not had them removed yet: don't be skurred! The actual removal part really wasn't so bad, scary, or painful.  But I will let you know about how the post pain is once my face regains feeling.

Update 9/19: Holy cow the left side of my mouth hurts. It is not a sharp pain, but a throbbing intense dull pain, if that makes any sense.  The bottom wisdom tooth was a stubborn little guy to get out, so basically more trauma=more pain.

Recent PCV Murder in Lesotho

WASHINGTON, D.C., Sept. 4, 2010 – Peace Corps Director Aaron S. Williams is saddened to announce the death of Peace Corps volunteer Thomas “Tom” Maresco in Lesotho. Tom, 24, died as a result of a gunshot wound on Sept. 3 in Maseru, the capital of Lesotho. The investigation into this incident is ongoing, but at this time it appears it may have been an attempted robbery.

I am pretty sure this is his blog.
RIP Tom.

Consults are pretty bogus.

Instead of a consult, it should be called a "money kidnapping session."  If I call to make an appointment of a colposcopy, I expect to have the procedure done on the day I made the appointment for, not to be charged for a talking session.  Stupid doctor's office! 

At least I know that I will be needing $500 when I go and have it done (eep!).  And I get to have it done a week after my wisdom teeth removal.  Fun week for PC related excitement. 

Edit 9/20: Thank goodness! I received a phone call today letting me know my co-pay for the colposcopy is  only going to be $189.68!  Far better than $500.

In Other News..

   I started volunteering on Friday!

   I am volunteering at a local library with a program that does ESL and Adult Literacy (reading and writing).  I am a volunteer tutor and I am charged with helping an older Chinese lady learn to read.  She is pretty awesome and has such a great attitude.
    She told me that she came from a very poor farming family in China and had a pretty wicked witch of a step mother.  For Chinese New Year, (if memory serves me correct from her story) she was supposed to get new shoes to wear every CNY, but her step mom refused to purchase new ones for her, so  she was forced to wear the same pair of shoes each year from the ages of 5 to 12.  I was also told that school was never made an important aspect of her life because farm kids went to school and then came home and worked, so there was no time for homework and it wasn't seen as important.  Some of the punishments she endured I could never imagine putting a child through.  For instance, she was in charge of getting water from the well every morning and cooking before school, so she was constantly late for school.  When her teacher finally said something to her about, she told him about her morning chores.  He didn't believe her because it sounded so outrageous.  Her teacher spoke with her parents, who denied it, and her parents punishment was that she had to stand outside all night with a piece of large circumference bamboo behind her knees and another just under her knees in the front, then they were tired together.  Imagine that for a second.  Your legs basically in a straight-locked position all night while standing as an adolescent.
    Her mom wanted to marry her off to get out the house she was in a 15, but J didn't want to because she felt she was too young, but eventually married a man (from what I gather) who was in the US military.  She came to the country knowing no English with what turned out to be a pretty terrible husband.  She is incredibly admirable in that she learned English from watching soap operas on TV and picked up more as she began to work.  She taught herself how to drive in an alley at night (since her husband wouldn't teach her) in a car she bought with $3,000 she saved so that she could leave and be independent.
     Now that J is retired, she wants to learn to read so that she doesn't have to ask others what her mail says and so that she can be more self-sufficient.  I really enjoy teaching her and putting the knowledge from my linguistics degree to use!  We have only had 2 sessions so far (we meet for 2 hours a day, twice a week).  They had been trying to find her a volunteer tutor since May, so she is very grateful that I came along, even if I am "a little baby!"


     Learning about J's life and upbringing really makes me realize how lucky we tend to have it here in the US, which is why it annoys me how much people take the small things for granted.  Especially when the "small things" are something as big as an education.  I was asked by the director of the program I am volunteering for what drives me volunteer, to which I replied: "I think it would be unfair and selfish of me not to use the knowledge I have to help others if, and where, I can."  Too bad more people don't take this stance as the world could use more selflessness, though I guess if more people did, it would be even more trying to get into the Peace Corps, haha.

/Forgive nonsensicalities as I did not proof read this, but hey, at least I used the word "nonsensicalities."

Holy Crap that is a BIG bill!

Click for bigger view!

Suffice it to say I am pretty relieved that I have heath insurance, and pretty good health insurance at that.  So far, it looks like I am clear on having to pay for anything except my dental stuff and booster shots, however I am sure I will be paying actual money for my upcoming colposcopy.  Bummerface.

