73 days and dwindling...

I can't believe we're already half way through June and I can count the number of sunny days of summer on one hand! I guess I'll have plenty of sunny, hot, humid, sweaty days to come in Nicaragua...speaking of which, I leave in 73 days. I was just thinking about how I contemplated Peace Corps service 2 years ago and the days until I depart are closing in quickly. I started this process back in the summer of 2008 and began my application in the fall as I began my senior year at Western Oregon. I was getting my Bachelor's in Elementary Education and I knew that I wanted to teach, but I also wanted to travel. However, I knew that if I went off and traveled, or went into the Peace Corps for a couple years, I would not want to go back to school to get my Masters. This was inevitable though, because I would need to get my Masters to retain my teaching license. There were so many thoughts flying through my head...should I go straight to graduate school, get my Masters, and then get a teaching job? Should I look for a job and try to go to graduate school while I'm teaching? Should I try subbing for a year or two while I look for a full-time teaching job? Should I travel--oh wait, I don't have any money for that! Ha! *Enter Peace Corps*


I read stories about Peace Corps service and looked into the programs that they had, what I could possibly do in another country, where I might be able to live... Then I saw that Peace Corps has a Masters International program, where anyone can do graduate study while serving in the Peace Corps. Hmmmm....well, then the next thought was, which Masters program do I want to do? I looked into Education, but I desired to do something a little more than what my Bachelor's degree provided. I was already interested in ESOL (English to Speakers of Other Languages) and was hopeful to work with English learners in the future, so this seemed like a good fit.


Now, what school shall I choose??? It's all about location, right? Well, I saw schools with TESOL programs in New York, DC, California, Colorado, so many places except Oregon. Even though I love Oregon, I decided that it was time to stretch my wings and try something new. I considered a school in Colorado when my friends were thinking about moving there, but that didn't happen. Then I was looking at DC and California...hello, have you seen the price tags on housing there? Yeah, right! So I figured that if I was going to have to pay for graduate school tuition (taking out loans that will be with my for the next, let's say 20 years or so) I could not afford to pay for housing in downtown DC or upscale neighborhoods of southern California, nor did I want to for that matter. The search continued for awhile, and THEN, I saw a new program open in Spokane, WA at Gonzaga University. I remember hearing of this university before with all the basketball hype, but didn't know much. Then, I realized that I had actually been to Spokane for a Christmas conference with Campus Crusade 3 years prior. Small world, I tell ya.


I requested information from Gonzaga and got the ball rollin' with the application process. I had a phone interview with my Peace Corps recruiter and emailed back and forth with the program director at Gonzaga, and by February, 2009, I was nominated for Peace Corps service and accepted in the Masters in TESL (Teaching English as a Second Language) program at Gonzaga. The only thing left to do was graduate from Western.


In the summer between schools, I really started looking into places that I could possibly go with the Masters in TESOL program. The options are vast, but I was desiring a Spanish-speaking country because of the population of students I have worked with in the past, and the ones I want to work with in the future, but also because the passion I have for the language. I started praying about countries that I might be sent to and for the people whom I would serve. As I browsed the list of countries where Peace Corps volunteers serve, my heart was pulled to Nicaragua. I wasn't sure why then, but I felt a nudge to pray for this country and the possibility to serve there. I printed out a map of Nicaragua, and made a prayer list: Pray for the country's needs, employment, education (English), families, leaders, current Peace Corps volunteers serving there, and then also to pray that if I would be selected to go there, that God would prepare that place for me and give me the skills I would need to serve the people there. This seemed strange to some, but my faith became stronger.


My parents drove with me up to Spokane in the end of August 2009 and I really enjoyed the heat that summer (hint hint). I started classes in a new place with entirely new people and everything was exciting and intimidating all at once. I quickly made friends and endured coursework that turned out to be enjoyable and very interesting. I knew within the first week that this was the place I was meant to be for graduate school. In this crazy thing called life, God really does have a plan for us.


Well, I made it through my first semester, then Christmas break, and on into the next year. My plan for departure was September 1, 2010, meaning that this was availability date to enter the Peace Corps (anytime after this). As I was in the middle of spring semester and sitting in the airport waiting to fly out to Denver to visit my best friend Laura, I received an email...it was from my placement coordinator, whom I had never met, stating that she saw that my availability date was September 1st and my preference was to be in a Spanish-speaking country. She had a project that she thought I would fit, but it would be leaving in August. If I was available then, I needed to let her know, otherwise, the only programs of this sort wouldn't be leaving until 2011. Sitting in the airport, I began shaking with joy, my eyes teared up, and began typing as quickly as I could to tell her that I would definitely be available in August. I was so nervous and excited to get her reply.


I did not receive a reply from her, but I did receive an email from the Peace Corps website telling me that my online toolkit (my files) had been updated. As soon as I got to a computer I found out that my invitation kit was in the mail. Sadly, this was being sent to my "current address" in Spokane, while I was going to be in Denver for 5 days, then Oregon for 5 days, before returning to Spokane. Really? This timing could not have been worse... I was going CRAZY! Ask my friend Laura :) I emailed my placement coordinator only to hear that she is not able to "divulge" the information to me and I would have to wait for my packet in the mail. Well, there's two things you have to know about me, sometimes I'm not the most patient person in the world, and I also eagerly await packages in the mail when I know they're coming, so this was so difficult for me. Oh, also, I love to know things and plan things out, so realizing that the package containing the information about my two years of life in another country was floating off to Washington leaving me far behind, was devastating. Ok, not that horrible.


