Busy!

Please excuse the lull in posting, we've been a bit busy since accepting our invitation to Honduras! Yep, it's official. We stage in Miami on February 22nd and then off to Honduras on the 23rd, woot!

We've read... and re-read the welcome book, sent in new resumes and aspiration statements, applied for our Peace Corps passports, sent in official resignation letters to our bosses, started packing... again, and reserved a Uhaul truck to make the 1,800 mile trip to Texas, eek! (If you are awaiting an invite, please be aware that as soon as it comes, you will be VERY busy!)

Now we just need to decide what is left to do in New York City before we say good-bye.... bitter sweet, but it's a very good time to leave. We get to have all of the holiday festivities minus the worst of the weather come February.... we'll be in Texas by then, drinking margaritas and wearing t-shirts and shorts :) Most of the time left will be spent with friends, eating out at our favorite spots one last time... and walking through all of the museums (tear!) I will miss it, but then I can remind myself of how horrible the subways smell, how rude people can be when they steal your cab, and how you can't get anywhere in Midtown between Thanksgiving and New Years because the streets are soooo clogged with tourists! Plus, a whole new world is about to open up to us... bring it on!

Anyway, we may not post again for a few weeks with so much left to do, but until then... Happy Holidays!

Honduras: The Texas of Central America

Honduras.

I've realized in the two days since receiving our invitation that I know nothing about the country. My knowledge consisted of:

1) That place that Reagan sent Iranians to play Contra.
2) They had a bloodless coup awhile ago.

On further research, I've realized that #1 is wrong. The Persian, video-game players were in Nicaragua. I should have known that.

But the coup thing is true. Everything I've read has said that it wasn't a big deal. Nobody was hurt. The army just stripped the President from his bed and shipped him off to Costa Rica. No harm, no foul. After all, he only wanted to lift Presidential term limits.

A happy coup then.

And everything is all hunky-dory now. Nothing to fear.

Except for the crime, murder and everything else that can happen in an underdeveloped nation.

Okay - so my research to this point has stemmed around the seedier parts and history of the country.

And that's understandable in my mind. I like to know what I'm getting into. Always know where you're going, and where the back entrance is. Situational awareness.

But aside from all the bad press, Honduras also has quite a bit to offer.

The first being that they actually need us there. In particular, I'm excited about the business work that I'll be doing. Sustainable business models, business incubation, and working with their tourist traps (I imagine ecotourism - the trappiest of them all) is definitely needed. In some ways I think - naively I'm sure - that my efforts will help Honduras reach where Costa Rica, the darling of Central America, is now. And that makes me happy. Seeing as how Costa Rica was damn nice when we went - granted we went to the richer parts, but let's not split hairs.

Second in my mind is the country itself. The geography and people. Mountains, plains, beaches, rain forests, maybe a desert here and there. This place has it all.

Plus - from what I've read - there's a cattle area that reminds me eerily of west Texas. Flat, hot and there's cows everywhere.

Also, everyone walks around in large hats and cowboy boots.

Oh - and everyone has a gun. And speaks Spanish.

So it'll be just like Texas.

We're not moving away! We're possibly moving home!

- Jacob

We've been invited to serve in...

HONDURAS!!!!!!!!!

We are both incredibly excited... and slightly overwhelmed with the amount of paperwork accompanying the invitation!

Jacob will be serving as a Business Advisor (Business Development), and I'll be serving as a Health Advisor (HIV Prevention and Child Survival).

It was definitely worth the wait, and I'm sure the rest of our time in the States will fly by now as we prepare for the next 27mths. For all those out there still waiting on an invitation, don't give up!

Now... off to read through all that paperwork :)

I Should Have Watched Destinos More

"¿Donde está la biblioteca?"

Sorry, just practicing.

According to our supremely talented Placement Officer (she got us accepted after all,) we're going to be speaking Spanish for the next few years.

In February, we're shipping off to someplace south of Texas.  Where the food is hot, the women hotter, and the tequila ice, ice cold.  Not that I like tequila.  But a cerveza fria would not be a shame every now and then.

And there you have it peoples.  The extent and total knowledge of my four years of educational Spanish.  It's amazing what you remember:
 

• Library
• Beer
• Cold

My Spanish teachers would be so proud.  Makes my college graduation joke of - "Hey mom, I got a D in Spanish.  It stands for diploma" - even funnier.  Hopefully, retention on this go around will be easier seeing as how we'll actually be using the language.

And I won't have to watch Destinos.  Which I never did - hence the D.

