Just got online to the PC wiki on a whim and saw that Benin has been added to the July time line with staging set for July 6th! That means official invites are out right?! And I suppose the caveat is...if I didn't get one, it means no to Benin for me, yeah?
Probably not necessarily. It could be that another desk has gotten out invites before the health desk...or that the date on the wiki is so super unofficial that no invites are actually out yet. Or maybe everyone who is nominated for a a health extension in July for francophone SSA has found out where they are going, except for me!! Ahhhh...
Ok, moment of crazy has passed.
I think I need to go to bed. Maybe I'll get an email in the morning. The restless applicant syndrome is killing me! I really hope I haven't gotten my hopes up for the birthplace of voodoo just to have them dashed.
Positive thoughts! On that note, just one quick thing: I was thinking that I want to incorporate my PC service into my wedding somehow...and thinking I could maybe use a song or tradition I pick up. I'm probably going to have a bit of an off-beat wedding anyway, that a couple African traditions won't seem out of place...Hmmmm. Okay, good. Now I am sufficiently distracted from RAS. Yay for my fiancé!
*edit*
It seems as if Benin has already been on the wiki and somehow I had just missed it. LOL. Way to go me. Sometimes I really meet those blonde moments head on. haha
E
Showing posts with label RAS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label RAS. Show all posts
Sunday, March 28, 2010
Monday, February 22, 2010
Bummer!
So I finally got up the courage to call the Placement Office and found out some disparaging news. Apparently the health desk a)hasn't begun issuing invites for my program and b)probably won't get to it for another month at least. The health desk rep said that the latest I could expect to hear could be in APRIL.
It was actually really stressful because at first she said "oh it looks like only people who are leaving in the spring and summer are being considered for invitations right now and you are leaving in the fall." And I was like "what?!" July is in the summer! She quickly apologized and said yes, I was still nominated for July and medically qualified for that placement. Whew!
I think I am going to update my resume and send an updated email to the placement office with that as well as copies of my CPR certification which apparently is a helpful piece to my nomination that I did not include the first time around because I hadn't gotten the card yet during the application process. Maybe I'll mention the marathon business as well. I just really want this to go quickly. I could use some good news in the next few weeks, but she specifically said "do not expect the invite in the next three weeks." So we're looking at mid March at the earliest, she said.
UGH! I almost wish I didn't know! Looking forward to the next two to three weeks sounded really refreshing...and now my deadline has been extended to April. That's a long time to deal with RAS.
She also mentioned something sort of underhandedly like "...oh late July" which of course freaks me out because I've been assuming staging at the beginning of July...which would indicate Benin. I'll have to check the Peace Corps wiki about late July African staging dates. It looks like Mali is also in July...the Cape Verde islands actually have staging in mid July but they are definitely not a French speaking country...so that's probably out. There really aren't any other countries that seem to be leaving around that time...so right now the only two that fit my original nomination seem to be Benin or Mali. Either one would be awesome. I just want to know haha.
Even the health desk rep knew I was being antsy. She recommended patience and said everything would work out. She's probably totally right.
-Elaina
It was actually really stressful because at first she said "oh it looks like only people who are leaving in the spring and summer are being considered for invitations right now and you are leaving in the fall." And I was like "what?!" July is in the summer! She quickly apologized and said yes, I was still nominated for July and medically qualified for that placement. Whew!
I think I am going to update my resume and send an updated email to the placement office with that as well as copies of my CPR certification which apparently is a helpful piece to my nomination that I did not include the first time around because I hadn't gotten the card yet during the application process. Maybe I'll mention the marathon business as well. I just really want this to go quickly. I could use some good news in the next few weeks, but she specifically said "do not expect the invite in the next three weeks." So we're looking at mid March at the earliest, she said.
UGH! I almost wish I didn't know! Looking forward to the next two to three weeks sounded really refreshing...and now my deadline has been extended to April. That's a long time to deal with RAS.
She also mentioned something sort of underhandedly like "...oh late July" which of course freaks me out because I've been assuming staging at the beginning of July...which would indicate Benin. I'll have to check the Peace Corps wiki about late July African staging dates. It looks like Mali is also in July...the Cape Verde islands actually have staging in mid July but they are definitely not a French speaking country...so that's probably out. There really aren't any other countries that seem to be leaving around that time...so right now the only two that fit my original nomination seem to be Benin or Mali. Either one would be awesome. I just want to know haha.
Even the health desk rep knew I was being antsy. She recommended patience and said everything would work out. She's probably totally right.
-Elaina
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Counting Down
I am trying to not have Restless Applicant Syndrome. It is not an easy condition to avoid, however. I wake up each day and check my email to see if there is the foreshadowed toolkit update message. But alas. I feel like I just want to know so that I can go buy a bunch of books about the country and learn its history and its people. I want to start creating a picture in my mind of what this experience will be, but I just think its too premature to begin doing that unless I have a country name and a specific date when I'd be leaving.
Benin. Staging dates in the beginning of July according to the Wiki and also doing some clever PC journals reconnaissance makes this West African country the most likely. I know this by spending way too much time at Peace Corps Journals.com, and looking at the Benin health extension volunteers' dates of staging. It seems like the most recent one was July 2009...which suggests a repeat performance this year. OF COURSE, I don't want to get my hopes up or anything and honestly I'd be happy anywhere in Africa, but if this is the place, that is seriously awesome. Birthplace of voodoo, beautiful beaches, history of Marxist-Leninist dictatorship?! What is there not to love?
I am so grateful to have a relatively obstacle free process going on here. There are so many potential applicants who don't get to this point or have to fight hard to get to where I am. So I am grateful for my waiting. I am glad to have the chance to have to fight off restless applicant syndrome!
Honestly, I am just anxious to be finished with college and I am ready to move onto my next adventure. If that experience can impact the lives of others in a positive way than I am even more anxious to begin. This is the opportunity of my life here and not something that realistically I will ever be able to do again in the same way. I am not naive and don't plan on saving the world or anything. I am well aware that the person who will most be impacted by my service is myself and I am okay with that. We are a global society, but we know so little about each other. If I can represent America to a few people, perhaps some of that misunderstanding can be alleviated. I guess that's what peace really is.
Benin. Staging dates in the beginning of July according to the Wiki and also doing some clever PC journals reconnaissance makes this West African country the most likely. I know this by spending way too much time at Peace Corps Journals.com, and looking at the Benin health extension volunteers' dates of staging. It seems like the most recent one was July 2009...which suggests a repeat performance this year. OF COURSE, I don't want to get my hopes up or anything and honestly I'd be happy anywhere in Africa, but if this is the place, that is seriously awesome. Birthplace of voodoo, beautiful beaches, history of Marxist-Leninist dictatorship?! What is there not to love?
I am so grateful to have a relatively obstacle free process going on here. There are so many potential applicants who don't get to this point or have to fight hard to get to where I am. So I am grateful for my waiting. I am glad to have the chance to have to fight off restless applicant syndrome!
Honestly, I am just anxious to be finished with college and I am ready to move onto my next adventure. If that experience can impact the lives of others in a positive way than I am even more anxious to begin. This is the opportunity of my life here and not something that realistically I will ever be able to do again in the same way. I am not naive and don't plan on saving the world or anything. I am well aware that the person who will most be impacted by my service is myself and I am okay with that. We are a global society, but we know so little about each other. If I can represent America to a few people, perhaps some of that misunderstanding can be alleviated. I guess that's what peace really is.
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