Finally...the phone interview

“The two most powerful warriors are patience and time.”  -Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy

I set up my phone interview with my placement officer for Monday, September 13 at 1pm EST.  This way it would be 10am here in San Diego.  I could sleep in yet be wide awake and all geared up to talk to her.  As it turned out my oldest sister had some unexpected surgery on her leg on Friday, July 30th.   Since she was home alone during the day and was needing to get back and forth to the doctor I offered to fly out to NY for a couple of weeks and chauffeur her around and help around the house.  So I left on September 3rd for NY.  I figured since the placement officer has my cell phone number it didn't really matter what part of the country I was in, right?

September 13, 2010
1pm my cell phone rings.  I am soooo excited.  Although it's just a phone call this is the person necessary to see my application to the end.  This could determine where and when.  This is the person that holds my immediate future in her hands.

We introduce ourselves and get past all the formalities.  She tells me this is going to help determine placement for me.  Then starts off with some preliminary questions.  The first one being "Since the application process takes so long what has kept me motivated these past 1 plus years to still wanting to become a Peace Corps volunteer?"  Glad she started out with an easy one.  Seriously...this is a dream so long in the making this was an easy question.  I told her that my knowing that I was destined to do something big...bigger than most people would dare...started almost 15 years ago.  That's when I knew I wanted to go to Africa, that's when I knew that the Peace Corps was going to be the right choice for me.  Since I'm a single mom of 2 boys I knew that timing was going to be everything.  Obviously I wasn't going to plan to leave before they were both out of high school and both moving on into the next phase of their lives so I could move on into the next phase of mine. I also knew that because I didn't have a college degree I was going to have to do some extra work to have as much life experience as possible to bring to the table.  This was a huge Thanksgiving kind of table we're talking about.  So 5 years ago I started volunteering.  Everything I could think of that would make me a great candidate when the time came. 

I first started volunteering with the American Red Cross.  I became a CPR/First Aid Instructor.  Then moved into doing Disaster Response.  I joined a team that if there was a fire in someones home tonight they call the ARC to make sure that this person/family has the three essentials;  shelter, food, clothing.  Then I moved on to more specific volunteer work.  I became a volunteer with the Alliance for African Assistance and The International Rescue Committee.  Both agencies working with refugees starting a new life in the US.  I was a mentor/tutor.  Helping them to find their way around the city, helping them with their English and being their friend in a strange new world.  I also volunteered with San Diego Hospice.  A tough job, but one that I thought was necessary to add to my skills.  When you live in a third world country volunteering with a group that among so many things works in the education of HIV and Aids.  And works with those affected with HIV and Aids, in epedemic proportions, I thought it would be beneficial to learn to work with people in the last stages of their lives.  Both young and old.  Heartbreaking but beneficial. 

I was hoping that when the time came for me to begin the application process and to pick the country of my choice that I had wanted to go to Africa.  Knowing that there is alot of French speaking countries (francophone)in Africa I decided that the last part of my preparation for this dream to come true was learning French.  OHHH LORD..the French.  I took 2 semesters at the community college.  I passed both semesters...but speak French...really???  I guess I have the basics.  I know about as much French as I knew Spanish when I was in high school.  Not great but not bad. 

In a nutshell, I have been dreaming of this for 15 years and actively working towards it for 5...waiting this past year has been tough because there are so many unanswered questions...will I be a good candidate for the Peace Corps, when will I leave, where will I go...what will I be doing.  But, and this is easy to say now, the past year has FLOWNNNN by.  My life hasn't stopped while I wait.  I've had a job, I've had kids that needed to be taken care of.  The youngest one seen through to high school graduation.  The oldest one...well that's a whole other blog.  My life has been moving and so has time.  Waiting through this application process has been the shortest period of time yet in my dream to be a Peace Corps Volunteer.  Staying motivated??!!...I get more motivated with every passing day.

If you're wondering if my answer to the PO (placement officer) was this long....Yes, yes it was.  Once I get started talking about the Peace Corps, why I'm doing it and what the Peace Corps is about I can't stop.  I wanted to stop but words just kept coming.  Oh well...she was excited about my enthusiasm!!

There were a couple of other more simple questions, then down to the important stuff.  "I read on your application that you initially wanted to work in a program that was health related.  HIV and Aids Outreach, etc.  Is that still the case?"  Yes first and foremost that is what I wanted to do, but it was my understanding that you need a degree to work in the health field...that's why I was recommended for a Business Advising program.  She said that this is usually the case.  That usually they would require a degree for any health related programs but with my language skills (I'm assuming she means my very lacking french skills) and the fact that they are in dire need of volunteers in the health field that it is possible she could get me in the a health program.  WOOOHOOOO...see this is how I stay motivated.  It's always good news.  She said she was going to talk to some other placement officers that were in health related programs and give me a call back by the end of the week.  More waiting..but that's OK.  This is what I've wanted to do all along and although I would have done whatever they needed me most to do this is the best news I could have gotten.  This is good, good news!!!

Ten minutes later my phone rang and it was my PO.  She found a program that she thinks will be a great fit for me.  It is in Francophone Africa.  It is a Community Development program with a health focus.  Community Development could be anything from building homes, a rec center to teaching kids how to play baseball.  The health focus will be HIV and Aids Outreach/education.  Going out into the field and getting the women into the clinics with their babies...OMG!!  This is it.  This is what I have been waiting so long for.  Now I just need the invitation.  Until you get your "invitation" anything can happen or change.  I am not officially a Peace Corps Volunteer until the invitation comes.  It should be 2-3 weeks.  I'm on the edge of my seat.  I know a watched pot never boils but I will be watching that mailbox.  15 years of dreaming...and it all comes down to waiting 2-3 weeks for the mail...