I will say this: my doctor was so awesome about reading though everything the PC sent and making sure it was filled out fully and correctly.  I haven't double checked it yet, but we went over it together and I have a pretty good feeling it is fine and dandy.  I plan on using the checklist after I have all my tests done, shots shot up, and teeth ripped from my jaw :)

Perhaps I will do it over a glass of wine and some celebratory cheesecake.

On My List

Mental list of things to buy, that is.

I think I may be needing one of these for my potential PC service.  Thank goodness someone has invented something so helpful :)

Work and the Peace Corps

Applying for the Peace Corps is a trying process.  The application itself is long and thorough, you may have to twist the arms of those writing your recommendations to get them done in a timely manner.  If you are successful with those things an interview is next, hopefully followed by a nomination.  With that nomination comes the medical and dental portion of the process.  In between all of this is the waiting.  I have been prepared for all of this in reading through dozens and dozens of blogs.  No problem.

Something I didn't expect about the process?  Being held back at work because I might be leaving in March.  I am awesome at my job and from February to mid-May I was acting as Assistant Store Manager of Merchandising.  I loved it.  I was able to work on re-merchandising my store for floorsets, focus on visuals, improve the moral of the shipment team, and train a new leader on on merchandising.  During those months, I interviewed for an actual ASM position in another store and it went great.  I was told I wold have had it had another current ASM in town hadn't needed a new store due to them dating an associate at their current one.  Great! 

This left that ASM's old position open and the ASM position at my store opened up as well once we learned our ASM, who was on loan at another store, was going to be staying where he had been for the past few months.  I interviewed again, this time with my store manager and another one, at the same time!  I was a nervous wreck.  Interviews were being done at my store and I got to see my fellow interviewees and freaked myself into feeling inferior.  I didn't get either job despite impressing both store managers.  One job went to someone I had trained early on in his Old Navy career and had found himself in a lucky situation which lead to his promotion, the other (the one in MY store) went to someone new in the company who had been hired on by a acting store manager to replace her job as ASM while the actual store manager was working on something for corporate.  Longer story shorter: he came back early, and I lost my chance.

And now I find myself being held back at work.  I love my job, but I am burned out on a fully customer service focused role.  I was told when I didn't get promoted that they wanted to move me to a higher profile store and that I am the next person in town to be in an ASM position.  Once I told my SM I was going for it with PC, I was pretty much told no SM would take me and invest time in my development if I was going to be leaving in March.  I am so frustrated by this.  I could understand if I needed additional training, but I don't as I am pretty sound in all areas of the business ( I would hope so after being with the company for 6.5 years!).

I guess I just didn't expect that applying to PC would hold me back at work.  Suffice it to say I will be pissed if I don't get in!  I tend to find the upside in things as I am an eternal optimist; however, I will have a hard time finding one if I wind up being held back for nothing.

/don't feel like proof reading, forgive my possible mistypings/poor grammar :)

I enjoy photography massively.

To get my mind away from Peace Corps related things, I delved into some photo editing.  It had the ability to keep me occupied for HOURS.  Here are some of my favorites as of late:

A bit of color-

 

 And some black and white-

     

One of the things I am most excited about when it comes to the possibility of getting into PC is the amazing opportunities I will have to take pictures.  Anytime I go out shooting, I call it a "photo adventure."  The girl walking the highway in the first picture is my best friend and fellow photographer (and let me tell you, she was awesome for agreeing to look naked with the help of a sheet I happened to have in my backseat while walking barefoot on the side of the highway for some pics!)  I will totally miss her and our photo adventures and I am positive they will not be the same without her.

Oh! How I knew it...

So like I said in my last post, I had a dentist and doctor's appointment today.  Working backwards from the day, here is where I am sitting with each:

Dental:
     I had to go to an actual dentist since the oral surgeon who did my free exam found cavities.  At the time, I was quoted a $304 dollar co-pay to have all of my wisdom teeth removed.  The dentist I saw today had to do 4 additional bitewing x-rays since the ones the oral surgeon gave me weren't organized or mounted.  They do theirs electronically and needed to have copies.  I lucked out that while they did suck and hurt to have done because of the bone growth in my lower mouth, it would have been worse had they been traditional bitewing x-rays. 
    I have a total of 4 teeth in need of fillings and 2 in need of sealants.  The best part of the day is when the dentist offered to do all four of my wisdom teeth for $150 and he also gave me a deal on my fillings and sealants.  So all of my dental will cost me $310.  Not too bad and much better than the $464 it could have been between the two places.  I am having all of the work done in two days.  The right side of my mouth on the 14th (along with my cleaning) and the left side on the 16th.

