ZOMG phone interview!!

I hear my phone buzzing, see that it's an unknown number, and for the first time in weeks, decide that there is no possible way that it could be the peace corps, and roll over and go back to sleep.

An hour later I am waking up for class and see that I have a voice mail. I listen. It's D--my placement officer! I hurriedly jot down his number to call him back and take some deep breaths. I weigh attending my class against calling him back. I take some more deep breaths and go brush my teeth.

I decide to skip class to call him back (I mean, this is my LIFE! I can miss one more French class geez). He answers quite chipperly and finds my file. He says he just wants to talk to me about my placement and my feelings during the process since nomination (which was like 5 months ago at this point!).

He wanted to clarify about a school policy that I had talked about in my interview--apparently I had come across as a bit of a rebel when it came to the policy in question. I was a little horrified since my actions as far as this rule goes were pretty tame and more of a subtle attack on what I felt needed to be changed. He explained that the peace corps has a lot of rules that don't necessarily make sense at first and cited the example of not riding motorcycles. I know about that one from reading all the Benin blogs!

We then spent some time talking about my support system and he asked about my dad's hesitation. I explained that my dad was just going to be nervous about the next step in my life no matter where it was and that we had talked about safety and communication. I feel like I maybe overestimated the level of 'ok' that my dad has for the peace corps, but he'll come around. He just needs some more time.

He then asked about a few specific things. The first one was "can you ride a bicycle?" I was like "Hells yeah!" I used to do some light off-roading/mountain biking when I was younger, and I am so all about riding bikes. Woot. Go Lance.

He then asked if I'd still be willing to take out my nose piercing. I said yes of course, even though that would really suck. I know I could get it redone, but I mean, damn. That will hurt and I might not actually do it for fear of the pain and the hassle of healing time. But it looks so cute on me. I'm not sure if this means that I WILL have to take out my piercing or not, but it's a possibility still. He wouldn't elaborate on more specifically if I'd need to for the program, saying that he actually wasn't sure because they didn't really focus on that kind of detail, haha. He was pretty funny actually.

He then asked about my vegetarianism flexibility which I said was 100%. Which is true, but I'm really going to try hard to maintain it if I can. If I can't do it safely, though, I'll eat meat. Eww. Haha.

He asked me if I'd be willing to go anywhere they sent me and I said what was probably the most honest and open thing I said during the whole conversation: I really want Africa and will be bummed if you offer me a different continent, but I will still go. He seemed okay with that answer and probably appreciated the honesty. I DON'T, however, think it would have been a good idea to say "I won't go anywhere else" because they really value flexibility and consider it an important trait to have. If I was offered something else, I'd take it still. Even if it wasn't Africa. Because I want to serve a community over seas for two years with the Peace Corps! But I would be a bit bummed. I really want Africa, haha.

Speaking of Africa, he then went on to ask me about how I would deal with extreme heat and humidity. I told him I would be psyched for it after spending 4 years in Boston coldness. It was funny because he had just got done telling me I could be sent anywhere and I should be flexible and then asked me a question specific to Africa. He actually chuckled a bit while asking.

And then we had to talk more about Colt and doing the super long distance thing and how long we'd been engaged and if we were able to handle it, etc etc etc. He made it clear that missing significant others is the number one reason people ET (early terminate) and I had to explain that Colt is super supportive and has known about Africa since the day we started dating. I explained that he's known about it for four years and although my desire for the peace corps changed a bit for a while, he was the one who really helped me reclaim the dream. I think that satisfied D, but I understand that there's no way to know. But I don't think it's going to be so hard that I quit. It will be tough, but we can do it because we're like the cutest, coolest, sexiest couple around and we can do anything! But we won't do anything harder than this because that would just be crazy!

Then he said that a decision would be made at the end of the week, chuckled again, and said "that means tomorrow." I think I might have actually shrieked a little, but then he toned it down by saying that it would take at least 24 hours to update the toolkit online and that it would take more time because of the weekend. After that, he said I could look for the pack in the mail.

OMG. I am almost invited! The decision will be made TOMORROW! I iz so happy!

Where will it be????? I'm thinking the 'ol Benin route because he asked for my comfortableness with 'humid' which it isn't really in Mali. But I could be reading WAAY to much into that question.

And oh yeah, at the very end of the conversation he said that he was still considering me for a sub-sahara Africa position in my original nominated place still doing health extension work. So what was the whole conversation about going elsewhere?! Just making sure I was still a flexible person. Well, D, I can make myself into a PRETZEL I'm so flexible!

My guess is that I'll have my invitation by Tuesday, assuming he decides that I rock hard enough for Africa. But who wouldn't decide that?!

E

PS. At the end I really wanted to say, "AND WHAT ABOUT ASHLEIGH HUH?? YOU CALLIN' HER SOON?" but I didn't because, well. That would make me sound crazy. And they don't want crazies representing the peace corps. They ET too often.