IT'S HERE!!!!!!

I can officially stop stalking the mail man.

I'M GOING TO BELIZE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I depart on March 23rd and I couldn't be happier.

I've already read my basic hand books and sent my acceptance e-mails. Now, comes the rest of the packet. The hard part. I already have a few questions. I already have a U.S. Passport and it doesn't expire until 2014, so I'm not sure if I need another.

Anyways, I wanted to share the truly awesome news!!!

This is the happiest day of my life to date :-) I can hardly contain myself!

Butlers and Black Sheep

Today makes me think of a bad joke about a butler. I don't remember much about the joke, but the punch line was that the butler did it because he was out checking the mail on Sunday.

I really dislike the fact that there is no mail delivery on Sunday when I am impatiently awaiting the arrival of the invitation that is going to change my life. It's getting close to that 5 business day deadline too. I was told that if it don't get it by Wednesday to call immediately. So hopefully it will be here by then.

So, I've been dealing with a lot of backlash from family and a lot of support from friends.

A little background - I'm actually an orphan. My foster family took me in before my last remaining parent passed, but they've NEVER been supportive of anything I do. My original dream was to actually become a plumber. I was, in a way, forced to go to college, though I ultimately realized it meant 8 months a year on my own so I ran with it. Then I decided to go to grad school after finding social work - and I was told not to do that. Makes sense right? When I chose to study abroad in Africa for a month - I told them 3 weeks before I left because I didn't want to hear any complaining and yelling about it. I learned I should not have said anything until after I came back. I know they're not going to be supportive of it and I have a feeling they know because they're packing up everything I have left in the house and having it transported to Ohio. I'm pretty sure that means my branch has been officially cut off from the family tree - at least from 90% of my family.

All the extended family that I talk to is supportive and one of their daughters, Kathy, who feels like a best friend and a Mom to me and I really look up to - her and her husband Matt are worried of course, but will support me no matter what. They're both so loving and accepting, it's a wonderful feeling.

I broke the news to my brother just now too. He was surprisingly supportive. He was more on the indifferent side, but he was helping me with suggestions either way. I was actually terrified that he would be mad, but I'm glad he's not. His wife is supportive too, but I knew she would be. She's pretty awesome. I think sometimes I like her more than him :-P

I'm really lucky to have an amazing amount of support from my friends like Meghan (Meggles), Keith, Jesse, Laura (my RPCV savior), Jordan, Mohammad, Todd, Cherry, Gwen (who I believe is also applying), Andrew T., Sean, Eric and a plethora of others.

So I'm just going to work on distracting myself today. I found a goodwill donation center down the street from my house today, so I might start attacking my closet and basement and bring them tons and tons of stuff. No matter what, it's one day I can't stalk the mail man, so we'll see what happens.

Thanks for listening to my rambling today. :-)

Quote stolen from another prospective PC Volunteer

Not sure where she got it or if she wrote it, but..

"It is not extraordinary for a woman to depend on herself, to travel independently, to learn about freedom at a young age, to carry these lessons forward in life, and to feel more like a woman for seeing the world than for introducing new life into it." ~ERIIKA ETSHOKIN

I know it won't be here today, but...

I can't help singing this song.

Dear Mr. Postman, look and see, do you have an invite in your bag for me? I've been waiting such a long time, to hear of that placement of mine <3

The last torturous days of waiting

Now that I've been officially INVITED comes the torturous days of stalking the mail carrier.

So here's the sitch:

I've been nominated for Youth Development in Latin America/The Caribbean for March 2011.

That only leaves Mexico or Belize on the table according to wiki which I am trusting with my life right now - literally.

Mexico leaves March 14th and Belize leaves March 23rd.

6 weeks from today is March 11th, so I'm really hoping it's Belize for many reasons.

1) More time to get my stuff together and fly around to see my loved ones. - that would be 12 whole extra days.
2) I really want to explore their rainforest.  I've got a thing for the rainforest.  I've been to a few and I'm happiest there.
3) I'd more likely get to learn a more unique language.  I know conversational Spanish already, but I've love to learn Creole, Garifuna or Mayan or ALL OF THEM!

So now it's the torturous days waiting for invite.  Tonight at work I came up with various plans on how to stalk the mail/ups/fed ex delivery person.  These ranged from building a giant version of the mousetrap game to finding a homeless duckling and training it to alert me when any sort of mail carrier or delivery person arrived :-)  Personally, I think the duckling idea is less messy and far more adorable.

I will definitely be posting more as I know it.  I'm going to lay in bed and not sleep now, since it's going to be impossible for the next several days... BUT FOR THE BEST REASON EVER!!!

OMG - I'm IN!!!!

I was sitting here writing a blog.

I got a call from the 202 area code.

Of course, I picked up!!!

It ended up being my final interview!!!!!!

And.....

I'M IN!!!

Original nomination stuck!!!!  Potential departure date: March 2011.  Latin America/The Caribbean.

I'm really excited and completely terrified at the same time, if that makes sense.

It's either Belize or Mexico.  Obviously I have my silent preference, but I'M BEING INVTED!!!!!

Please blue packet, come in the mail ASAP!!!

Just a quick note

Looks like a lot of people got their invites today/yesterday, so....


CONGRATULATIONS ALL!!!



Just wanted to send out some love before I hit the hay.