Medical-
    I have been referred to a gyno, just as I thought I would be.  I am positive for HPV and it is the lowest grade (ASC-US).  I am not sure if this was something I had when my last pap (over 5 years ago) came back abnormal, although thinking about it, I am pretty sure it is and my being 17 when I learned it, I didn't think much of it.  I guess the good news is that it hasn't gotten worse.  In additon to that, my HPV DNA test lists me as positive for "High-Risk HPV DNA".  At my gyno appointment on the 6th I will be getting a colposcopy done.  Bummer face.  I am hoping everything turns out okay and that the results from that don't show anything much more serious. 
     Thanks to Kylene's post on the subject, I at least know to ask for a 15 month window for screenings if things are low grade. Her post also made me feel better about the possibility of not being MNQ'd, although it is possible I wind up defferred from my nomination if I have to be re-papped in six months. 
    As for my other lab results, I am pretty normal.  My bad cholestrol was a little high, but not medicine worthy and it was surely so due to my fast-food diet that I have recently re-acquired.  I need to start cooking again, which means my roommmate needs to start helping to keep the kitchen clean! But alas, I digress...  My platlet count was a little high, but she said it will do that with stress, which is most likely the reason.  And I freaked out when I say that my Hep B surface antibody test said positive only to learn that my immunization for it was the cause.

 Damn the word "positive".

Monday morning should be fun.

And by fun, I mean full of medical and dental excitement.

I have my bumped up doctor's visit at 8 AM on Monday where I am pretty sure they will be referring me to an actual gyno due to sillyness with my lady parts.  In addition to that, I guess my bloodwork is back so we are going to discuss that as well.  Fingers crossed that at least that portion of the visit will be good news.

A nifty 3 hours later I have another dentist appointment, this time with a non-oral surgeon dentist.  I have to get at least 3 cavities filled, so I figured that I may as well do another check-up, a teeth cleaning, and see what it will cost me to get some fillings done.  Upside is at least I already have the x-rays.  And that is code for "thank goodness I don't have to get bitewing x-rays done again since they fucking kill the bones in the bottom of my mouth."

In other news: to support my Peace Corps habit application I am in search of a PT job.  I am sending out positive brainwaves to make that happen.  It would be nice to have the money to pay for my wisdom teeth extraction, fillings, vaccines, and extra medical costs in addition to getting a head start on paying off various credit cards in an attempt to not be perpetually broke.  You know you enjoyed that string of prepositional phrases, I know I did.

Calls from the doctor..

...make me feel fucking crazy.

It just doesn't seem like a good thing when your doctor tells you she will see you in 2 weeks and then calls four days after your pelvic exam and having your blood tests done to see you in the upcoming week instead.

So suffice it to say, I have my worried/anxious face on and I am hoping I can try to get in to see her tomorrow so that I don't have a weekend that causes me to feel nuts.

TB Test

Ever wonder what the hell a TB test looks like? Well here you go:

Far less scary than I thought.  I totally pictured something else prior to going to the doctor.

Went and saw Dr. Acula today

Apparently I was supposed to go and get my bloodwork done before my doctor's appointment today, but that was not made clear to me last time.  Plus when I had blood taken before, they took it at the office.  Lucky for me that my TB test and lady exam were done with by 10, so I had time to get to the lab to have my blood taken before work with time to spare to come home for a bit :)

Tomorrow it looks like I will be heading to the health department.  I need a tetanus shot, polio booster, and the last of my Hep A and B shots.  For the last two I am hoping I don't have to get the whole series over again. 

Fingers crossed that everything will come back fine and dandy and my medical portion will be done and put together at my next appointment in two weeks.

Doctor Visit Part 1!

Not too bad, although I don't feel like much got done.  I am mostly hoping that my exam finds itself classified at preventative care since that is the only thing my insurance entirely covers with no money for me to pay.  Fingers crossed.  The upside is apparently my doctor is an "in-network" provider unlike I thought, so yay.

My visit mostly included sitting and waiting, but what else is new when you go to the doctor?  Sitting in waiting rooms is something I tend to find amusing since it tends to house old people who stare at me due to an abundance of visible tattoos.  It pretty much just makes me giggle to myself knowing that I tend to be considered "abnormal." 

Anywho...

We basically just did the clinical exam and she put in the order for all of my lab tests (the high BMI ones included since it classifies me as a uber-fattie rather than just an overweighty).  I am supposed to go back on August 9th to get the blood taken and have my TB test started in addition to my lady exam.  Should be a fun morning before heading to work feeling used, abused, and mildly violated.

