Here I am three days away from departure to Costa Rica and I am so unprepared. This whole journey started over two years ago and now in just a few days I will be starting a brand new life. Just so you can get an idea of how I'm feeling...
January 2009- Began paper application. (This included an essay, work information, basic health and legal questionnaire, letters of recommendation and basic demographic information.)
April 2009- Acceptance to Masters International Program (MIP) pending Peace Corps acceptance.
May 2009-Undergraduate Graduation and turned in paper application
August 2009- Peace Corps Interview and Nomination (looking at leaving June 2010) Begin Masters program
September 2009- Received legal and medical kit, schedule Doctor appointment, I cannot get in until late...
October 2009- First Medical Appointment
December 2009- Medical paperwork finally prepared, Mail in Dental/Medical/Legal kit.
February 2010- Blood tests missing from Medical Kit, Dental Clearance, First Hospitalization for my abscessed tonsil, notification that a tonsillectomy would be necessary. At this stage I called Peace Corps to update them on my medical history, my medical file was put on hold until I could be cleared 6 weeks following my tonsillectomy.
March 2010- Second hospitalization for abscessed tonsil.
April 2010-Finished with Courses for MIP, Tonsillectomy
July 2010- Doctor declares me fully healed from tonsillectomy, additional blood tests obtained
August 2010- Medical Clearance, Legal Clearance
September 2010- Placement phone call, notification that no placements are available till spring... Say WHAT?!?!
October 2010- Placement in Costa Rica Rural Community Development program departing Feb. 28th
Four Months go by....
February 24th 2011- I leave in three days? Well that sure came out of nowhere!
Lets just say, I'm not packed, I haven't spoken with my thesis committee in weeks, I have crap scattered all over Stillwater in various friends' homes and I have made no legal arrangements for my departure... I am on the verge of full blown panic mode.
I have, however; begun to say my goodbyes. Today I said goodbye to a girl who has been on my swim team for four of the last five years I have coached. I taught her to swim when she was seven and she is now a State Champion, AAA swimmer (she's fast). I have seen her nearly five days a week, two hours a day for the past four years. Whoa. It hit me today that there are kids like this that I have really come to know, who I generally like and I am really going to miss them. This is the first goodbye that brought tears to my eyes, blah! Emotions...
On Monday I head to DC at 6:00 am for my 12:30 staging. Our flight to Costa Rica leaves at 7:00am the following morning. In one week, I will be in Costa Rica. I am having a really hard time wrapping my mind around that fact. Denial... it's not just a river in Africa...
