What I should pack according to my brother.

Over Christmas dinner my older brother was asking me what all I was taking with me to Ethiopia. According to him it shouldn't be that difficult.

"All you need is some tank tops and g strings."

"Oh and feminine hygein products"

I get my weirdness from my older brother. I hope that helps to explain some of my posts. 

Oh how things change.

Its interesting to me how quickly things can change. One minute your sitting back wishing you had someone else's life and the next minute you have people telling you that would give anything to be in your shoes.

It just blows my mind. I am actually living my dream. 

I guess I should find new dreams to turn into reality. That cheesy saying about shooting for the moon because even if you fail your in the stars actually has truth to it.  Who would of thought? 

Can you hear me now? Good.

Last week while in Austria I attempted to listen in on a Peace Corps call with staff members in Ethiopia.
Saying it was difficult to hear is an understatement.
During the call I was messaging one of the other volunteers.
I will now transcribe our notes from what we believed to be happening during the call.

1. This is the hardest job we will ever love.
2. Throwing yourself in is the hardest part.
3. It costs a lot of money for us to go.
4. Lots of loud noises
5. Possibly something about North Korea...
6. Few people leave early, a lot stay longer
7. Someone named Greg spoke.
8. Is this call in English?
9. Some list of numbers.
10. Echos
11. The list might of been the jobs..
12. The list might also be the things that will kills us.
13. Something about inappropriate touching
14. Are we being inappropriately touched? Or are we doing the touching?
15. Still confused about the inappropriate touching....
16. Bring cameras and laptops
17. If you don't bring a camera your a fucking idiot.
18. Customs will take that shit if you try to mail it.
19. Binoculars for bird watching are suggested
20. I hate birds
21. Thanks ornithology
22. Cash is good
23. Being Johnny Cash is better
24. Rehab/ Withdraws in Ethiopia would suck
25. That might have not had anything to do with the call....
26. But is related because of Johnny Cash
27. Can't understand more loud noises....
28. Something about malaria and having a good time
29. Not sure if they are connected
30. Hopefully they are not connected
31. We get to ride a bus through Ethiopia with all our shit
32. That is going to be an experience in its own.
33. After PST they will take our shit for us to our final site.

Now this might seem like a decent list of notes. Mind you the call was an hour long.

Also I understood one out of every 15 our so words.

A good amount of this list is most likely incorrect.

I hope they didn't list off things that will kill us.

I am taking this as a welcome to not understanding anything for the next two years.

Lessons from Europe.

So I am back from Europe and here are somethings I learned.
-Family vacations work better when your a child.
-I am the only person in my family who can figure out how to ride a train.
-Hand gestures can describe just about everything when language cant.
-I need to learn a second language.
-Skype calls are exponentially cheaper that using your phone.
-I have approximately 239826483743 cousins I never knew about.
-How to navigate a train in two different languages.
-That Austria is by far one of the most b-e-a-u-tiful places I have ever seen.
-Beer.
-Beer.
-Beer.
-Danish people like horrible tasting liquor.
-Danish beer isn't too bad.
-Much to my fathers disbelief speaking broken English very loudly will get you no where.
      - If someone doesn't speak English yelling it at them does I REPEAT does not make it any better.
      - If someone does speak English and you speak broken English to them YOU SOUND LIKE AN IDIOT!

-My brother thinks that if you say English words with a German accent it makes them German.... It does not.
-Danish hotdogs are good after a night of drinking.... and only after a night of drinking...

This could be the start of something new.

