Peace Corps Adventures in Vanuatu

I finally finished all my medical paperwork/ tests/ X-rays/ vaccines/ etc. It's in the mail back to D.C. and needs to be reviewed by their medical office. After (hopefully) a quick approval, my Placement Officer (whom I have not met) should take a final look at my application and skills and match me up with a country. Then they should send me an invitation kit with all the details. I am so excited and ready to find out where/when I'm going and what my mission will be! It's been a quick turnaround so far, so let's see if that continues.

I've been reading a lot about the medical clearance and what a pain it can be (literally). I started all of that today and, surprisingly, got quite a bit accomplished. The family doctor and dentist were checked off the list today. Missing some lab results and X-rays, and then my vision will be checked Thursday. I hope to mail it all back Friday. I think I deserve a gold star for speed of completion and also for not crying due to numerous needles today. :) I can't stand needles.
After this, the waiting game continues. Fun times...

After yesterday's exciting nomination news, I woke up today with an online application update that said I was already done with my legal clearance. Plus the fact that my medical kit was mailed to me as well. Talk about a fast turnaround!!Now it's time to make my medical appointments and get poked and prodded. :-/Then to top it off, I was reading about the fact that one can actually receive an invitation to serve up to seven months in advance. That was news to me. I had read originally that you only get notified 6 weeks-2 months before. It would honestly make it so much easier to get the invitation kit earlier, so all the arrangements can be made with some sort of peace of mind that it won't change (natural disasters and wars excluded).Interesting morning- now off to take the Spanish CLEP exam.
*** I passed the exam with 72 out of 80 points!! :-)

Yesterday and today can only be described as an emotional roller coaster. As a quick summary, I received my nomination for a Computer Science position with a health ministry starting October in Africa! I'm very excited, but a nomination can still change, so for now I am focusing on my Spanish test tomorrow, and then waiting for the medical kit to arrive so I can start making all the appointments. A placement officer can still contact me later (after medical and legal clearance) to suggest other positions in other locations with other staging dates. So don't schedule any good-bye parties just yet. :-)