A New Adventure

Hello, and welcome to my new blog! I am starting this blog to keep family, friends, and anyone else who is interested informed of my Peace Corps volunteer experience.

So, I will begin with a little bit of background...

I began my application for the Peace Corps when I was about to graduate from UC Davis in December 2009. I honestly cannot remember where I originally came up with the idea of applying, but I had been contemplating it for about a year at this point. With my college graduation rapidly approaching, I was feeling a little lost and confused about my future. I am not one of those people that have always known what they want to be when they grow up. I am interested in so many things that I can't seem to pick just one field to focus on for the rest of my life.

As a soon-to-be college graduate contemplating the future, I started to evaluate my life. I focused on what factors brought me to where I am today and where I want to go from here. My beliefs are derived from my love of volunteering, which my parents instilled in me from a young age. I am grateful for the diverse philanthropic opportunities my parents have provided me with throughout my life. To me, volunteering is an activity and interest I pursue for enjoyment. I enjoy socializing with new people, helping others and the rewarding feeling of making a difference.

So, I began the Peace Corps application process (a long online application followed by a 2 hour interview, and a series of multiple medical/dental/legal forms) and awaited my invitation and destination. I decided that I wanted to go into this experience as open-minded as possible. I did not put down any preferences- I told them to send me wherever they needed me and where they believed I would be the most successful. While waiting for updates on my application status, I embraced the idea of going to any location and doing any type of project.

And 8 months later I finally got a phone call from the headquarters in Washington, DC. The gentleman on the phone told me he wanted to place me in a program in a francophone location of Sub-Saharan Africa with no electricity or running water. He said I would be working as a health volunteer in one or many villages and I would be speaking French and learning other native languages. And finally, he said I would need to bike through rugged terrain between villages. I said that sounds great, I'm in!

Then, I finally received my official invitation packet in the mail. Here is my assignment:
Country: Burkina Faso (located in West Africa)
Job Title: Community Health Development Worker
Orientation in the US: October 12, 2010
Pre-Service Training (in Ouahigouya): October 13-December 17, 2010
Dates of Service: December 18, 2010-December 18, 2012

I have an orientation somewhere in the US where I will meet the other volunteers departing at the same time as me. Then, I fly to Burkina and begin my Pre-Service Training. During this time, I live with a host family and attend various classes all day, everyday. These classes will provide resources like language training, cross-cultural training, health training, and safety training. Once I complete the courses and pass exams, I will have an interview where they will decide which location to send me to. Then, I begin my service as a volunteer!

Right now, I am busy packing and preparing for my departure. Life in Burkina is going to be an extreme change for me and there is only so much I can do to prepare! But, I'm really excited for this adventure to begin! I am hoping that this experience will help me decide what path I want to take with my life. It will enable me to utilize my experiences to discover a way to incorporate volunteer work into my future career.