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.