Now What? And Where?

Seriously. What's this going to be like?

The part of the invitation kit that I was most eager to read was the job description. Just exactly what would I be signing up to spend two years doing? Acting as a Community Health Volunteer, sure, but what does that mean?

Fortunately, the Peace Corps included in the invitation kit a handy little booklet explaining just that. It's like they're in my head!

Says the booklet:

Volunteers in our Community Health and Economic Development Program work as staff members of a variety of host organizations in Uganda. Uganda's Ministry of Health, and local and international organizations request Volunteers to assist them with developing and implementing programs with the goals of improving overall levels of community health and economic development, preventing HIV/AIDS among adults and youth, caring for orphans and vulnerable children, and supporting people living with AIDS, their families, and their caregivers.

So that's it in the largest of nutshells. It goes on to list more specific activities and efforts I might be engaging in, but they're all firmly entrenched within the fight against HIV/AIDS. And they all sound exactly like what I was hoping for when I began to fill out my application almost a year ago.

Other fun facts from this booklet:

I'll likely be living in a rural community, and my housing will be what they call "modest" and will consist of two self-contained rooms along with areas to cook and bathe (both of which may be outside) and a private latrine (read: pit). There probably won't be running water or electricity, so I'll be using a kerosene lantern and stove. Housing does come with some furnishing though, and a settling-in allowance to supplement that.

Transportation will be by foot, bicycle, or local public transport. Public transport is "likely to be crowded, uncomfortable, and unreliable," just like you would expect. I'll get money to buy a bicycle and will probably find that many of the communities I'll work with are a very demanding bicycle ride away from my house. No riding motorcycle-taxis, known as boda-bodas (laaame). And no driving a motor vehicle of any kind. No exceptions.

And, as is to be expected, there are many challenges I can expect to face. But, according to the booklet, "your ability to cope with these challenges, as well as those that come from daily life, will depend upon your flexibility, patience, humility, and good humor." Not to toot my own horn, but I mean, who's more humble, more patient, and funnier than this guy? (Beep-beep.)

Quick!

Name that country!

Here's a hint: It starts with a "U" and ends with a "OhhhMG, I'm going to Uganda!"

Answer? It's Uganda!



I swung by the apartment on Friday afternoon to check the mail. As I got out of the car, I saw it. My invitation kit! Just sitting underneath the mailbox, like it owned the place. So I ran up the rest of the steps and snatched it up, heart racing and mouth dry and hands a little shaky (but that could have been from my skewed caffeine-to-calories ratio that morning). There was no way I could open it alone, so I leaped back down the stairs, back into the car, and managed to drive downtown without actually thinking about driving at all. Sarah took an extended break at work and we opened it. Or rather, she opened it first and read it and said she was happy with it and for me.

And then I read it.

Country: Uganda

Job Title: Community Health Volunteer

Orientation Dates: Aug. 9-10, 2010

Pre-service Training (In Uganda): Aug. 11-Oct. 23, 2010

Dates of Service: Oct. 24, 2010-Oct. 23, 2012 (!!!)


And then I told everyone else. And then I tried to let it all register and process. And I couldn't.

Wow.

(More Uganda facts to come!)

Oh, hey.

All that waiting? Yeah, it's pretty much over. Because I woke up to this this morning:






Ok, so the waiting's not completely done with. But I'm in! And now I'm just waiting for the invitation kit to come in the mail. It says they posted it yesterday, so I'm hoping tomorrow or Saturday, and that I don't have to wait until Monday.

I was pretty confused when I saw this page on my Toolkit this morning though. I hadn't heard anything from the Placement Office for two weeks, and before that all I had gotten was an email request for an updated resume and one additional essay. Then nothing. Then this. So I called them immediately, worried they had somehow made a mistake. And, as is wont to happen, I had to leave a voicemail. Fortunately they called me back only a couple hours later to tell me that, no, no mistake, the Placement Officer didn't have anything else to ask you (which is a good thing) and your invitation is in the mail!

At that point, it was relief. Happiness, definitely. But relief first. To have worked and waited and worked on something for so long, without knowing how it was going to work out, and then to finally get it. Relief. Like I feel like I need to take a nap, or something.

And now, even though I have to wait a few more days to find out where and when I'm going, I don't even care. I'm interested and excited to find out, but I'm not anxious at all. All the parts of the process that I had anxiety over are just that: over. (For now. Until I find out where and when I'm leaving. Then I'm sure I'll be anxious and nervous all over again, to an entirely new degree. But I don't care! Because I'm in!)