With two months left until departure and my final medical clearance still yet to be achieved I am taking off for a nice little trip to Europe.
And by nice little trip to Europe I mean that if I don't end up pulling my hair our or leaving miscellaneous members of my family in a foreign country it will be successful.
In all seriousness though I am really looking forward to taking off in the morning.
I figured I will use this trip to see if this whole idea of travel writing is something I could actually do.
In my head it sounds fantastic... lets see how it pans out on paper.
I should probably correct myself and say screen rather than paper... no one uses paper anymore... well except for those climate change denying never heard of global warming crazies.  Shout out to the GOP...
Whoops did I just say that?
Anyway I will be spending the next ten days between Germany, Denmark, and Austria with my slightly insane family.
I can only imagine the stories that I will be able to tell at the end of this adventure.
Here's to hoping I can use grown up words enough to make a half decent travel blog.
Or at least have a few good drunk stories to tell people.
If both happen to...well... happen then I will be applying for VICE immediately upon returning.

WOOOOSAAAHHHHH.

The countdown is now under 90 days until I leave.
These are my feelings as time quickly passes:
HOLY F***.
AFRICA.
Did I turn that in?
Wait do I really need that?
YAYYYY I'M MOVING TO ETHIOPIA!!!

AHHHH I"M MOVING TO F***ing ETHIOPIA!!!
AFRICA!!!!
NANTS INGONYAMA BAGITHI BABA( sang in my best Disney voice)


As you could probably tell I am starting to freak out just a little bit....
Although I am extremely excited and light up whenever I get the chance to tell someone I am going to actually get to live my dream of joining the Peace Corps the relativity of it is also absolutely terrifying.
I am pushing myself so far out of my comfort zone that I cant even begin to register what I will experience emotionally. I have started to make sure I have things I will need which means lists, lists, and more lists. Which means freaking out, more freaking out, and you guessed it more freaking out.

I am just reminding myself to breath.
Calm down.
and when all else fails...

The Ol' Switch -A-Roo.

Last week I received an email from the Peace Corps placement office asking if I would be interested in switching sectors. I was asked to switch from Health to Ag/ Environmental for food security.  Just when I thought I had my future figured out the Peace Corps throws a wrench in.  After a conversation with my best friend and a mild freak out I decided to leave my decision up to the Peace Corps gods. I replied to the email saying that if they wanted to switch me I was up for the challenge. Moments after sending the email I received notice that I would in fact be switched. I will now be working with food security. To be honest I don't really have any idea what exactly I will be doing now but I am okay with this uncertainty. With the Peace Corps you really have to be okay with the fact that you have no idea what the hell is ever going on. I just leave it up to them. And of course my Peace Corps Ag god. 

Oh wait you didn't know that there was a Peace Corps Ag God?

Well you do now. 

I like to picture him in a flannel with cut off sleeves.

To me it says I am prepared to work but also like to be comfortable. 

And so they start...

Yesterday I experienced the first of many goodbyes before I set off for my peace corps journey. I am exactly 3 months away from leaving now but am not sure if I will make it back to Montana before I leave. Saying goodbye is not something I am particularly fond of. I am not someone who knows how to deal with other people's emotions very well. I know this was just the first in a long line of goodbyes before I leave.

I am truly grateful for all the people in my life who care so much about me. I am reminded of this in every step of this journey. 

Why not.

I have decided that I am going to use my service in the Peace Corps to better myself as well as the community that I am in.
I am not going into this experience with any expectations. I have learned over the years that expectations lead to disappointments. So rather than having expectations I am setting myself some goals of things I would like to work on while I am there. I am posting them here to hold myself accountable for them.

From what I have read through miscellaneous blogs I keep seeing over and over again that volunteers have A LOT of free time.  So why not put this time to good use?

Goals:
-Get into the best shape of my life.
-Learn Amharic and Spanish. If I am already learning a second language might as well learn a third right?
-Read as many books as possible. There are so many books that are considered to be classics that I have yet to even touch. I hope to change this.
-Never say no. I want to take this opportunity to experience as many new things as possible. If I say no I am just limiting myself.
-Get as many people in the States involved in my service as possible. This can take shape in many ways from becoming pen pals to having them help me with community projects.
-Determine if grad school is right for me and if it is what area I would like to study.
-Travel to as many new places as possible.
-Experience different cultures within Ethiopia by traveling to see as many other volunteers as possible.
- Keep a journal/blog updated so that when my service is over I can adequately remember everything that happened.