I do need to find my immunization records.  I know exactly what they are in, just not where what they in is located.  So that should be fun and exciting.  Maybe I will find a pirate hat and pretend it's a treasure hunt.  You know, to actually make it seem  fun and exciting.

To the dentist she went..

Ah.  So my first dentist visit in what seems to have been forever.  It went surprisingly well despite the fact that I need 3 fillings and all of my wisdom teeth removed :/

I did learn some fun facts about my mouth:
-I apparently have Torus Mandibularis (I think that is what it is called).  Basically it makes bitewing x-rays semi-painfun since it essentially means that I have extra bone growth along the bottom interior of my mouth (under my tounge, but near my teeth) for the bitewings to dig into.  I am still suffereing from minor ouchies on this front.  Stupid bite-wings.
-I still have a baby tooth!  Perhaps that explains my dreams of losing all of my teeth.  I have been wondering for YEARS why it seems loose.  There is no replacement in there, either, so it better stay put since it is near the front of my mouth.  I am not down with looking like a hillbilly.
-I am missing a tooth completely.  I never got tooth #10!  Maybe that is why I have a tooth living in the wrong place....

Thank goodness I didn't have to pay a thing for my exam.  Now coming up with the $304 co-pay for my wisdom teeth extraction is another story.  And I need to visit a second dentist for my fillings since the one I went to is an oral surgeon.

Doctors visit Part One of who-knows-how-many on Thursday.
I think I will keep a running tab of how much all of this medical will cost, maybe someone will find it useful :)

Now I am just saying...

I am so glad I am not the only crazy, semi-obsessive PC applicant.  I kind of feel like I bore my friends talking about it, haha.

So to fellow applicants who may come across this: thanks for hanging out in the same boat as me :)

In other news-
My first dentist visist in probably eight years or so is next Tuesday at 3.   If the helpfulness and chipper tone of the receptionist is any indication of the dentist, I will be pretty stoked.  I am not going to lie though, I am a bit freaked out at what I feel like is the inevitability of having to get dental work done.  At least the exam and x-rays are free and the office takes my insurance if  when I need work done.

Tomorrow is phone call day.  Let's hope I can get some doctors' visits scheduled sooner rather than later.  I also plan on continuing my search for volunteering in the ESL field.  I am having a difficult time finding much of anything in Las Vegas!  A-Nnoying! 

At least I got in some volunteering today with special needs kids.  They had a great time learning about working in retail and being treated like "normal" people.  It was also nice to see how much the parents appreciated us working with them.  It was "thank you"s all around.

Medical Packet is here!

Guess that means I'll be setting up appointments soon :)
And luckily, there is a USA-ICD dentist in town for free x-rays and an exam.  I do, however, find it funny that out of the six dentists in the state that do them for free, five of them are in Reno.  Silly.  Some other plus sides to this particular dentist is great online reviews and the acceptance of my dental insurance in case I need work done (which I am positive will be the case).  Oh, and it is close to my workplace.

PC=Risky Business?

*A quick disclaimer: this post is NOT about sexual violence and assault, as that is a whole different ball game in which someone has no control of the situation at hand.  This is in rebuff to the mentioned articles which, in a large part, have to do with other forms of violence and crime.  I am bummed I have to put a disclaimer, but a recent blog post by First Response Action (which has a noble cause) kind of painted me as quite naive about cultural differences where gender is concerned and the risks of sexual assault. 

I have done my fair share of reading up on the Peace Corps and feel like I have a good idea of what it may or may not entail and I don't have any illusions about the risks of serving in an underdeveloped/impoverished/corrupt nation.  That is, afterall, the name of the game.  The website states it clearly "...because Volunteers serve worldwide, sometimes in very remote areas, health and safety risks are an inherent part of Volunteer service."

Where is all of this coming from?  I recently encountered a series of articles from 2003 that are insistent on highlighting the dangers of Peace Corps service by reporting on murders, assaults, rapes, robberies, and sicknesses that have happened in the Peace Corps without acknowledging that it is small fraction of PCVs it has happened to, without also mentioning volunteers that such bad things didn't happen to.  But who wants to throw some positive into stories designed to sensationalize the possible downsides of service?

