FINALLY! It is like there has been a huge weight taken off my shoulders. I have finally been invited to serve in the Peace Corps, so I will be leaving for Swaziland in June! I am super excited to serve in Swaziland, and hopefully my work there will be meaningful since it is the country with the highest HIV rate and lowest life expectancy in the world.
I applied for the Peace Corps in June 2009. I was nominated in May for a position starting in February. I graduated from Buffalo State in May 2010 and was medically cleared in November 2010. Finally I have received my invitation at the beginning of this month, Feb 2011. So basically my application process from start to finish will be 2 whole years. I am sure the experience will be worth the wait and if I have learned anything from this application experience, it is patience and perseverance.
I submitted my aspiration statement and a new resume to the staff in Swaziland earlier today, so now I feel like I am well on my way to beginning my preparations for leaving America. I have been starting to write a packing list and a bucket list of things I need to do before going to Africa. So far I have been able to spend some quality time with my mom, gone to see the Rockettes at Radio City Music Hall and Lion King on Broadway... both were fantastic!! I also was able be in the audience of the View. That was fun! And I have learned how to ski! So now all that is left is heading to Buffalo one last time and I need to spend time in Syracuse with the family and friends. I also need to plan my going away party (or week... haha). Now I need to start writing my Africa bucket list...