Gemütlichkeit.

Two weekends ago was a reunion of the infamous Goon Squad.

It has been a few weeks since everyone left and I am just now getting to writing about it. I will blame this on the hangover from hell and just pure laziness. 

This is a quick little recap of how the weekend went:

It started off a bit rough with half the crew spending Friday sleeping after driving all night from Montana. A few of is meet up for some lunch but it was the hours before I heard from the lazy butts. When everyone finally arrived at my house it was game on. Within minutes a game of pong was going and the shit talking began. 

Shortly after the Montana crew arrived I had to dip out and go pick up my Cali boys. It seemed like possibly the longest drive of my life due to excitement. Through chanting and cheering my mom managed to stay asleep the whole night. My mind cannot comprehend how that is even possible. There was literally 14 people screaming at the top of there lungs. Countless rounds of pong later I saw a person outside the window dancing. Within seconds everyone began screaming. B rab and Jerry surprised  us all by showing up a day early. Everything was brought to a stop when we realized we needed a family picture.

This is a picture of my family. Not the family I was born into but the family I chose. These are the most amazing people I could ever ask to be apart of my life. This ladies and gentlemen is the goon squad. 

Anyway back to the drinking.. Two pony kegs and some bottles later it was Saturday morning. I got up to go watch my nephews soccer game and dragged these fools along with me:

My nephews were super excited that these clowns came to support and play with them. From here we picked up bottles I champagne and momosia time began. 6 bottles of champagne later we realized that we had polished off the kegs the night before and this was unexceptable. How does one party with kegs? So it was off to the keg store we went.  With keg in hand and dinner in our bellies The bell was rang and round two began. 

It was a kegstand and dancing kind of night. If only I could post the videos of everyone getting out of their mind... Kody even called in and was plugged into the sound system. Danny attempted a one handed keg stand.. By the use of the word attempted you should realize it was an epic failure. My brother is so fall that we needed to open the door for his legs to fit. I passed out a little early this night but woke up to people passed out all across my bedroom floor. 

It is now Sunday also known as game day. Time for all the shot talking to come to an all time hi as the sounders take on the galaxy. After sneaking a keg into our hotel room we decided to be classy and enjoy the sun on the rooftop bar.

The pregaming continued and it was time to march to the game. Since we had a bag of mixed team fans we created our own march. We caused a scene in downtown Seattle! It will never be the same. Through hooliganing and chanting we finally made it to the stadium. The game resulted in a tie and Mario almost getting in a fight with a mom. No one was arrested so I call it a successful outing. After the game we took over the piano bar. And when I say took over I mean the bar didn't have a chance once we walked through those doors. There was dancing and singing and drinking and drinking and drinking... 

And then it was time to walk back to the hotel. While barely making it back without and incidents we were back. 

Brendan Ben and I deceied to venture to get food. Ben took my phone and brgan snapping pictures. I will now post them as punishment for stealing my phone...

So after drunk midnight breakfast it was time for bed. 

The next day through an incredible hangover I made it home alive.

Until the next reunion.

You care-o but now you ain't got no dinero. The Cost of Service.

This is an ongoing list of my out of pocket expenses for joining the Peace Corps. The point of this post is not to complain but to list the reality of how much it costs to serve.

Note: I do not have medical insurance so my costs may be different than yours. Also I am not accounting for Peace Corps cost share in these prices.

Tip: Ask if medical offices offer a cash discount. Talk to them about your situation and the fact that you are joining the Peace Corps. Many places might increase the discount.

Pre-invitation costs:

-10$ finger print cost.

-25$ UPS fee to mail finger print card.
-75$ in gas to get to my interview (that was 3 hours away in winter in Montana)
-100$ hotel room the night before my interview. Due to it being winter I went the night before because it was unsafe to drive during the dark hours. 