It seems that a failed realization on the part of the reporters is that crime happens EVERYWHERE!  Even in the United States. Surprising right? Living in Las Vegas, I have a less than 1 in 50 chance of being the victim of a violent crime ( I am unsure of the exact number as I cannot find a recent crime index for LV, but the ones from previous years are anywhere from 1 in 37 to 1 in 42!).  This fact does not stop me from walking to my car after work in a not-so-great area of town after dark.

 My question is: why make it a point to try and scare the crap out of potential volunteers or families and friends of current volunteers by filling their heads with what is likely to not happen?  Why not hold some of the people in the stories told accountable for not following PC recommendations for safety (granted, I am aware that it is not always a victims fault, but some of the accounts do show negligence on the PCVs part)?  Why the insistance from reporters and family that the PC play babysitter to adults who signed up for job with risks?  I understand the PC should be responsible for basic safety and training, but I don't think it is their responsibility to watch after the day to day life of volunteers.I don't have a babysitter now in the real-world, why would I deem it a requirement as a volunteer?

Just a few thoughts.  I recommend checking out the articles as well as letters to the editor because I while I do find the writing sensationalized and redundant of itself, it is important to learn about the scary part of service, even if it is famed as "PC hating".  Keep in mind the articles are from seven years ago, so quite a few developments (such as wider use of cell phones and internet) have been made in many places.

Overall, to all applicants, PCTs, and PCVs:  Only you can be accountable for your actions and how you present yourselves!  Safety is your responibility and there are risks involved in everyday life, especially underdeveloped countries, but if all we ever did was focus on the bad that could happen, would we ever enjoy life?   One of my favorite quotes is "There is more to living than being alive."  It seems to me after reading blog after blog of volunteers, it couldn't be more true.

Las Vegas to Who-Knows-Where

I feel like I have been spoiled having grown up in a 24 hour town like Las Vegas.  3AM sushi is a possibility here, even off of the Las Vegas Strip.  I am in for quite the culture shock if I get invited to serve in the Peace Corps:

No driving.
No long time friends.
No late nights out drinking.
No Spaghetti and Cortez (kitties!)
No 3AM restaurant meals.
No best bed ever created.
No easy phone calls to my mom.
No 24 hour conveniences.

Why is it I am so stoked to go?  Perhaps I am a masochist of sorts, but at least I am one that is willing to do away with the comforts of home in favor of doing something good.  Plus, I am down for "roughing" it, trying and experiencing new things, traveling somewhere new, and being immersed in a foreign language and culture while impacting the lives of even a few others.

\end randomness. Bed time!

Here's a question:

Would my recruiter have told me at the time of nomination if I should be focusing on gaining volunteer work in the area I am nominated for?

Regardless, I plan on finding something having to do with ESL, but I have noticed in quite a few applicant blogs that were given suggestions of what they should be doing to be more competitive.  Me? I didnt get any of that!

Perhaps my application and I were just so awesome that I can get away with any volunteering I want?  Haha, wouldn't that be nifty.

But really- I am also thinking of trying to pick up a bit of Ukrainian and Albanian (at least learning the alphabet and basics) since based on Peace Corps Wiki, those are likely placements, I mean even if I don't get either, it would still look good for me to a recruiter, right?

Getting a head start

I may not have an invite (hell, I haven't even received my medical packet yet), but that doesn't mean I can't start getting rid of things in preparation of leaving!

First thing on my list: donate a massive amount of clothes to the women's shelter.  Working retail for over six years has led me to amass far too much clothing that I really don't need.  Part of the plan is anything that is currently in my closet and dresser goes straight into my donation pile, mostly because I know that only the clothes currently on my floor in my room (aka dirty laundry) are the ones I am prone to wearing.

Part two if this mission: start getting rid of the random crap that I convince myself I need, that I really don't. I know that if I get into the Peace Corps, I will be storing only a few things with my mom (which, lucky for me, I get to ship across the country): my massive DVD collection (~400!), books of substance (goodbye John Saul collection), and need-to-keep nostalgia items.  Knowing that I consider these things as need-have-upon-return-after-two-years items, it gives me a good idea of what I should start getting rid of or selling. Even if I am medically disqualified, at least my life will feel lighter and moving out of Las Vegas will be easier anyway :)

On another note-
I have a head ache and there are some dishes in desperate need of doing (thanks roomie for the pile up!).

Well now it is official.

"Kim,

I just nominated you to a post in Eastern Europe, teaching English leaving in March 2011. I hope you realize that that is leaving in 9 months. I am not worried because you have been such a great applicant. You have come from submission to nomination in less than three weeks. This is amazing, so I know you are organized and dedicated to doing this and making it happen."
 
