Peace Corps Qualification!

Wow... it's been a long seven months since I was nominated, but I finally got my final qualification!  The PC was right when they said things could change.  I am now headed to Eastern Europe in April!  I am a little disappointed to not be going to Africa, but since Eastern Europe was my other preference I feel lucky!  I should find out this week which country will be my new home!

I've been reading "The Geography of Bliss" and last night read about Moldova (listed as the most unhappy of all countries!).  Talk about depressing.  I assume this means I will most likely be headed there!  In the book the author actually meets with some PC volunteers and they are all cranky!  They hate it there and the only good thing anyone can say about the country is that they have fresh fruit and vegetables!  Ugh!  Well... time will tell.  There are only about 13 countries in Eastern Europe that have PC missions...maybe it won't be Moldova!

As my brother, Stephen, reminded me...this part of the world has some of THE most difficult languages to learn.  So I really do have a hard task ahead of me...having never learned a language before, this will be a challenge, regardless of where I end up.

The past seven months have been a combination of busy and painfully boring!  I worked at Barnes and Nobles for a handful of months, until I could not take the task of scanning books one more minute!  It was nice to have mindless work for a few months, but it quickly became mind numbing!  I have been continuously teaching at Cincinnati State and truly have enjoyed the classes.  It's been a lot of work, always teaching a new class every 9 weeks, but well worthwhile!  I am tutoring at South Avondale School two mornings a week.  Working with 7th and 8th graders in this struggling school should be some good practice for what lies ahead.

My biggest worry over the recent past has been my financial situation.  It's not easy to put your life completely on hold for 27 months.  Although I have loved my condo, I do regret buying it (in hindsight!).  Now I am tasked with finding a renter or selling.  I thought I had a renter lined up only to have him disappear on me.  So, now I will place the condo on the market and continue trying to rent it out.  If neither of those plans work I will have to ensure I have 27 months of mortgage and condo fees in my bank account.  Although no one in my family wants to hear me say this I will have to pull some money out of my retirement plan.

My sister, Julie, has stated that the PC is the worst financial decision I have ever made.  She may be right, but I still feel totally committed that this is what I am supposed to be doing.  I have always had a nagging suspicion that I should be doing more with my life, giving more.  So... even though the money situation is stressing me out, I forge ahead and prepare for departure in April.

Again, I thank my family and close friends for being SO supportive of this decision.  I know some people can't fully understand my reasons for going this route, but I am am taking this leap of faith knowing that life will continue moving forward!