Pre-departure Fees:

Passport Fees:

-25$ processing fee. This will be reimbursed. 

-30$ for two sets of Passport pictures needed for Visa and Passport application.

-30$ UPS fee to mail Passport and Visa application.

Dental:

-220$ exam and xray fee.

-1900$ dental work that needs to be complete before submitting paperwork. This includes a 600$ discount that my dentist office offered me.

Medical:

-215$ yellow fever shot.
-146$(50% discount was given) for exam and pap.

-548$ lab work.

-68$ booster shots

-15$ TB test 

This list is a work in progress and will have more added to it as they happen. 

Do they have PBR in Ethiopia?

After meeting up with two other volunteers who will be heading to Ethiopia in February I have come to a few conclusions:

1. No one has any clue what in the hell to pack besides duct tape and hot sauce. That being said I am now accepting donations of these two items as they are apparently all I will need to survive Ethiopia.

2. My biggest fear of being kick out of the Peace Corps after 3 months due to not being able to learn Amharic is a fear that is shared by everyone. 

3. Ethiopian food is pretty darn delicious.

4. Fourth of July cards, similar to Christmas cards, might just be sent out. The card will be a picture of us floating the Nile with PBR in hand. 

5. We need to figure out a way to get PBR in Ethiopia.

Melty Puddle of Heart.

When I previously wrote that a goal of mine through this journey is to inspire people I truly mean this. To me there is no greater compliment then that of someone who tells me that I have inspired them to try something new or step out of their comfort zone.

So now I am going to share a story that melted my heart and created a melty puddle of heart.

So there I was the other night sitting at home in the same sweat pants I had been wearing for the past three days, you say I should shower more, I say I am prepping for the Peace Corps.. Tomato Tomato... Okay so maybe that saying doesn't work so well in print....Anywho there I was watching the Voice when a friend that I recently made text me out of the blue.

The first text I received went a little something like this:
" I am in a weird place right now. In between depression and happiness. Things are going well, but I realized last night that I abandoned bigger dreams to essentially conform to society and be a robot like everyone else. SO I deiced to talk to you, since you CLEARLY are following your dreams..."

After a few messages back and forth I received the one that made my heart happy and truly turn into a puddle. And not like a cute little jump in with rain boots puddle I'm talking water over road way status.
"... and that's why I wanted to talk to you about it. You truly are in inspiration and I believe tomorrow morning I'm going to put the wheels in motion to chase this dream."

It seriously amazes me how much we affect the people around us. I think we often forget this. So this is my advice. Give your dreams a chance. If you do you never know how you might inspire someone to follow their dreams. I would have never thought that this journey I am on would affect those around me to the degree that it has. I haven't even left yet and I have had multiple people approach me and let me know that they are a better person for knowing me. This is why the quote I am because we are is tattooed on my shoulder. I truly believe that we are only as good as the people we surround ourselves with. So this is not me tooting my own horn; this is me tooting the horns of every person I call my friend. You guys all inspire me which allows me to inspire others. Heres to you for making my heart a big melted mess.

Infected.

You mean you want to live in extreme poverty...for two years....for fun?

This question never gets old.

I guess before I adventure off to an adventure sure to be filled with bugs larger then small children, a lack of indoor plumbing, and unstable electricity I should explain why it is that I have chosen this path or rather this path choose me.

I guess it all really starts with my first solo adventure out of the country. At the ripe old age of 12 I was off for a two week exploration of the South Pacific. You see I was one of "those kids" in elementary school. I was the girl who was a member of safety patrol, involved in sports and just about every after school activity I could be, I tutored kinder-gardeners, spent my lunches between the library helping to put books away and being a peer mediator on the play ground. At the end of my 5th grade year I was the girl who one the Kiwanis award that one girl from the entire 5th grade class wins. My name is still on a plaque at that school for heavens sake. I don't share this to brag but rather to paint a picture. I was by no means a cool kid. I was nerdy. I got teased and what would now be referred to as bullied. But I did not let that change me. I had dreams in life, real dreams. In 3rd grade when they asked me what I wanted to be when I grow up I stood up and proudly said " I want to be a hippy". By 5th grade I changed my mind just the slightest and was set on becoming a Supreme Court Justice.  So when that letter came the summer after 5th grade inviting me to Australia and New Zealand as a student ambassador I was in. I spent two weeks the summer after 6th grade exploring with a group of students my age. It was the first time I had really been away from home. While most kids in the group called home multiple times a day to check in, my parents were lucky to hear from me 3 times the whole trip.

