Getting Started

Entry by: Jennifer

We are a married, 28 yr old couple and we currently live in Savannah, GA for the last 2 1/2 years. We are both from South Alabama. We have both applied to the Peace Corps for service as volunteers overseas. We will not dedicate this blog to explaining to you what the Peace Corps is.
You can find that at:

www.peacecorps.gov

This is simply a chronicling of our experience of applying to this organization, being processed through and hopefully being accepted. We then hope to chronicle our 27 mos of service abroad using this blogs.

First, neither of us own passports or have ever left North America. Actually, in our lives of memory, we have never traveled west of Louisiana. We just started taking Spanish I at a local University and speak no other languages. I have a Bachelor of science degree in psychology and a Master of Science Degree in Psychology and am a counselor. Joshua has a bachelor of science degree in English and just graduated two weeks ago with a Master of Fine Arts degree in Film and Television. We have no money to speak of. We share one car. None of our parents completed a four year degree. We are not "special" and have no connections. We do not hate America or any of that other nonsense, as some seem to believe that we are flaming liberals looking to jump ship on you. We just want to help on a basic level and see the world beyond our limited experiences. 

Also, our post title is a little misleading. We are actually a little over 2 months into the process. We completed applications online in early July 2011. We then completed FBI background checks via US Mail at the end of July 2011. We had a joint interview on September 2, 2011 in Atlanta, Ga (our closest regional office). We just found out September 16, 2011 that we have been nominated for service in Central Asia. Don't know what countries this includes? Neither did we.
See here :
http://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=learn.wherepc&cid=map

We did not know that you do not know exactly what country you go to upon nomination, so we still do not know everything. There is more process first. Now, we are waiting to receive packets in the mail. These packets will have our medical forms. We must both complete a full physical, dental exam and eye exam, have our physicians sign forms and return to Peace Corps. We then have a waiting game as they process. We are told this will take approximately 4 mos after they receive them. We are told to expect departure September 2012. After they review our medical forms, we will be sent a formal invitation to our specific country of service with job assignments. Jennifer is tentatively set to serve in youth development and Joshua as an English teacher.

We are very nervous and excited. We will continue regular updates on the process and our status. :)