Invitation Accepted!

Having received and accepted an invitation from the Peace Corps to serve as a youth development volunteer in Swaziland beginning in June 2014, I figured it was probably time to start a blog! I have a little less than two months before departing on this new adventure, and I'm definitely a mess of emotions. I'm so excited and grateful for the opportunity to travel, and to do so in a conscious and meaningful way! I'm also incredibly nervous and scared, as should be expected from someone who is about to somewhat blindly move to a new country for two years. I know the strain that can be put on friendships during a separation like this based on studying abroad for a few months last winter, but I am incredibly fortunate to have a great support system of encouraging and understanding friends and family who have inspired me to follow my dreams and just go. 

Anyway, I'm going to use this first post as a timeline for my Peace Corps application process. I know that when I was applying, I scoured the internet for insight about how long each step took for people and what to expect. I'll update the timeline as new steps are completed!

My Peace Corps Timeline

May 6, 2013 Online application and Medical History submitted: Filling out the application, including writing the essays, took me a week
May 13, 2013 All references received by PC

May 15, 2013 Interview scheduled

May 28, 2013 Interview rescheduled: My recruiter had a sick kid, so we rescheduled. PC Lesson #1: A good volunteer is a flexible volunteer!

May 30, 2013 Interview: My interview took almost two hours, but the recruiter had to type every word I said, verbatim. So I would be asked to slow down while answering questions or to repeat myself. In a way this was nice, because it made the interview seem a lot less formal, and gave me plenty of time to formulate responses. It is kind of nerve wracking to know everything you say is being recorded, though. One nice aspect about it was that the recruiter told me I could pass on a question or revise my answer if I changed my mind at any point during the interview. It isn't like a job interview where the employer might be trying to challenge you, this interview really had the feel of just trying to get to know your experiences, strengths, and weaknesses that may be applicable to your service. I was asked some questions about my willingness to serve in certain conditions, such as in a remote location several days away from other volunteers. My recruiter made it clear that it is really important to remember that these responses are reviewed by the PC placement office when you are being considered for different programs, so be HONEST! If it would freak you out to be isolated, say you'd prefer to be within a day's travel of another PCV. They don't want to place you in an environment so uncomfortable that you can't succeed. At the end of my interview, the recruiter told me she would be nominating me! So I was expecting to hear from the regional PC office soon.
June 11, 2013 Nomination: I received a call from the regional office that I had been nominated for a Youth Development position departing in May in a country that would require me to commit to refreshing my Spanish skills before departure.
June 14, 2013 Fingerprint kit received
June 20, 2013 Sent back fingerprints
July 9, 2013 Background check cleared
September 3, 2013 Request to update resume: PC sent me an email asking me to add any relevant experience gained since my application to my resume, as I was in the final stages of placement

December 18, 2013 Placement update: I was expecting to receive my nomination in January, since the program was to leave in May and PC gives 4-6 months notice. Then, in early December, I got an email that kind of broke my spirit. It basically explained that PC was in desperate need of English Teaching volunteers, and that I needed to say I was willing to get the required experience (30+ hours of TEFL) and work in this sector that I had specifically expressed not being interested in during my interview (There are many reasons I would prefer to not teach English as my main PC task). I tried talking to my current PC contact, but she was pretty unhelpful. I responded to the email saying I was willing to take a teaching position, figuring that I should at least wait and see what the nomination was and go from there.

December 26, 2013 Invitation: I don't know if contacting the PC paid off or if it was just coincidence, but very shortly after that ordeal I received an invitation to work in the Youth Development sector in Swaziland, departing in June 2014. A sector I wanted to work in, six full months notice, and the exact region of the world I was hoping for! I couldn't be more excited. 

January 1, 2014 Accepted invitation: I responded to my invite email after reading over all the materials they sent me.
January 2014 Lots of emails and tasks: Since accepting my invitation, I've received dozens of emails with instructions on how to proceed in preparing for departure! The biggest project is completing all the medical tasks required to be cleared for service, which requires visiting every type of doctor you can imagine and getting them to complete a lot of paperwork for you. Additionally, I've submitted my application for a Peace Corps passport and turned in a current resume to my country desk. I have also connected with my fellow Group 12 Swaziland volunteers (and some very helpful G11's) on Facebook!
March 2014 Completed medical tasks: As long as the PC medical office is satisfied with all my paperwork, I should received medical clearance soon!

April 21, 2014: Medical and dental clearance! It took five weeks for me to get clearance, even though my paperwork was submitted several weeks before it was due. PC policy is that you must be cleared 60 days before your departure date, and my 60-day-mark is THIS week! Several others in my group have gotten cleared this week, too. The medical office has apparently been running behind. Luckily, I'm cleared, and really this is the last big step/place where a hang-up could happen before departing! I'm going to Swaziland!
May 15, 2014: Conference call: The Swaziland country desk has scheduled a conference call with all the invitees (48 of us!) to talk about what to expect at staging and pre-service training.
June 23, 2014: Depart from Seattle for Philadelphia
June 24, 2014: Staging in Philadelphia
June 25, 2014: Depart JFK for Johannesburg, South Africa en route to Mbabane, Swaziland