It had opened my eyes to something new. It was on the trip that I was bitten. Damn travel bug.

It would be 7 years before I had the chance to leave the country again. This time it was with my University on an alternative break trip. I attended at Catholic university and while I do not claim any religion I do believe in the importance of service work and have a love for travel. Over Christmas break I was one of 10 students who ventured to El Salvador to help build a house. This trip was the game changer in my life. Not only did I become close with some of the most important people in my life but this was the first time that I can remember feeling what true happiness is. I remember a good friend of mine looking at me about three days into the trip and stating " Andrea I don't think I have seen the most sincere smile leave your face since we arrived".  There is a specific moment of this trip that I will never forget. Every time I tell this story I get goosebumps. Hell I have goosebumps from typing it right now. There we were sitting with a woman who was a survivor of the civil war that massacred the people of the country side. A war that was funded by our government as a means to fight "communism".  The week before we arrived they had just found the remains of her family that had been slaughtered by the El Salvadorian army. We sat and listened to her describe the war and how it was to lose her family. One of the girls in our group raised her hand and asked " After all you have been through how are you okay sitting here talking to us? After all our government did to you?". The woman looked up and explained to us that the fact that we were there proved that we were different. The fact that we were coming to spend time away from our families and lives to help out their community proved we were different. This is something that will never leave me. 

Since this trip I have been lucky enough to travel to Costa Rica and Guatemala. These two trips reassured me of what I felt in El Salvador; a need to learn and to help. After starting and stopping the application three separate times after returning from Guatemala I pushed submit. I guess you could say the travel bug bit me and infected me with a yearning to experience more. 

Waiting is the name of the game. Peace Corps Timeline.

This would not be a Peace Corps blog if it did not include a timeline.
As every FPCV knows waiting is the name of the game.
To ease your worried mind here is what my timeline looked like.

March 26, 2013: Submitted Application.
(This application took me close to a month to complete. This is not including my letters of reference. When asking people to write you letters of reference be understanding that the Peace Corps asks for quite a lot of information about you!)

March 26, 2013: Submitted medical evaluation in MAP.

April 10, 2013: Scheduled interview.

April 16,2013: Interview.
(Interview took around and hour and a half.)

May 2, 2013: Nominated for a health sector position tentatively departing February 2014.
Around this time I was told that I was not technically medically pre-cleared but that I had not other tasks to complete.

May 9, 2013: Received legal clearance packet.

May 10, 2013: Mailed legal clearance packet back.

May 16, 2013: Received an email stating my packet had been received.

June 5, 2013: Legally pre-cleared.

July 22, 2013: Asked to submit Health Question Set.

July 25, 2013: Told it was received and that I would be hearing in the coming weeks.

September 24, 2013: After hearing nothing for months I received my official invitation =)

Now for the copious amounts of paperwork!

Success.

To me success is not defined by money or stature.
To me success is the ability to inspire, change lives, and love.
This is how I will determine if I have been successful in life.
I am a 23 year old woman who is preparing for the greatest adventure of my young life.
Two weeks ago I received an email that changed everything.
It looked a little something like this:

   That's right. February 2014 I am embarking on a trip that will forever change who I am and how I see the world. I was invited to work in the health sector but more specifically HIV/AIDS Prevention and Community Health.
   This blog will be used to document my ups and downs in this journey as well as all the adventures I partake in.

Here is to hoping for success!