It has been a little while since I last posted here. My life has changed somewhat dramatically, but there is not much new to report in my application process. I had my dental checkup and need to go back to pick up X-rays and not sure what else to finish that exam. At the same time I'll be picking up my first pair of glasses since second grade. My eyesight isn't what it used to be so the glasses will be a necessary evil. Not looking forward to wearing them, that's for sure.

The big news is I am no longer working in the newspaper business and am now living and working in Wilsonville. Money is being spent outfitting the apt. I'm sharing with a high school buddy named Rodney, but it has also turned out to be rather comfortable. One of the comments was it didn't look like the regular bachelor pad. That's what we're going for here, a nice, comfortable looking place. And no cable television, we both decided to try and do without it and a little more than a week into it we haven't missed it too much. We have set up cable internet and netflix, however.

So nothing too spectacular around here, but things are moving. And feel free to drop by the place, for directions, shoot me an email.

On a day when the nation is thinking about the events from Sept. 11, 2001 and the recent disaster from the hurricane Katrina, the most frequent question/joke I get when I tell people I am joining the Peace Corps is that I will likely be sent there to help with the clean up. While it is definitely something I would like to do, my anticipated leave date is not until February and I doubt the place where I'm starting work soon would really like me to take off on short notice.
As for where I am on my preparations, last week was a busy one with a couple trips to the doctors office, busy working on stories and telling people my last full day of work is Monday, although it is looking like I may have to get some stuff done during the day Tuesday as well. The doctor's office kept me busy and turned my left arm into Swiss cheese. Last Tuesday I had a "TB Test" and the description wasn't too pretty, getting something or another injected just under my skin leaving a little bubble. Not an extremely pleasant experience and if I react, the whole arm turning inflamed and hurting, it would be six months worth of treatment. Fortunately that didn't happen and all I have is a fading sharpie circle on my forearm where I was stuck.
On deck for this week is my eye and dental exam. After years of denying I need eyeglasses I have finally woken up to the fact that I can't see as well as I used to and should probably get glasses for my own and everybody else's safety. So that will be the expensive and probably safety oriented news for the week. Still waiting on the confirmation for a place I put in an application to live, I'm crossing my fingers I'll hear back on that Monday, otherwise it'll be a scramble to find some other place to live and a rather large surprise to me.
Just for the sake of a quick reference and a frequently asked question forum, here is a selection of the top ones I answer. If you have other, shoot me an email or leave a comment question.
Top Questions asked me:
When do I leave: The earliest departure date given to me is sometime in February, potentially later depending on circumstances and my medical information.

Where will I be going: Eastern Europe, some of the counties mentioned to me included Romania, Armenia, Bulgaria and Moldavia. There are also other counties listed on the Peace Corps website so I may go to one of those as well. At the same time, maybe they will change their mind and send me somewhere completely else. I won't know for sure until I receive an invitation.

Will they send me to New Orleans: No

Why: Peace Corps has been something I have debated doing for a long time. It was just this year that I finally decided to actually turn in an application. The only explanation I have is that God didn't think I was ready yet and wanted me to wait until now. He knows best so who am I to argue. I have worked as a journalist for over a year now and love being involved in the affairs and helping to tell peoples' stories. Yet at the same time I have felt at times that my hands have been tied to do more. Hopefully this will allow me to truly see and affect some changes in at least one person's life besides my own. There are also selfish reasons too, I'll admit. Coming back from Peace Corps will give me some valuable skills that will hopefully allow me to pursue a career I can love.

Hope that helps sort out at least some of the reasons. Thanks for dropping by and just keep me in all of your prayers, I am going to need it. And thank you before hand for all of them.

On a last personal note. Rest in peace Ed, he proofed the paper at the News Guard and passed away late last week. He will be missed and I will always think twice before typing a "that." He was real picky about eliminating the word when it was unnecessary and tightened up my writing with that simple act.

Well,
Welcome to my blog, this is the first post in what I hope will help keep people updated on my happenings and also be a resource for those looking at joining the Peace Corps. I'll warn you now I am going to make an effort to do a little editing as possible on posts so you can have a direct view into what I'm thinking at the moment, including spelling. So don't complain if I spell a word incorrectly. Thanks
Let me start at the beginning. The Peace Corps has always been an organization that has sat in the back of my head and come poking out occasionally that I should join. It finally came to a head this past Spring. I had been working at the newspaper for a while at this point and knew I had to expand my horizons a bit. I enjoyed working with the people but knew I needed to take the next step, even though it would be risky. After talking it over with Tazeem, I began the process of filling out the application. It only took a few days and a few hours at a time to complete the first part. The second, which included the essays talking about myself ended up on hold. I had got to a point to begin my application, but had not settled on appropriate topics for my essays. That decision ended up taking several months and a trip to New York to figure out my second essay.
With a hint of nervousness I called up the regional recruiting center and asked a couple questions and sent it in that same day. Much to my suprise, I was contacted almost the next day after being told I wouldn't be contacted for at least a week or two wanting to set up an interview. From that point the waiting process began and in July I had my first interview and thought it went rather well. After that it was more agonizing waiting until what seemed like almost forever I got a call from my recruiter saying I was nominated for a position most likely in Eastern Europe working in youth development in either a school or youth center. For all of that, I would potentially be leaving as early as Februrary. All of that is exciting, but I am still working at the paper, which requires a lot of my time and I would like to be able to focus a little bit more on the impending change.
So that is the big news of change today. I have been offered a job at an internet reseller in the Portland area that I accepted. While it will still be a full-time position, it will hopefully not consume as much of my life as my current job. Well, that is the current state of affairs of where I am at the moment. Check back to see what new events have unfolded.
Thank you for taking the time to visit this new blog. I am hoping it will be a grand adventure that you will be able to share.