Those who know me well can say one thing about me: I do not procrastinate. I am not the girl studying until 2 am in the morning for that physical chemistry midterm; I'd rather sleep. I'm not the girl who you'll find cramming in the library 24 hours before a lab report is due; it's already done. And I'm not the girl looking over her notes 10 minutes before the final; if I don't know it now I never will. So now that I'm 7 days from leaving the state, 9 days from leaving the country, and 10 days from landing in Lesotho I feel the stress of procrastinating.
I have been waiting a long, long, time to join the Peace Corps. I first became serious about the Peace Corps spring time of 2010. I thought I knew what I wanted in my life but wasn't sure what I wanted for the next year. Not school, that's for sure. Maybe something abroad, volunteering or working, maybe for 6 months or a year. So I attended a workshop in school dedicated to post graduation options. UCSD had a Peace Corps recruiter and she made a presentation during the workshop. I have often felt that when I am about to do something big (ie: buy an expensive purse or pair of shoes) the idea literally screams at me. It's this obvious slap-in-the-face good feeling that I get when I just know that I have to do (or buy) something. That's how I felt during the recruiter's presentation. I felt my body shaking as it just clicked in my head; this is what I had to do.
Of course I wasn't quite convinced, not yet. I was a little intimidated at first. Me? Leaving my comfortable life in California? Taking a two year detour from my life plan? There had to be an easier way! But a slap in the face doesn't quite disappear and you're usually left with this burning feeling that just doesn't leave. So I did my research, scoured through the Peace Corps website, and realized that the more I read, the more RPCVs (returned Peace Corps volunteers) I spoke to, the more I wanted to do it. I could just see myself standing in front of a little hut, in the middle of the jungle, changing the world (just to clarify I was repeatedly told by RPCVs not to have such high expectations about the work I will do).
I started the application process in the fall of 2010. Step one was an online application asking me for basic information (job history, volunteer experiences) with two essays and three references. It also included a form that asked about my medical history so they could make sure you were fit enough to be an applicant. I completed this application Thanksgiving 2010.
Step two was the interview. This was two weeks after I turned in the application and the weekend before finals (good thing I'm not a procrastinator). To my surprise, at the end of my interview the recruiter told me that she thought I'd be a good candidate and gave me my nomination. The nomination didn't guarantee anything but says that you're a serious applicant. My nomination was for a science teacher in Sub-Saharan Africa to leave in early October.
Step three was the medical review. Based on the medical history I had given during the application process I was sent a medical application that had to be filled out at the doctors. This included tests, shots, and other fun things everyone enjoys when going to the doctor. But at the end I did feel a little sorry for the doctor who filled out those forms for me. There were a lot of pages and I don't think I was the highlight of her day.
Step four was the waiting...and waiting...and waiting. A nurse was going to look over my medical information and determine 1) whether the Peace Corps could accommodate any medical conditions I may have, and 2) make sure I went to a location that could accommodate any medical concerns. But this process was done in the order applicants were leaving. I turned in my medical information in February, I didn't hear back until May.
Step five was giving an update to the Peace Corps of my current activities since my interview. At this point I was informed that there were some budget cuts in Peace Corps and this may push back when I may leave for my service. Fortunately I was not affected by this and, soon after graduation, received a big package in the mail telling me I was heading to Lesotho. This was in June 2011.
So, where am I now? I am in the process of packing two years in to two suitcases and 100lbs of stuff. Packing for a developing country is much like packing for a camping trip. I bought a sleeping pad, a sleep sack, a head lamp (so that I won't have to hold a flashlight if I have to use the bathroom in the dark), a swiss army knife, and solar panels to charge small electronics. Of course I'm not going camping so I am also packing toiletries, and lots of clothes. The hard thing about packing clothes is that a part of me is screaming "Two years! I have to pack enough clothes!" while the other part of me is wagging a finger and saying "You're not going to the moon! People are not naked in Lesotho; just buy clothes there." And then there's the part of me that's wondering every single "what if" that could come to mind.
And as I begin to pack I start to think of all the things I still have to do, hence the procrastinating. At the same time I think about all the things I wanted to do before leaving. As I write this post recalling my Peace Corps journey thus far I see that this year has gone by much faster than I expected; I can still remember sitting in that room and feeling my heart beat as I listened to the recruiter last spring. And as I write these last few sentences I feel that same beat and know I am ready for this. I may feel like a procrastinator but have been preparing for this for a long time.
Aparna
No comments:
Post a Comment