U.S.: On Being Accepted to the Peace Corps

The pictures of friends jumping in the snow at sunset sure look like lots of fun, but don't let that fool you into thinking this life is a bag of fluffy marshmallows. My current place of residence in northern Minnesota has not seen temperatures above zero in at least the past five days, which has me dreaming of sunnier times and warmer places. For example, Nicaragua, where I will be working for the next 27 months with the U.S. Peace Corps beginning in March. So let's think warm. Allow me to talk about Nicaragua and share a little bit about the process of reaching this point in my life.

First, let's rewind back to November 2011. That is when I first sat down and started to fill out the not-so-simple Peace Corps application. I had heard about the Peace Corps through info sessions on my college campus and was instantly attracted to the opportunities it provided to volunteer in foreign countries, work with various humanitarian projects, be immersed in a new culture, and live a little on the adventurous side. I finished the application by the end of December 2011, and my references were submitted shortly thereafter.

I interviewed in April 2012 and about two weeks after my interview I received my "nomination" for service somewhere in Central or South America. Apparently receiving a nomination for service is the most difficult part of the application process and if one happens to receive a nomination there is something like an 80% chance of making it through the rest of the application process and receiving an assignment. 

What followed my nomination were medical and dental examinations in June, and the clearance of those exams in October. Throughout this whole time I knew that I had a pretty good chance of receiving an assignment, but still knew that nothing was concrete yet. The when and where remained a mystery. I played the waiting game...I waited, and waited, and oh-so-patiently waited, to hear my fate. 

Finally at the end of November 2012 I received my invitation. It read (and I paraphrase): "The Peace Corps invites you to serve in Nicaragua as a small business development volunteer. You have 7 days to accept or decline this offer. In that time please carefully consider this opportunity and read through the 7,000 pages of information we have included with this invitation." As one could imagine, sleeping was not exactly easy that night. I read through my job description, welcome book, expectations, etc., while the imaginary pros-and-cons scale pegged itself at the front of my mind. I thought about all of the things I would miss, the relationships that might be "put on hold," and the fear of the unknown during my 27 months in Nicaragua...

Then I imagined all of the opportunity ahead. I have a hard time thinking that another opportunity like this one will come along had I not accepted it. Peace Corps invitations aren't the easiest things to receive. Mostly, it all came down to going with my gut. "Just do it," was what it was telling me. There must be a reason why I was nominated and invited to serve. So here we are. March 2013...the next chapter begins and I couldn't be more excited! Until then, I will grin and bear it through the rest of this Minnesota winter.