The Beginning...

A quest is a journey towards a goal. I see my life as a quest filled with chapters, each with its beginning and end, each with a specific goal, yet with the ultimate goal of finding myself and my true place in the world. I have always had a passion for travel, culture and humanitarianism. I have dreamed of the sites my eyes would see, those whom I would possibly inspire, those who would inspire me and the tastes my palate would discover. I have been lucky enough to say I have travelled a decent amount in my time, but it is nowhere near what I've dreamt of. However, when I say I wish to travel the world I want to experience it like those who live it, not as an outsider. When I discovered the Peace Corps, sometime in high school, I knew immediately that this was the program for me. I dreamt of becoming a volunteer, living with the people, as the people. I knew this would take a lot of preparation and that it was not something that would occur overnight. The one thing I did not know was how I was going to prepare, who was going to assist in those changes and what the outcome would be today. When I look back at my life in high school, I see a completely different person, someone who was not ready and would not be able to serve, not just yet. Every person I have met since then, every boy I dated, friend I had, has influenced me and changed me in more than one way, some much more than others.  Especially recently, I have met some amazing inspiring people (mostly the new women in my life..ppnyc ladies) who have opened up my eyes to a new world. I want to start with thanking the wonderful women I chose to keep in my life, my best friends who inspire me daily and also to some who I have lost but without them I wouldn't be able to start this new journey. This year I have gradually made changes to my lifestyle in order to better prepare for life overseas. These changes may or may not be seen by others but they have been significant. Sometime in April, I decided I was ready to apply (keeping in mind that the process would take a year). On May 17, 2010, I started a PC account and began working on my lengthy application. I submitted my complete application on June 25, 2010. It was such a relief to press that send button, since all I continued to do for days prior was obsess over whether or not I felt my application was perfect. On July 2, 2010, I received my first e-mail from my recruiter Lisa. She suggested that before my interview I look over the descriptions of health extension and community services, both of which I was qualified for due to my experience (I already knew this from research and was happy with either program). On July 8th I had a scheduled interview with Lisa for July 28th at 1pm. I was surprised at the fast response and immediate interview date. I thought the process was supposed to take a year (little did I know there was much waiting to come). My interview with Lisa went great. She was so sweet and she loved me! She stated that I was a perfect candidate for the Peace Corps (well, now of course!). Two days later, I received an email with my nomination for Central/ South America region with the assignment area of health extension. Health extension is basically education on HIV/AIDS, STIs, nutrition, etc. My first choice of regions would have been Southeast Asia but I am so happy with Central/South America. I am rusty, if not horrible with my Spanish-speaking skills and I am Puerto Rican, go figure. If I get anything out of travelling there, I would hope my language skills would improve greatly. On August 4th, I received my medical kit aka numerous forms for my wonderful PCP to fill out. I was in and out of medical offices for months, awaiting results, making sure everything was filled out properly. I finally sent in all my information the beginning of November. Toward the end of November, I received a letter asking for further information. I am lucky to not have any medical issues; it was just a portion of the vision form which was not filled out, my vision. I finally found out how blind I truly am, 20/2100! I researched online and it said when someone is as high as 20/200 they are considered legally blind, wow. After that was faxed over, I was immediately medically cleared. Not until December 21st did I receive a letter in the mail stating that I have been medically qualified and sent to the placement office! woohoo-final step! December 28th I received an email from Jill at Placement asking for an updated resume. I sent it over immediately and the following email stated that my information was sent to the Placement Specialist who would further review my information for my invite; this could be a month before I even hear from them. After reading other blogs, I have learned that once I hear from the PO again they will do a short phone interview and you basically know if you are invited but they say you will receive the invitation 4-6 weeks from the phone interview. It is different for everyone, so now all I do is wait. I could wait to go but the anxiety of not knowing where I am going kills me! I just want to start preparing, studying the language, buying what's needed. I could know anywhere between now and April, patience is a virtue, right? So until then, I will continue to focus on my finances and try to keep my mind busy. The New Year begins tomorrow and I am so excited to see what it will bring for me. The last year and a half has been tough, living somewhere I don't want to be and not fulfilling my dreams but then again, it has all just been parts of a chapter of my quest, all to reach that ultimate goal, and that is why it has all been worth it. I have filled the past year with small goals which have greatly helped the time go by easier. I dedicated time to volunteering, focused on finances, learned to quilt and well the best one of all applied to the Peace Corps. So Goodbye 2010, Hello 2011..I've been waiting desperately for you =)