Welcome to my blog that I plan to pour my dear heart onto while serving as a Peace Corps volunteer in Indonesia!
I honestly don’t think that it’s kicked in yet that I will be leaving next week from San Francisco to depart on the cliched “journey of a lifetime”! As most of you know and have asked over the past year repeatedly “have you heard anything yet? ANYTHING? YET? WHYYYYY??”, well it’s been over a year and my time has finally come. To put everything into perspective and for anyone other PC applicants wondering if their time line is normal–here’s mine:
12/14/2009–created Peace Corps username, etc to commence application process
1/13/2010–application, including 3 references submitted, done done done
1/14/2010–receive reply from regional recruiter
3/3/2010–in person interview with regional recruiter
3/5/2010–receives phone call of official nomination (!!!) My top two regional preferences were SE Asia and Eastern Europe
4/15/2010–1st round of medical papers completed
5/2010–legal/dental clearance
(played the waiting game for a looooong time)
10/2010–medically cleared, whoop whoop! Also notified that they are beginning to look at applicants set to leave in early 2011
11/2010–sent in additional/updated paperwork
1/6/2011–phone interview with placement specialist, OFFICIALLY NOMINATED! But they haven’t told me where at this point
1/19/2011–officially accepted English language teaching position in Indonesia, set to leave early April
2/2011–reserved pre-staging air ticket for San Francisco, set to leave April 3rd from RIC!
and now 3/2011, I’ve been busy best friending doctors and updating medical documents it looks like I am all set to go!
If you’re wondering if I’m excited, WELL I SURE AM! However, since it feels like time is literally slipping through my fingers as we speak, I’ve been trying to get in as much time as possible with the people I love and adore, which includes harassing my precious pup, Gao Gao, with silly coo’s and other strange voices, while chasing him around the house.
Another thing that has been very, very helpful is the PC Indonesia Facebook group, where all of the current and future volunteers have been able to ask questions and consult one another. Currently there are 18 volunteers scattered throughout East Java, all serving as English language teachers. They are the first group to return to Indonesia since the mid-60’s, so the entire program is still very new and they are learning things as they go. I am very excited to join a team of people in reestablishing trust, understanding, and friendship between Indonesia and the US. It’s a powerful feeling but I also feel vulnerable because I can’t recount a time when I’ve ever hopped on a plane not knowing how my experience there will go. Usually I can at least Google or learn about the place I’ll be getting settled into, but I can’t get much further than the Kubuki Hotel in San Francisco that we’ll be staying at for registration. Ohhhh the unknown, I am trying really hard to embrace you.
So far this entire “waiting period” experience has been a blessing, I’ve been able to have over a semester to myself to unwind from being in school my entire life, while getting a taste of a real adult job working at VCU’s Office of Sustainability, all while being able to life lavishly both in Richmond with Klaas and at home in Charlottesville in my new apartment. It will be sad to leave my nest, but this is my time to venture out!
My farewell party was the other night and I couldn’t have imagined anything better, it was over 30 of my favorite people in one house. There were way too many highlights for me to post, so here’s a couple–
From Charlottesville to Indonesia 