Well i got my invitation packet last Thursday and am so excited. It will be Rwanda. I am planning on accepting tomorrow morning. Its so complicated with everything going on right now with moving and packing and I also have to take my EMT test before I leave this state so that will be on Thursday afternoon. Nick is only working until 11:00am this week since he has already completed everything he needed to complete for his ELT training. And since we just found out that he does not have to be in Washington until March 5th we decided to stay with our parents for the month. His part of the time and mine the other part of the time.

33 days until I leave for Rwanda!!

To Do:

Accept invitation

Fedex Passport

study and take EMT test

finish packing

fill out all rwanda paperwork

wait till the 22nd...

Invitataion Feb 22nd for AFRICA

Today I got a phone call and have an invitation. I will be going to Sub-Saharan Africa on February 22, 2009. My Invitation packet will be here on Friday to let me know the exact country but I was told I will be doing AIDS awareness in a newly reopened country which i have narrowed down to 4 possible choices. Sierra Leone reopening in 2010,Liberia reopened in 2008, Rwanda reopened in 2008, and Ethiopia reopened in 2007. I'm thinking Rwanda!! After reading through the peace corps facebook group it seems people on Feb. 22nd are all going to Rwanda so now I think thats the place I'm headed!! French and English are the official languages making it that much more likely!! The land of a thousand hills they call it and from the research and pictures I see online it looks beautiful. The first volunteers since 1994 were sworn in on April 15, 2009. They are still there now and the next batch of volunteers will be my group on February 22nd. There are currently 29 volunteers and that amount will likely double in Feb. That is if I am correct about my speculations in my invitation being to Rwanda. only time (and the mail) will tell!!

Nick was happier than I expected about all this. We are still doing our road trip just leaving earlier and cutting it a bit short so I can get home just in time to pack say goodbye to friends and family and head off to wherever it is they are taking me! Ironic how nick reports to duty on Feb 22. the exact date I'm leaving for PC. Crazy how the world can work out in you favor!!

Congratulations! You have been invited to become a Peace Corps Volunteer.

much to do, little time left in Charleston

Well there are 12 days left until we leave. nothing is packed up yet. I still have to take and pass my multiple choice emt exam, which i have to take at a testing center. I am working until jan 20th to save money for the cross country trip. and we have very minimal plans for where we want to visit.

For now to brainstorm:

Tampa, FL- Nick's grandma

New Orleans- My uncle Tom

Texas- Nick's Uncles' Ranch

Las Vegas, Nevada

Grand Canyon in Arizona

As well as spending a week and a half between our parents houses in virgina and maryland.

I am excited for this awesome time we will get to have together. But sad knowing this adventure together is going to have to be put on hold for a bit. Knowing that Feb 22nd may be the last time we see each other for 2 1/2 years is so sad and scary. If only I could find out when and where I am headed for the peace corps, then i can at least get busy with learning the language and talking to others who have been or are going to that country. Its so frustrating waiting around. But i've heard thats life with the peace corps!

Bangor, Washington...

Ok so officially, I want to begin this blog and keep up with it every week. The first couple of entries we just testers really.

I begin by knowing that Nick, my finance, has been assigned to the USS Henry M. Jackson in Bangor, Washington. This is good and bad. He gets 30 days leave before then to move and get situated. This brings us to February, 22 together. So hopefully i'll be leaving for the peace corps in March sometime. This is a ballistic submarine in which 2 crews switch off 3 months on and 3 months off. He will be spending 4-5 years hear, in which i will be joining after my 2 years stay in the peace corps. This is both very exciting and very scary at the same time.

Well it is already September!
This weekend I had an engagement party at Nick's house and it went great. Nick's mom bought me a beautiful dress to wear to it. and all my friends showed up who could make it. I even got a little candlelight from my Zeta friends. All in all a great time!
I also got word that I have been medically cleared for the peace corps!! YEAH!!! this is what I have been waiting for since March!
Nick found out that he will be an ELT and staying in Charleston until January, before he is sent out on a submarine. Originally he was to be leaving in October and I would not be able to go with him since we are not yet married.
I am still working at ihop, its almost been a month now. And I really do enjoy it, the people who work there are very interesting, but I love seeing a different side to the world through their eyes.
Nick and my one year anniversary is coming up on September 18th. I'm very excited to see what Nick has in store for the day!
So until I write again, tata!!!

Well its now august 15th. My parents are arriving today to see charleston and my sister is staying the rest of the week with me. The plan is to see magnolia plantation, fort sumter, have a carriage ride and a harbor cruise. Nick will be working until 5:00pm this week. Which is nice because for the past 8 days he has been on the night shift 7am-7pm.

I have been laid off from my camp job at the salvation army. They do not have the funds to keep me on as an after school teacher during the school year. So I have gotten a job as a server at Ihop. Which I love, its new and different and it keeps me very busy.

I have been contacted by the medical screening nurse of the peace corps to ask for more information, but I think I'm close to being medically cleared.

So thats that for right now.

And So It Is...

Well, Entry #2
Let's see...where to begin...
I went to California for 8 days to visit family and see a little bit of San Fransisco. It was definitely one of the better trips I've taken to California. San Fransisico is just so beautiful. We pretty much did everything there was to do in 2 days, from the golden gate bridge to china town. We even went to a sceen in The Princess Diaries and saw the arm wrestling machine.
Also because I've been so bored with the 4 hour babysitting job I finally I found a full time job at a Salvation Army summer camp for the next 4 weeks. Then that turns into a part-time, after school teaching job. so I'll be back on my search of a fun full-time job.
I found a volunteer job at a local health clinic for people with no insurance. I start officially on Thursday as a greeter/screener, and will hopefully gain some nursing experience to to see if that is possibly what I want to do with my life.
I have been missing my friends so much lately, its very hard to make friends when all I do is work one-on-one with Joe, the autistic boy I babysit for. So I am desperetly trying to get some of them down here for an engagement party, since I have not gotten a chance to really celebrate with anyone yet.
Things are great with Nick. We've been able to do so much together even though he works 12 hour days. I know I will love spending the rest of my life with him, even if everyone else thinks we are too young to know this.