So yesterday I received some gratifying news: I have been qualified to receive an invitation. This is great news, and couldn't have come at a better time. That means that it is the beginning of the end of my waiting to be a Peace Corps volunteer. To give you a better understanding of how long it has taken me to get to this point, let me give you a brief timeline of events:
9/20/09 - My application is submitted to the Peace Corps
9/25/09 - Application accepted. I am given a Peace Corps recruiter
11/14/09 - Recruiter receives all of my forms, but they got wet in the mail and I need to fingerprint again
11/24/09 - In-Person interview set up for December 16th
12/3/09 - My recruiter takes a new job within the Peace Corps and I am assigned a new recruiter
12/17/09 - Apparently, many of my file parts are missing with this change in recruiter. They are resent.
1/7/10 - In-Person interview and redo of fingerprint cards
1/15/10 - Follow-up email from recruiter asking for more forms that I had previously submitted. No biggie.
2/23/10 - Informally nominated to Peace Corps service by my recruiter. Updated on toolkit on Feb 24th
3/3/10 - Medical and Dental packet completed and sent back to Peace Corps
3/8/10 - Toolkit updates my legal evaluation to conclude that there are no legal holds on my application
3/18/10 - Toolkit update says my medical, dental, and physical information is being looked at
5/14/10 - Dental packet is accepted on Toolkit by Peace Corps
5/21/10 - Physical examination is accepted on Toolkit by Peace Corps
6/30/10 - I send the Peace Corps an email saying I will be getting my tonsils out. They reply back saying I will miss my tentative leave date set for the end of August because I cannot be medically cleared by July 5th.
7/18/10 - Receive packet in the mail asking for additional info on my tonsillectomy and my history with epilepsy. I send them back the tonsillectomy information but refuse on the epilepsy information, stating it was more than 10 years ago and therefore isn't to be included in my record. Peace Corps accepts my information
9/9/10 - I am moved to a new program. I don't know where yet, only received an email stating such
10/14/10 - I am sent more medical information requests by the Peace Corps, this time about my treatment for mild anxiety (aka-"insomnia")
10/22/10 - I receive a letter from the Peace Corps stating that they will medically delay me until April 2011. I send them a rebuttal, stating that my leave date (now tentatively scheduled for March 2011) would be missed if delayed that long, and can I only be delayed until the end of December 2010. They accept my plea.
1/5/11 - Doctor appointment to state that I'm not crazy and would be well-suited for the Peace Corps. Hoping to meet my medical clearance deadline, which is early February.
2/15/11 - Still no word on my medical clearance. I call. Apparently, doctor screwed up on my paperwork, Peace Corps nurse sat on it for too long, and I missed my deadline. Again.
2/26/11 - Peace Corps receives fixed medical records fax. I am told to wait for a new program and leave date
3/9/11 - Medical clearance FINALLY accepted by the Peace Corps
4/5/11 - I am again reminded that I missed my last leave date due to lack of medical clearance. I am asked to be patient. I am also asked to resend my college transcript and resume. Apparently, when I was told these things got wet when sent back in Nov 2009 but it would be okay, it wasn't. Resubmitted.
4/27/11 - After an hour-long phone interview, the Peace Corps qualifies me to receive an invitation
4/28/11 - Status update on Peace Corps toolkit: Peace Corps has completed your placement review. There are no holds on your account at this time.
This doesn't even include the countless back and forth emails between me and various Peace Corps placement officers, nurses, and recruiters throughout the entire year-and-a-half-long process.
So this is where we are at: Everything that I need to submit has been submitted; everything that needs to be accepted or cleared has been done. Now, when they tell me I'm leaving, I'M ACTUALLY LEAVING! It is a bit surreal, as I have been in a constant state of wait for over a year and a half, but I am so excited to finally be this much closer to beginning my service to the Peace Corps.
I have asked the Peace Corps if they could delay me until after July 3rd, and they have willingly obliged. My availability date has been set for July 5th, 2011, and I can be placed in any program that leaves after that date. I will still be teaching high school English, but have no idea where that will be. My original leave date set for late August was to send me to Sub-Saharan Africa, my first choice for location. My second leave date, set for the end of March, was supposed to place me in Eastern Europe/Central Asia, my least favorite of all the choices. I almost called them back to quit, but decided that wherever I am placed, it will work out well and be for the greater good. After all, I want to be sent where I am needed. I should find out where I'm going in the next 2-3 weeks.
Until then...
