LIMBO

Not the fun “see how low you can go” kind, but the awful stuck between a time and a place kind.

Yesterday I received an email from the health placement desk. The excitement fluttering in my chest at receiving a potential invitation from the peace corps quickly changed to profound disappointment as I read the true content of the email.

My departure date is being pushed back to January, February, or March of 2014. This is because the notification date for my nomination has passed and I have yet to pass pre-medical or legal clearance. I have to respond within two weeks letting them know whether I want to continue or have them withdraw my application.

I have no clue why pre-medical clearance is taking so long for me! I submitted everything the day after I received the email requesting it. Every time I have contacted the Peace Corps asking about where my application was in the process I was always told that I was awaiting pre-medical clearance which they process based on departure date. 

 I had called the Peace Corps LA Regional Office two days ago and was informed that my application was in the legal clearance stage. I thought that perhaps I had passed pre-medical without an online update, but I guess not.

I am just caught up in a sweep of disappointment right now. An extra four-plus months isn’t the news I was looking for, but I know that the Peace Corps process takes time. Now its just wait, wait, wait. 

A Watched Pot Never Boils

Long time no blog.

Its been a while since my fantastical trip teaching in India last summer and this blog kind of dissipated as that trip ended. To catch you all up to speed I left India in August meeting up with some of my best friends in London for a week before returning to the US where I spent the fall of 2012 finishing up my last semester of college. 

For those of you who don't know, I applied for the Peace Corps in September and am awaiting (very impatiently) to find out where this next adventure will lead me. All the speculation and anxiety is driving me nuts!

Because I know there are other prospective Peace Corps hopefuls out there scraping for any information they can find here is my timeline from application till now:

September 30^{th 2012}- submitted application

October 24^th- email from recruiter that not all of my references are in

November 28^th- email asked to fill out health extension form about health experience

December 4^th- emailed about scheduling an interview

December 19^th- interview

December 28^th- email from recruiter that he is still working to place me in a program

January 4^{th 2013}- request for medical forms about kidney stones for medical pre-clearance

January 7^th- submitted medical pre-clearance forms

January 8^th- NOMINATED for Peace Corps: prospective departure date of August 2013, sector health

January 26^th- received legal packet in the mail

January 27^th- sent out fingerprint clearance cards and background check information

March 6^th - emailed the health placement office checking in on my application

     They responded that my application was still in pre-medical clearance

March 15^th - emailed the medical office asking about my application

      They responded that I should hear something in April

Now its April. I know I can't be placed till I get past pre-medical clearance and legal clearance both of which have been at a standstill since February. My internet searches of when other prospective volunteers are leaving is not enough to curb my curiosity!