Goodbyes

"I don’t want to wake up and realize what I was dreaming was right in front of my shut eyes. I don’t want to stop saying hellos for fear of saying goodbyes."  Author Unknown

Passport & Paperwork

My passport made it to Washington, D.C. and I've emailed off all the necessary paperwork (that I know of anyway)...so now it's just me and learning the languages left to do, oh and packing again...lol  April 23rd can't get here fast enough!

Invitation

Yesterday I received my official invitation of service for the country of the Republic of Georgia.  My official job title is Social Entrepreneurship and Organizational Development Facilitator.  I will leave April 23rd for 10 weeks of Pre-service Training in Tbilisi, Georgia. After that, if all goes well, I will be matched up with the appropriate assignment and location within Georgia...tba. 

Waiting

I received a call from my PC Rep on January 31st.  She said..."I know you have been studying Spanish...but we have an assignment in Europe that we would like to send you on that leaves on April 23rd.  Is the notice too short?"  Of course I told her no and to send me the paperwork.  I haven't received it as yet but I do know it was mailed so hopefully I will have it Tuesday.  Though she would not tell me where the assignment would take me, I did a bit of research and found the only country in which a departure is scheduled for April 23rd is to the Republic of Georgia.  This has been a long week and I just want the paperwork to confirm my suspicions.  I'm ready.

The Wait

Well, nothing new on the Peace Corps side...but it's nice to report that the house closing is still on track.  With the garage sale now out of the way, it's on to the final clean-up of the garage...argh!  But Mr. B wants everything out of the garage by Tuesday...ok...doing my best here.  I'm thinking this will be a tough week...I actually never thought this week would get here...All my dreams are just beginning.  But I've met some new friends since I've been back...and I'm going to miss them very much.  I'll miss everyone for sure but it's harder to meet new friends knowing you won't be around for long...especially when you get along so well with them...and you wish you had met them some time ago...life would have been a little happier.  Nonetheless, I have to move along to make these dreams happen.

One of my special new friends told me something recently...He said, "I've arrived."  I fully understand that. He is in his happy place, that place we all seek to be in...But I've had some time to think about that...While I can't say that "I've arrived" to my happy place...I can say that I have finally arrived to the point that I've been waiting for for so long to be in...moving from here.  It's come down to this week, my last week in Clearwater.  I may not have arrived to my "happy place" yet, but I've arrived to the beginning of the journey to my "happy place".  That's not to say that all my friends here will be forgotten.  Far from it!  You have all made my life a wonderful journey to this point, and I am happy to have known you all...and I want to thank each and every one of you.  In these last 3 years you have given me inspiration, hope, encouragement, and best of all, friendship.  I will forever remember you and how you've touched my life...and in all that each of you have given me, I will pass it on...

Progress

I was able to send all documents out within 24 hours.  I also spoke with my Placement Officer and she was very encouraging but one thing that struck me about our conversation was something she said.  She indicated that more than 50% of the nominees don't end up going to the assignment they were nominated to.  WOW, so I told her I'd been studying Spanish and asked if I should be studying any other language right now, like French.  She said it would be wise to do both...so OK...Maybe I won't go to Central/South America after all.  Now, it's a pure waiting game...much like when I was in the Army...hurry up and wait...I'm guessing that's where I learned patience...lol

I also learned this week that any time I see a doctor/dentist I need to forward a copy of the doctor notes/lab work/medical data to the Peace Corps...Can't leave anything out...it's as if they are my employer but not...yet anyway.

Placement Process

Received email from my Placement Officer requesting updated resume as well as official transcripts.  I have all these ready and will get them out tomorrow.  I hope things go well when they get them.  Seems like a more competitive process than expected.