Anywho - needless to say, the wifey is ecstatic.  Random Spanish words, things we can do, and the ubiquitous :) have dotted my GMail chat throughout the day.

And I am excited as well.  Though I'm practicing my machismo by not acting excited.

In a gracious act of full disclosure, I will say that I'm a tad disappointed about not going somewhere colder.  I like cold places.  Mongolia would have been nice.  Or Ukraine.

But what can you do.

I'll just have to learn to live with the heat.  It'll be like living in Texas all over again - though my current beard may be the first intentional victim of this future crusade.

So off to either: Mexico, Costa Rica, Honduras, Paraguay, Ecuador, or Guyana .  We'll know specifics in a few more days.

Adios till then.  (HAH! There's another!)


P.S.  I was just informed that I'll get to take my boots with me - something that had been frowned upon until now (apparently, leather rots - who knew.)  And that makes me supremely happy (the boots, not the rot.)  I like my boots.

-Jacob

Monday, November 15th

Just a quick update, our Placement Officer emailed us yesterday letting us know that the program/country will give her a definitive answer regarding our approval for an invitation on Monday.

Monday. It seems so far away!

The Laws of Irony

I'm pretty sure that in order for us to get an invitation, I'm going to have to unpack everything that I packed in preparation for what was originally meant to be an October departure date. In addition getting rid of 90% of our winter clothing- genius, I know; I thought it would be a great idea to pack up things which were not pertinent, including 5 floor to ceiling double packed bookshelves equaling about 25 boxes worth of books.

The laws of irony suggest that once I do this... our invitation will come the next day, yes?
Today is day 575 since turning in our applications, just wondering how quickly can I unpack everything...

You Keep Using That Word. I Do Not Think It Means What You Think It Means.

(Note:  For lack of a better way of differentiating our posts, I'll be the one posting in colors.  Manly colors of course.  But until I find one that I like, this blog may look like a Christmas tree gone horribly, horribly wrong.   -Jacob)

Patience.

When speaking with a friend of ours - who'd been shipped out to Moldova a few years before, I'd heard the word mentioned but failed to grasp its meaning or importance.  Oh, I thought I knew what it meant.  I thought I was well prepared.  A granite mountain of equanimity.  The most patient human being known to man.   I live in NYC and have to deal with the MTA on a daily basis!  I listen to Glenn Beck, Sean Hannity and Rush!

Hell - I'm married!

But, after what has been 571 days since first applying, I continually hear the words of Inigo Montoya rattling around in my perfectly formed brain:  "You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

Applying to the Peace Corps is an invigorating, yet simultaneously mind-numbing, process.   It has pockets of frantic activity: applying, essays, doctors visits, more essays.  And scattered continuously about are the weeks of silence.  The fear that somewhere, something has gone wrong.  A doctor's missing signature, an illegible date on some ubiquitous form.  A childhood ailment previously forgotten that will happily wave the red flag of disqualification.  Something that will shatter your plans for the next three years, forcing you therefore to have to rethink your life and decisions.

Sometimes you wonder if you're stupid for even trying this in the first place. Wouldn't it be better - and SO MUCH EASIER - to just stay at home.  Keep your job.   Get promoted.  Have some kids.  Spend twenty years trying to pay for said kids.  Send them off to college.  Retire.  Move to Florida (because that's what old people do.)  Die in some glorious fashion that will enshrine your legacy in the annuls of family history forever.  A good life in other words.

Patience.

I've honestly come to the conclusion that they - being the shady bureaucrats hiding from sunlight in Washington - do this on purpose.  That they have an application on their desk and they say to themselves in their creepy, reedy voices, "Yes.  I know that you want to serve in a foreign country.   I know that you just want to help a people."   They rub their spindly fingers together as they imagine the coming suffering.  Smugly, they move your file to the bottom of the pile, shoot off a quick email saying that you didn't make it - maybe next time - and then they move on to the next victim.

This is what I see in my mind - them gloating over our failed applications.

(An aside - the Peace Corps people are EXTREMELY nice and competent.  From our recruiter to our Placement Officer, I've been incredibly impressed with their help and patience.  God knows, it'd drive me to extremes if I had to deal with people frantically emailing and calling every day.  Bravo to them - the unsung heroes that allow us to live our dream.)

Anywho - patience.

Because, while I do think that maybe, just maybe, they do it on purpose - there's probably a good reason.  Like the fact that they're going to be sending you into the boondocks of the world, with incredibly minimal supervision.  Where you're most likely not going to have the resources that you need, and will most definitely not be able to fluently communicate.  Where people will stare at you and wonder what the hell you're trying to do, and perhaps even more importantly, why.

