Africa Bound!

Yay yay YAY! I got my formal invitation in the mail and have gone online and accepted it. Looks like I will begin my journey on June 6, 2011. This is so exciting, I cannot wait! I started this whole process February 2010 and now it is finally coming true. I have so much to do these next couple of days which incudes.....an aspiration letter and updated resume to send to my country (OH I FORGOT TO MENTION THAT I AM GOING TO BURKINA FASO.), I have to apply for a visa and another passport (I already have one, but apparantly I have to get another one as well). I think that's all I have left, I already sent some things back to the Peace Corps. This is so exciting. Probably the coolest thing I will ever do in my life lol.

FINALLY!!!!!!!!!

So, it's OFFICIAL....I will be Africa bound in June for sure!!!! I am getting my FORMAL invitation sometime in the next 5 days! I can't wait! I thought this day would never come, and I'm gonna remember it forever!!!!!

Long Day

Today was a relatively long day. I got up around 11 and went to go work out. I spend a little over an hour at the gym, contemplated tanning but then I read and article in a magazine that detered me. When I got back from the gym and saw that Andrew was still asleep I went to go get my nails done with Jackie. I have like THE best hot pink nail polish on right now. I am at Starbucks right now working on some stuff for the Peace Corps. I found some things to volunteer at and I've sent out some applications. Hopefully they all get back to me soon. Ugh I'm just really tired. I am about to go over to Justin's and hang with the boys for a while. I need a break :(

Pushed Back....

I got a phone call shortly after getting home from the gym yesterday. I didn't answer it because it was area code (202) and I'm always hesitant to answer phone calls from numbers that i don't know. So after it stops ringing I check and see where the phone call came from. What do I see when I check? D.C., U.S.A......UH OH! The Peace Corps called me and I didn't pick up! My first thought was "oh please God let these people leave me a voicemail." I stare at my phone with such intensity that I fear I might burn a hole in it. Finally I hear that so very anticipated voicemail ring. I hurriedly rushed through the message and quickly utilized the call back number the Stephanie (the Peace Corps placement lady) left for me. I call her back expecting to hear some good news and we proceed to go through a sort of update interview. She asks me some questions similar to the ones of my first interview with Chanti (my Peace Corps recruiter) back in May. Then she drops a bombshell on me....she tells me that i am most likely going to be placed in a program that will be departing IN THE FALL!!! Talk about a slap in the face, here I am thinking that I am finally going to be hearing some good news about leaving soon and this is what I hear instead. At this point, my heart just drops. The thought of having to wait another 6 months or so quite literally makes my soul die just a little. The only good thing that comes from this is that she says that now there is chance that I may be placed in a program for youth development, which is the program that I had originally wanted to be involved in. Stephanie tells me that to make my application more competitive so that maybe it can be further processed more quickly. In an effort to make my application just that much better I have decided that much more volunteering is in order. At this point I have informed Andrew of said conversation with Stephanie. WE decided that on these of days WE are going to check out a variety of places that WE can volunteer at. And yes, I did say "WE." My dear, sweet, wonderful boyfriend has agreed to help me volunteer. I think that this is such a great idea. The two of us volunteering together, I think, is such a positive way for us to spend time together while giving back to the community and helping me get some sort of placement in the Peace Corps sooner. It's nice to have someone who is so supportive. Well, it's off to get ready for one more night of work before we being our volunteering adventures. :)

Valentine's Day

Yet again at Starbucks, in desparate need of getting internet at the house lol. Today is Valentine's Day. Ugh, how I despise this day. My whole issue is that it shouldn't be only one day that people celebrate their loved one, it should be everyday. So Andrew and I did the gift exchange this morning at 0630 when we get home from work. He did good. I got a beautiful card and a bottle of Burberry perfume :) He got a card and a Build-A-Bear from me. It was all quite lovely. It was moments like that that make me happy that I am still here and havent been shipped out yet. Things happen for a reason, so I suppose that I was meant to stay and enjoy Valentine's Day with my amazing boyfriend. So I will take what I can get and kiss him extra long, and hold him extra tight to savor the moments that I so dearly am going to miss when I am gone. Happy Valentine's Day, I'm going to spend it with an amazing man that makes me feel special every day <3

One Day....

So, I'm sitting in Starbucks today just wasting time on facebook when the song "Change the World" by Eric Clapton came on. I thought, "Wow, I really hate this song" but then there was a part of the song that really hit home for me. the part where he goes "wishing for the day that I can change the world , I would be the sunshine in your universe. You would think my love was really something good, baby if I could change the world." Hearing that song really made me think about the way that I was to live my life. Right now I feel like I am stuck, like I am just wasting time when I could be changing the world. Sure I love being here with my boyfriend, family, and friends, but all that stuff will still be here when I get back. I feel like my life isn't going to begin until I leave to the Peace Corps. When I depart for the Peace Corps I feel as though that is when i am going to be able to live the life that I was meant to live. It will hopefully be fun of so many new adventures, places traveled and life lessons learned. I want to make a difference in people's lives (who knows, maybe even win the Noble Peace Prize ;p) I can't wait for the day when I get the chance because baby, if I could I would change the world....one day :)