That is a snippet of an e-mail I woke up to from my recruiter this morning, and lets just say "yay!"
 
Like I said in my previous post, teaching English in Eastern Eupore is exactly what I wanted.  From the looks of the Peace Corps Wiki Timeline, that would mean either Ukraine or Albania, but things can always change.  Ukraine would allow me to learn a Cyrillic language, which I think would be interesting to know, while Albania would probably have less harsh winters and (probably) tastier food.  Both would be awesome, nonetheless.
 
I should probably get out of bed now and go pay rent and buy the necessary supplies for chicken noodle soup and macaroons.

Unofficial Nomination!

Title says it all, I think.

I had my interview this morning and I was lucky enough to forget about one atrocious headache during the course of it.  My recruiter was waiting on my interview kit and requested that I expand on my second essay, put my volunteering on my resume, and put together a statement about my financial obligations so that she could get me nominated.  I had everything resent via e-mail within an hour or so.  She said she is going to do her best to nominate me to teach English in Eastern Europe probably departing in Feb. or March.  AKA: Just what I wanted!

Downside is I won't know until tomorrow for sure, but I am pretty excited nonetheless!

Questions?

My interview is on Monday and I am having a difficult time coming up with questions to ask the recruiter!  I feel like I have done so much reading on the Peace Corps that anything I ask, I will already know the answer to!

The only ones I have come up with so far are:
-How does PC find host families?
-What was the recruiter's biggest challenge during her service?
-What did she find most rewarding?


Any other suggestions? I have been thinking for days and my brain is starting to threaten violence if  I continue harassing it.

Hello Toolkit

Dear Peace Corp Applicant Toolkit-
I received a letter in the mail today about your existence and must say that I am glad to meet you. Over the course of the next few months we will get to know each other a bit better, however I anticipate it being a bit one sided on your part. You will learn so much new information about me and store it in your database and will often leave me wondering what you are thinking. That is no way for a relationship to blossom and flourish, but alas, that will be our nature.

I must admit, I am nervous embarking on this adventure with you. I know I will experience frustration from you the longer we stick it out, but I am keeping my hopes up you will stick by my side through the thick and thin, in sickness and in health, and that you will bring me the future I crave.

Forever Yours,
Kim

....Yep, I'm silly.

Yet another first!

I have this crazy tendency to create blogs of various kinds on varied sites for random purposes that fade fairly quickly. So let's drink to me keeping up with this one! It is after all going to concern some possible life changing things; well, that is IF I make it in to the Peace Corps. If I don't, hopefully this won't be waste of words never to be seen or heard from again and someone, maybe you, will learn something new about the process or discover you aren't the only one to lose your mind about what can only be described as an agonizingly long test of patience :)

Here is where I currently stand with things:
I finally submitted my application and health review on June 7, 2010. I say finally because I semi- started the application in October for 2009, and then worked on it a little bit more come January of this year, but paused yet again. Why you ask? Essays. The first one was easy enough to write, but the second really made me think! I didn't feel like I had much cross-cultural experience having never left the country, so I put off my application yet again. I battled with even completing the darn thing for fear of not getting accepted for months (and I will discuss that particular fear in a later post). I finally sucked it up in the weekend prior to June 7th and wrote about interacting with customers at my job where I frequently encounter a language barrier that has the ability to impact my job and customers' shopping experiences.

Skip ahead to the next day where I get an e-mail from my recruiter telling me she is sending me my interview kit and will be needing my college transcripts and my references submitted and to give her a call or e-mail to set up a phone interview (which, for the record is next Monday on the 28th at 10AM!) As soon as I found out I needed transcripts with my SS# on them I was bummed to discover unofficial ones do not carry that little tidbit in Nevada. Alas, this meant I had to pay over $20 to acquire my CSN ($2), UNR ($15), and UNLV ($5) transcripts. Annoying.

Next was the references: a good friend of mine, an old manager, and my current store manager were my list since I don't have consistent volunteering under my belt to include a volunteer supervisor. I felt like I waited forever to get the last one in from my store manager and did my best not to bug her, but I had to little bit and it finally got done!

All I have left to do is fingerprinting. Here is some advice: DO NOT FILL IN THE INFORMATION ON THE CARD. I learned this after calling the police department and was told that they print the information for you with the fingerprints. I am sure it is not like this everywhere, but better safe than sorry. This ordeal means waiting for a new set to get sent to me or going to another place to have them done at a steeper rate. Ick.

Hope you enjoyed this book? Haha.