Saturday, March 27, 2010

Ecuador!!!


Once they said South America leaving mid-June, I was pretty sure that I was going to be going to Ecuador... Which I am totally excited for!!! How could I not be?

So I have watched the Anthony Bourdain episode from Ecuador about three times since yesterday! Now its on to other more pressing stuff, getting though all this paper work, getting passports, and most of all finalizing my packing list and getting things together. One things that im dont know what im going to name my blog now that I know where im going.

-J

Thursday, March 25, 2010

INVITATION!!!!! AHHHHHHH

Finally after months of waiting, My invitation is in the mail. After I got an email from my PO yesterday about my willingness to go to Central/South America, I knew something was up. My dad said...'I say you are going to get an invite within a week..'..... I had asked my PO when I would expect to hear about an invite.... low and behold 24hrs later, I get another email telling me that my invitation was sent out today..... !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

AHHHH... needless to say im REALLY excited!

The only thing that is different is that im leaving about two weeks later (whatev..), and im not going to Africa :(... My friend Perry is going to kill me! meh... he will just have to come see me then!

So now its just stalking my towns Postmaster for my mail!

So for now South America here I come!!!!

-J

Wednesday, March 24, 2010

I didn't know that Honduras is in Africa?!?!

Ok.... So I get an email today from my placement officer, and I was like Yesssss, I am finally hearing back from someone about my placement! I'm at work so I'm just skimming the email and it goes on to say something like '... there is another health program leaving in mid-June, going to Central/South America.... you down for that?'....

...First, that would be just as amazing as going to Africa, like I told them in the interview, I don't care where I go, I just want to go.... Then it hit me... Wait what?!?!?!?! South or Central America?? Sweet, I'm down... I'm ready to go... its only like two weeks later than I was going to be leaving for Africa....

I'm not really surprised as to this latest development, I have known lots of people to be going one place and not the place that they were originally going.... I still don't have my invite but I have a feeling that I will be getting it soon.... There are three countries that are posted right now leaving mid-June, Ecuador, Honduras, Peru..... we shall see, ill keep you updated....

-J

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Pics of the Storm



These are all pretty thick limbs that fell on the house. Luckly we didnt have any serious damage to the house, but we did get another limb about the same size the next day. The crazy thing was no one new that this wind storm was going to hit, and it only lasted about 2 hours...



This is tree #3, I think someone had already chopped it up for firewood.

This was tree #2 across the road. You had to drive in the ditch to get around it, this was before the road crews showed up and there was just that lonely cone. It only took them about 1 min to chop it up.

-J

Thursday, March 11, 2010

My name is Jackie... and I have a problem.....

No seriously I have a problem, but I am recognizing that before it gets out of hand..... I know alot of my fellow applicants kno what I am talking about.... its the addiction in PCJ and PC wiki....

I have noticed that alot of people have been posting that they have been obsessing over finding out the whens and wheres of their invitation. I am very much in that group, and I will admit that I have checked out to see if others have received their invites and if there are any new staging dates list, about 20 times a day. What can I say I am just really excited to go!! One thing that I have noticed is that I have actually been waiting 7 months now since I finished every thing, which at times feels like twice that long, others it feels like yesterday.

Something that did get me through another week of waiting on pins and needles is that another post on PCJ by someone who just got her invite this week and is leaving in mid/late April.... ahhh getting closer and closer to May departures :) I just have to keep the mind set that they will get to me soon...

To pass the time me and my dad started to bet on what day I will get my invite (which as of midnight the 18th I loose, damn!)... I got my lightweight computer fixed so I don't have to get a brand new one, and can trash it even more than my senior thesis did.

On a non-PC related topic this week we had a massive wind storm in the NW! (One thing that I am going to secretly miss, that and earthquakes) I will post pictures later, but for two hours we got 65mph winds, two tree across the road, no power, and some wind damage at home.... It was fun until I tried to drive in it!

Till next time, and if any one from May health ex. SSA group has heard anything I could really use a fix, LOL....

-J

Friday, March 5, 2010

OMG my Placement Officer does exist!

Update:

So believe it or not I actually got an email back from my PO(or at least her assistant) the very next day saying that every thing was good and that she didn't need any more info from me at this time and that if there is anything else the PO would contact me. But from the email it sounded like everything was on the up and up, and I was still on track for getting my invite. So this is all positive juju which I need to keep my sanity right now.

In other news they have added (which I'm sure those of you who are eagerly awaiting news of your postings already know) but they have recently added three countries to the May departures.... YAYAYAYA..... unfortunately none of them are going to Africa, let alone SSA.... but they added them in a short amount of time, so it seems like they are starting to get to the May departures YESSSSSS!!!!

Other than that its just more of the same.... trying to get it off my mind....

-J

Tuesday, March 2, 2010

Packing lists and dreaming of care packages....

...Pondering... While standing in line at the post office....

A few things that I have found/thought about while looking at Peace Corps stuff, if (fingers crossed) I am right about going to Malawi there is a new Lonely Planet guide coming out on the 10th of March. It not only covers Malawi, but also Zambia (here I come Perry). There is also a new Lonely Planet Southern Africa Guide that is coming out on the same day. One of the two I will definitely invest in for when I go over there!

I also shipped a package to my friend in Zambia, and I was surprised at actually how cheap it was (well relatively speaking). I know that the package that I sent will take a while to get there, but for future reference (wink wink) these are the flat rate box prices to send people internationally:

-Large $55.95
-Medium (both shapes) $43.45
-Small $13.95

I sent off a email today to my placement officer also, just to see if they were alive. Just a hey-is-there-anything- that-you-need-from-me email... hopefully I get a response... soon... But in the mean time I am compiling a bunch of packing lists from others who have gone to Malawi or in that general area, and others (they are pretty universal, thought there are a few things that will have to be tailored to fit where I am going. Some of the things that people are bringing don't make sense to me (i swear someone said they brought a pressure cooker), but I will write one down for people when I get it finalized...

I have a question tho for any of you who are applicants.

Almost all the blogs I have read people are bringing their laptops or wish they had. Anyone else contemplating this?


-J