And the only thing that's going to allow you to keep relatively sane - why, it's of course patience.

So for anyone who's applying, or is thinking of applying.  If you suddenly for some reason read this.  Know that you'll need patience.  The patience to sit quietly and wait.  And wait.  And wait.  And then something happens in a frenzy of activity.  And then you wait some more - followed by even more waiting.

Patience.

But remember Montoya's words:  

"You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means."

-Jacob

Got patience?

So, the hubs and I are going to Washington, DC tomorrow for a little vacation to celebrate our wedding anniversary. We're leaving very early in the morning to make it to the Stewart/Colbert rallies in time, a convenient coincidence!

But, this means we'll miss the opportunity to check our emails/application toolkits for 5am updates! Sorry, we don't have smart phones... who needs a contract right before leaving (hopefully!) for Peace Corps, right? Not that the Invitation will come tomorrow, but from what I've been reading, the invitation notice "usually" comes 2-3 days after a completed placement review, and I've been holding my breath since Wednesday... I doubt "usually" should be in one's Peace Corps application process vocabulary :)

Got patience? It's hanging by a thread!

Status Update?!

Well, not THE Application Status Update I was hoping for, but one step closer! I awoke to an email this morning, very quickly went to our PC online toolkit, and found the following: "Complete. Peace Corps has completed your placement review. There are no holds on your account at this time."

Does this mean they found a program for us?! The suspense!

On another note, I had a dream last night (like the 100th one) that we received an invitation... this one was so vivid that when I woke up this morning I still thought it was real! Kind of a downer when I was fully awake, but the status update made me smile.

Almost...

Where in the world will we live in 3-5 months? The answer is... we have absolutely no clue!!!

It's only been 5 days since we had our final interview with our Placement Officer, yet these five days seem to be the worst! I have no nails left, and I think my email account is plotting revenge for the constant refreshing. The entire application process is always longer for couples, and I consider myself a very patient person, but the anticipation is making me nuts. My husband is a whole other animal... His patience is limitless, and frankly it's a bit annoying: "It'll be fine," constant words of reassurance that I'm sure I will appreciate more while in the Peace Corps :)

One hiccup is that I had already donated most of our winter clothes... we were originally nominated for the Pacific Islands leaving this October and parkas and wool just didn't sound optimal for the South Pacific (oops!). Now with a good old NYC winter coming along... hind sight is definitely 20/20.

Our PO said it could be two days or two weeks before a host country gets back to the Placement Office with approval for a couple, and apparently this is normal. The host country must have 2 spots in both applicant fields of service, both needed in the same village... ah! Because we missed our original departure (still not sure why, but c'est la vie) they're looking at ALL regions between January and March. It's a peculiar situation, and I haven't seen many couples in our shoes. At least we've gotten this far... Here's hoping for the final "Application Status Update" very soon.

Placement Office Phone Call

We've completed the final step before receiving our invitation; a 30 minute phone call from our Placement Officer. She was incredibly nice and just wanted to review some topics discussed in the initial interview; make sure we were open to various regions (asking about our initial request to not go to Mexico: friends and family live/travel there... it wouldn't be the PC experience if we had visitors every week!) and the challenges of serving as a married couple (Frankly, I think it will be a bit easier).

We're happy to say that everything looks in order, and our PO will let us know our new program/region in a week or so... At this point we could be going anywhere, but our PO mentioned that they were looking at Spanish speaking regions due to my Spanish skills. Because married couples must be approved by the host country before sending the invite, it may take another few weeks before we receive that lovely blue envelope. But, all is well!

Day 550

It's been 550 days since we turned in our applications... We were deferred from our original programs and have been in limbo since the end of August. Today we received the email we've been hoping and waiting for. Our Placement Officer has requested a 30 minute phone call from each of us next Tuesday/Wednesday. She also confirmed our suspicions that Jacob is now under consideration for business assignments, while I'm still with the Education Desk. Thank you!

Hopefully, we will know more after next Wednesday :) Until then...

Hello Fellow PC Bloggers!

My husband and I have been following many Peace Corps volunteer and applicant blogs over the last year and a half and thought it was about time for us to start our own. We wanted to wait until we received our official invitation, but we just couldn't wait any longer.
Our thought was that if we published our application timeline and started writing, we'd find fellow applicants and volunteers with similar situations and/or nominations.
More to come!