Sunday, June 13, 2010

The Invitation and Preparation

Wednesday, June 9th, 2010

I just received my actual invitation inviting me to serve for two years with the Peace Corps in EL Salvador. This will be the first posts of many throughout my journey as a Peace Corps volunteer. Obviously right now I have a mixture of emotions running through me varying from pure joy at having job security in a section of the world that I LOVE and pure terror at the thought of what have I gotten myself into?? But mostly its excitement and getting yet another stack of paperwork done for Peace Corps.

When you are accepted into the Peace Corps they give you a huge folder full of legal documents, insurance, personal essays to write, etc. Basically it is a package that contains relief as well as a whole lot of stress. I think I am pretty much done with most of the paperwork, and the hardest stuff that I have to fill out will be filled out when I go to Staging. Staging is where I fly out the day before I leave for El Salvador to some unknown (for now) city in the U.S. and meet up with all of the other volunteers (vols) who are also going to El Salvador. Then we get all of our vaccinations, meds, loans papers, life insurance forms filled out and they send them all away for us. Then the following day(s) they fly all of the vols out to El Salvador together. And here I was thinking I would have to fly to El Salvador, find a cab, and make my way through San Salvador (the capital) all on my lonesome. The latter version sounds so much more fun and adventurous than group travel. But I guess I better get used to Peace Corps being there to hold my hand for a long while to come.

But for right now I am focused on getting the proper attire for El Salvador (apparently they value professionalism when it comes to their shoes and overall appearance, so no dirty hippies or backpackers allowed ;) ). Usually I have only backpacked through Latin America and volunteered, so I have never had to have dress shoes, skirts, nice pants, to go to work and be respected. So naturally, its something I am stressing about and need to just let go of and work through as I go along.

Anyway, right now, I am just relieved that I got in, that I am going to what sounds to be an amazing country, and cant wait to jump into the Peace Corps experience.