A breakdown/ timeline

What's going on: This has been a long stressful process and things are coming together yet falling apart so quickly.
December 2008 I applied to the United States Peace Corps
January 2009 I interviewed
February 2009 I was nominated to sub-Saharan Africa as a Health Volunteer for January 2010
April 2009 I completed my medical review and dental review
September 2009 paid off all debt and completed legal review
December 2009 an entire year later stress of not receiving an invitation for January 2010. Received a call to test my flexibility where my region was changed to North Africa/ Middle East
December 31, 2009 received invitation

January 1, 2010 Congratulations! It is with great pleasure that we invite you to begin training in Morocco for Peace Corps service.  The next step is up to you. You have 10 days to accept or decline offer

January 2, 2010 stress out, excited, relieved, emotional, overwhelmed, afraid....
January 6, 2010 Accepted Offer

Congratulations Monica and welcome to the Peace Corps: Your place in Morocco program has now been confirmed. Please submit resume and aspiration statement within the next 10 days and complete travel documents.

January 7, 2010 Returned to work discussed with my coworkers and put in 30 day notice to my apartment. Last day of work February 4, 2010 moving out of my apartment from Oakland to Los Angeles February 6, 2010.
January 11, 2010 Mailed my passport documents
January 15, 2010 Received email from Peace Corps Morocco stating that Staging/ Orientation would be in Philadelphia on March 1, 2010 and all travel expenses are paid for and the travel agency will contact me 3 weeks before departure
January 16, 2010 submitted my updated Resume and Aspiraton Statement

Why the Peace Corps?
Many people ask why did I make the decision to join the PC. Each time I answer the question I think of new reasons why. I am ready to live my life for myself and do something I would enjoy. I have always been passionate about health, I enjoy traveling, and I enjoy helping people. Going to college did not give me a clear focus on what I wanted to do in my life. I found myself jumping from one major to the next and settling on something I created. I received a BS in Conservation and Resource Studies CRS (what is that?) Exactly... I created my own major. CRS was an interdisciplinary major where all of my field work combined with tons of research and a 25 page research paper on my area of interest. I focussed most of my studies on Public Health issues and Environmental Issues. I done research in West Oakland on air pollution and the health in the community. Going to community meetings and knocking on doors taking health surveys I became interested. Back to the reason why I chose the PC because I need a change in scenery. I love my family, I love my friends, I love my life in Oakland and I enjoy my work, but it's all so basic to me. I see myself doing so much more in life. I don't enjoy the feeling of settling. I have already beat myself up because I felt as though I settled in my undergraduate degree, but I cannot settle in one community and on one job for two long. I see so much more for myself and if I don't take the leap now while I have no commitments such as children, car notes, mortgages, husband etc. go for it while I am young because I only live once. So I find myself saying Why not the PC? I know many are going to hurt and so will I, but I am all about taking risks and living life to the fullest because no day is promised.

The program is for 27 months. 3 months training and 2 years on site. Location of Job: Will be in a rural community (and linked to a local health facility) in one fo these provinces: Azilal, Boulmane, Errachidia, Essaouira, Khenifra, Ouarzazate, Taroudant, Tata, Tiznit, Zagora etc.

So you probably wonder why so long, what are you going to be doing. I am not too sure what I am going to be doing but from my assignment The Community Health project merges two projects 1. Hygiene and Sanitation 2. Maternal and Child Health. The overall project purpose is to improve health status of rural community members through the use of preventative practices, reinforced by positive social and environmental change. Generally the job will be to identify health issues in my community, their causes and consequences, and to develop and implement educational strategies and promote behavioral change that address the problems. Sounds very interested to me and I am ready!! My life is about to change tremendously and I am afraid yet ready. Morocco has totally different cultural attitudes and customs and I will have to revamp the way I speak, dress, and eat. The language spoken in Morocco is Arabic. I have an Arabic language lesson which is the most difficult thing I try and read

The first 9 weeks will be Pre-Service Training where I will be living with a family learning the cultural and the language. Learn my role and responsibilities as a volunteer.

Here's a resource for my family and friends: A Handbook for Family and Friends of Volunteers: On the Home Front

I consider myself blessed to have this opportunity. The coincidence of this experience to work with two women who speak Arabic one of which husband is Moroccan, have property in Morocco and visits often. I also have a good friend who reads and writes Arabic.

Thanks for all the support. I have a lot on my mind and will return later today to explain what people in my life mean to me and post pictures of my love ones! Wow I will be 25 years old next week!!