Before coming to the DR

Less than a week before departure


I am set to depart for the Dominican Republic in less than a week. If you had asked me four months ago when I was set to leave I would have given an indefinite answer: “well… I was set to depart in January 2010, and now it may be as late as May 2010”.


But in the end I am leaving on August 18th, 2009 for staging (orientation) in DC and leaving August 20th with my training group for the DR. Life, as we all know is unexpected, and my Peace Corps experience has begun as a shining example for this truth.


I submitted my application on Christmas Eve, 2008, the idea set in my mind that I would be leaving around August. With this in mind, I decided it best to move from Brooklyn back to the Bay Area to be closer to family. As I packed up shop in NY, I had my first interview with my recruiter in the NY regional office. I learned that the influx of applicants (most likely due to the economy) put my projected departure date at January, 2010- a little longer than anticipated. I had also applied for many other fellowships and jobs to keep my options open, and as family and friends know that I was juggling many different options and ideas up until the beginning of July!


So I went on a month long trip to Central America before moving back to California in mid-March. At this point my recruiter was in contact with me, trying to get me into a NGO Development Program. When I got back I learned that I didn’t have enough consecutive full time experience working with NGO’s to qualify, so my application was withdrawn. I was to contact my recruiter at the end of April and ask her to resubmit my application for a training group leaving May/June 2010. Needless to say I was pretty down about it, and wasn’t sure if Peace Corps was going to happen after all. But a few weeks later she called me and asked if I were interested in recent openings for Central/South America as a Community Developer, set to leave in August. Of course I was interested!


Upon receipt of the nomination I was sent a medical package and began the intense medical process. I finally got through the medical office just in time to get into the Community Economic Development Project as a Community Economic Adviser, serving somewhere in Central America or the Caribbean. I spoke to the placement officer and waited for the package in the mail to tell me exactly where I was going. Finally it arrived. I remember sitting on the couch and opening the package, inviting me to serve in the DR. I was so excited and relieved to finally have received an invitation package, it made it real, it made persistence and all the unknown worthwhile.


That was five weeks ago, and now I find myself leaving in less than a week. I am excited, nervous, anxious, nostalgic- all of the emotions that one would feel before becoming acquainted with an unknown and exciting future.


And I began this countdown to departure five and a half weeks ago. This time has been amazing, with various send-offs, hanging out with family and friends, partying in SF/LA, various dinners, park and pool time. Nothing but good times, to pave the way for an amazing two-plus years of more good, and many hard times. I hope to emerge a stronger, more appreciative and confident person, equipped with a wealth of life experience (professional and personal), creating strong and lasting friendships and really making an impact with the people of the community I work and overall, positive change.