T-minus...

Its September 11th. 11:40 EST. We board a bus to go to JFK in three hours.

I rocked my first "business causal" work outfit today. I also met some cool people, that I will be my family for the next 27 months. 

Bon voyage and bonne chance!

February 28th...

February 28th:
I had my placement interview...I spent the entire interview pacing up and down the kitchen. Long story short I was told to pick: Southeast Asia leaving early June working with at risk youth/human trafficking or Africa working with HIV leaving September. 

I picked Africa. 

March 5th:
On a coldish Missoula Monday morning in early March (six months ago today to be exact) I woke up and thought to myself, yup, I don’t want to go to work today...So I found someone to take my shift. As I am curled up on my bed doing homework, I heard the FedEx truck drive by and stop. My heart stops. Could this be the package that I was waiting for?!!?!? The door bell rings. WHAT. Deep breaths deep breaths. There lying on the doormat was a package with my name on it. AHHHHH. I scurry back to my room, praising God that I had ditched work for the day and trying to call my mom (who doesn’t answer, I she was actually working). There it is! The blue folder! I open it. Botswana. Then I start to google. I tried to call my mom again, no answer. So I text her a 911 Peace Corps news text. No reply. I call my dad, no answer. Gish.  I call my brothers, no answer--both of them. Again, gish. What is up with my family, I just want to tell someone! So I call my grandparents, thankfully they answer. My mom texts me that she is in a meeting but wants to know where I am going. Botswana. I break the news over a text message. 

Then I notify all of IYFD Cohort VIII (and of course post it on Facebook)

My dear friend Scarah was supposed to come over, since we are after all in graduate school we had classes to teach and things to learn. But instead we drank Champagne and did more googling of Botswana. 

March 5th-September 5th:
Over the past six months, three of my cohort loves have left for their PC assignments, one has her placement interview in a few weeks and five are leaving with in the next month. I said goodbye (more like see you later) to Missoula, a town that has stole my heart. September 11th always seemed so far away, but March turned into April then May then June then July then August...and its my turn. 


This past year has been full of growth--personally, professionally and self-realization. Before I left Lincoln, I was unhappy...I knew that Lincoln wasn’t the town for me. But I stayed year after year. I was working, there was family and it wasn’t the right time. I found that right time. I am so glad I have left, Lincoln will always have a spot in my heart, but Missoula has my heart. My cohort consisted of 9 other wonderful women, we were taught by phenomenal professors and our TA was out of this world. We each challenged, pushed and supported one another. I took extra classes in Public Health and nonprofit management. All in all, I completed 39 graduate credits and walked away with a 3.85 GPA, a certificate in Public Health and in nonprofit management. 

The next two years will be hard, at times, all my schooling will seem futile. Right now the thought of doing anything...well is...The thought of potentially hitchhiking as a means of transportation gives me instant anxiety. The thought of packing seems overwhelming and I have been doing a wonderful job of not packing. I know the pre-departure emotional roller-coaster will pass as I step on that airplane. Soooo....




Here is to the next two years!