Things do work out for those who wait, right? Well, my dad ended up having to go to Spokane for work and was able to stop by my place and pick up my mail, which came the day before he got there. He arrived in Oregon a day after I did and I attacked him at his car when he pulled into the driveway. I ran to a room to be alone and opened the package. "Your Assignment....Country: Nicaragua...Job Title: TEFL Teacher & Trainer...Orientation Dates: August 31, 2010...Pre-Service Training in Nicaragua: September 1-29, 2010...Service Dates: September 30, 2010-October, 2012" Ahhh! I was so excited, but felt so at peace because I had been praying for this country for over a year I knew that God had put Nicaragua on my heart for a reason. After all of the emotions and finally telling my parents, calling my brother, and some friends, I read through all the paperwork as quickly as possible and emailed Peace Corps to accept the invitation to serve.


My excitement grew as I returned to Spokane and got to share the news with my classmates and professors. I was relieved because I wouldn't have to sigh or blush when asked "So, where will you be going in the Peace Corps?" because I actually knew the answer. Phew! I continued on with classes and the Friday before yesterday, I gave a presentation on PCMI Nicaragua for our First Friday Forum here at Gonzaga. It got me excited all over again to prepare for my service.

 Presentation day

That brings us to now. I am sitting at my desk, glancing up at the map of Nicaragua tacked to my wall with the date 8/5/2009 on it. I can't believe that I will be leaving so soon, but I am really looking forward to what is in store for me. I am looking forward to sharing my experience with everyone and hopefully some inspiration too :)

Idaho trip!

Well I was texting my dad last night asking him a cooking question and he wrote "Oh, I forgot to tell you I'm in Idaho for work". Um, what?! Apparently he was in Seattle, then drove with his rep through Washington to Moscow, ID stopping at garden centers here and there. He was having a meeting this morning and then going to head back to Seattle before flying home to Oregon. So, I looked up directions to Moscow and found out that I could drive there in about an hour and forty-five minutes or so and I haven't seen my dad in a month so I thought this would be a fun trip. There's a small catch though--his meeting was scheduled for 9:30-10am, then he would be leaving around noon for Seattle. Ok, well then this meant that I would need to leave around 8am and I'm not a morning a person :( I decided to go for it anyway because I do love my dad :) So, this morning I got up around 7am, ugh!, then ate breakfast, got gas, and headed out for Moscow.





I got to Moscow in record time and actually beat my dad to the meeting. He asked if I was speeding and I said, "I just drove like my dad does" haha Anyway, I meandered around the store checking out all the hot new gardening tools...um, yeah. Fortunately, the meeting was very fast so I talked to my dad while he organized some shelves of his products in the store. We then met up with his rep and went out to lunch at an Italian restaurant. Well, at first we thought we were out of luck because the doors were locked. Apparently nobody eats lunch at 10:45am... They let us in anyway and the waiter came quickly to take drink orders as he was still putting on his name-tag.

It was so nice spending time with my dad and sharing a meal. I know my mom was a little (hmmm, maybe more than a little) jealous of me spending time with my dad without her, but I did just spend a whole weekend with her a few weeks ago, so I think that made up for it. Anyway, we had lunch and then sat around for a little while chatting before they had to get back on the road. This trip was pretty crazy, getting up way early (yes 7am is way early for me), driving an hour and a half to Moscow, then spending about an hour and a half with my dad, then driving an hour and a half back to Spokane. Even though the drive time was long and then shared time was short, it was well worth it. What I realized from this is that we never know how much time we have to see people or how much time we have here, so embrace life and take chances. Spend quality time with those you love any chance you get.

Weekend. What weekend?

Sooo, the holiday weekend went by too fast and now it's already the next weekend. I don't know how these days go by so quickly. It's just crazy! Well, to update you, my Memorial Day weekend was fairly boring until Monday when I had "brunch" with some friends. I went over to my friend Erin's house and she was making quiche and an apple tart, and then fruit, crackers with goat cheese and honey for hors d'oeuvres. Her husband Drew was there gardening and taking care of things around the house--what a great husband :) Then Piah came to join us and we dug into the delicious meal. Wow! That girl can cook ;)






Oh, and did I mention mimosas...





Yes, we let Drew join us for "girls' brunch" :)



After we were stuffed full, we decided that we would hang out in the basement/den/movie room and watch Sex and the City. Drew made us popcorn on the stove, again what a great husband Erin has :) We ended up watching Sex and the City for a couple hours and just hanging out. This was so fun and much needed! Erin & Drew's friends came over to hang out for awhile and invited us to dinner at their place, so of course we accepted. After hours of lounging, we crawled out of the dark den and returned to the daylight. Erica made us breakfast quiche and blueberry pancakes. So, we had breakfast for breakfast, breakfast for lunch (or brunch), and breakfast for dinner. I felt like the whole day was morning because we were crawling around and so lazy haha I did work out before brunch though, so I felt like I accomplished something for the day :)