Deep breaths. This is how it went down:
Monday, April 4th, I was sick in bed with a cold. I decided to take a personal day and get back to good health considering I am approaching the busiest weeks of the semester. I laid in bed all day, and shut the world out so that I could get some peace and quiet. Around 10pm I was back at school and finally got the chance to check my email. Low and behold there was an email from my PO! She wanted to set up a final interview time, which ended up being 11:30am on Tuesday.
It was the moment of truth!!! Most PC applicants (from what I've read) have received news on expecting their invitation during their final interview...so of coarse I assumed that would be the case for me. I was so excited to finally have reached this point, and could not wait to get it over with and find out!
Tuesday 11:00am-I took medicine to relieve my coughing and sneezing, and was not aware that it would make me drowsy. Well, it did. 30 mins before my interview. Perfect!! Just what I needed!
11:30am-The phone rings and the interview begins! I have to say that it went well despite my loopy-ness. It lasted for about 30 minutes and she asked me a lot of questions regarding what I've been up to this past year, what I've done to prepare myself for service, my support system, skills I would offer etc..I was expecting to get the "Alright well I'm sending your invitation in the mail today....". Quite the contrary. Instead she told me the program that I was nominated for was already filled and that now they were going to move my application forward and look for another program that better suits my skill set. That was good news (but now what I am going to do! And now I have no idea where I could possibly be going!). Then she said I would be hearing back from the PC in "a couple of weeks". At that point I was just thinking, I've waited THIS long...what's another "couple of weeks".
Thursday, April 7 10:20am I checked my email...and found out my toolkit was updated! I was so confused because I had just received an update on Tuesday....so that only meant one thing. I was in complete disbelief. The first thing that popped up was "Congratulations! You've been accepted to serve as a Peace Corps Volunteer!". WHAT!!!!!!!!!!!!! I was told a couple of weeks....and it's been two days.
I was in the middle of campus jumping up and down like those Disney commercials where the kids are freaking out when they find out they're going. I was screaming and freaking out in front of all these random people....but I didn't care. I called my mom and started balling my eyes out. It was quite emotional but so liberating.
Now starts the anticipation of my invitation, and I can't wait to find out where I go! This is just the beginning, and I can't wait for what's to come :)
ah....mamries. I love the people on the cusp of being nominated. It was pretty much exactly two years ago for me that was happening. "Great Adventures in Sitting" i called it. Now you gotta prepare for the big question of the initial reaction. Which style will you employ? Will you rip the package from the mailman, read it on the spot and run screaming to tell everyone you know the good news? Will you go to a quiet park, read the letter of your placement, close your eyes and let out the deep breath of relief after holding it for so long?...these are the questions to ask yourself as you convalesce! Feel better and good lucky....believe me your gonna need it!
ReplyDeleteJosh PCV M20 Mongolia (sorry, forgot to sign it earlier)
Congratulations.
ReplyDeletePrepare for the possibility that your RAS (Restless Applicant Syndrome) and IAA (Invitation Anticipation Anxiety) will go away only to be replaced by CAS (Commitment Apprehension Syndrome) which will plague you until and perhaps even after you send your formal acceptance.
But it's all good, isn't it?
Celebrate every stage for they will soon be wonderful memories.
Best wishes!
Congrats! What was your original nomination region/departure date?
ReplyDeleteThanks everyone! I've been checking my mail everyday for the past three days...I'm crossing my fingers for Monday :)
ReplyDeleteMy original nomination was in Sub-Saharan Africa in June. So we'll see!