Since I applied for the Peace Corps I've been getting a lot of questions. Most often I get asked where I'll be going, which for the better part of a year, I really had no idea. I guaranteed people they would know as soon as I did. [I held true, posting my position/country on facebook about three seconds after tearing open the envelope. Speaking of the envelope, the whole invitation package was wrapped up in what is quite possibly the most well sealed piece of mail I've ever received. Which seems like a cruel joke. I digress] Most people seem to think I'm only going to be gone a few months. 'Well, yes. 27 months.' Cue wide open shocked expression.
Them: Will you be able to come home? Me: Well...I do get vacation time, but I'm hoping to instead meet my family somewhere in Central America for Christmas. Them: What are you going to do when you come back? Me: I have two years to decide! Right? Them: Will there be translators? Me: Nope. Hoping this Spanish degree is worth something. Them: Is it safe? Me: Um...well yes and no. I've been reading a lot about Honduras (an obsessive amount) and I won't lie. There are nerves. And it's upsetting that a country and a people have to exist in that kind of turmoil. But, from what I hear and read, the Peace Corps puts its volunteers' safety as a top priority. And its not good to live life doing only the 'safe' things.
Them: Why did you decide to join?
Me: ...
This is one of those questions where there never seems to be a simply concise [elevator] answer. The truth is that this has been on my mind for a long time, even back in high school. Of course what did I know back then. Throughout college I would attend the info meetings, signup for emails, and read the literature Peace Corps sent to me [did I sign a list? How did they find me?!]. But in the back of my mind those books were always under the grad school ones. Because that's just what you do after college, right? At least, that's what all of my friends are doing.
CUT TO: INT. COLLEGE APARTMENT LIVING ROOM. SUMMERTIME
I wasn't entirely sure I wanted to go to grad school right away. I might get some flak for saying this, but I didn't see the value in going from school to school. For me at least, I want to get out of the classroom and learn on location, which really, is the best way to learn. (I'm thinking a blog post on this topic is soon to come)
So with that in mind, I opened up my laptop, googled the Peace Corps, and filled out the online application. All in one fell swoop. Actually the application is incredibly time consuming and took me a few weeks. It's a good primer to the application process as whole, which is...[trying to think of an adequate word but failing]. Long. About mid October the application was finished and submitted, and then I had only to wait. Soon after I received a phone call from my local placement officer, who just so happened to be coming to town the next week! We scheduled an interview, and quick google search revealed [in advance] some of the questions I could expect. Once I got to the interview I was [pleasantly?] surprised at how we went through the list verbatim. I left the interview feeling good, and excited for what was to come...
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