Invitation Packet

So, after taking a day to really consider what I was doing -- and finding that I was way more excited and eager than worried and scared -- I sent in my acceptance email for Ethiopia.

I had briefly looked in the invitation packet and found myself overwhelmed. Now I knew I would have to look over everything, fill out and send in every form...I'm still working on it, actually, because it just seems like so much.

Making up a new resume was the easiest, especially since they give you the exact format they want. Then I wrote an awkward aspiration statement and sent in both files.

Next, I made an appointment for a Yellow Fever vaccine. They were out at the health department, but they had some at a local clinic. Apparently, a large portion of people who get the vaccine experience flu-like symptoms, so I was looking forward to that. I just got a headache and a $135 bill. The Peace Corps will reimburse me if I don't lose the receipt.....

During this I worked on my visa and PC passport applications. They were fairly simple, and I had a couple of pictures taken at Walgreens. I sent everything in in an envelope provided in the packet, postage paid and all. Two days later, while I was halfway to town on a family bike ride, I received a call from SATO Travel saying that my visa form had ripped and I scratched something out on the passport form, so I'd have to redo both. I did, paid $3 for postage and sent it back in. The nice man at SATO Travel called me Monday to let me know it all looks okay now.

I took a few minutes to fill out information for the local papers yesterday. Apparently, they send the same information to all papers in the area in case they want to let the community know what I'm doing... seems awkward, but I like talking to people, so maybe it will be fun to answer random questions from people who saw my photo in the paper.

I filled out a few insurance forms and didn't sign them, as I'm supposed to wait until training. I think that's about it.

I got three bills in the mail yesterday from a collection agency in Niles saying that I owed the hospital over $700. So...I'm assuming that they're referring to the blood work that my clinic sent there when I had my physical in October, but I never got billed for that, and I assumed that the expenses form I gave to my doctor went to cover it. So, I sent a letter to the collection agency asking for more information, and sent in an application for DHS to maybe pay it. It's disappointing, because I have this huge list of things I need to buy before I go, and I was only hoping I'd have enough money for most of it...$700 breaks me.

So, I still need to fax in my Yellow Fever vaccine info, which is on a nifty yellow WHO card, making me feel like a world explorer.

But everything I've read about Ethiopia makes me more excited about going. I watched a couple of videos on Youtube today of current volunteers, and it looked crazy! But so completely doable!

I get to quit my jobs at the end of the month and spend 10 days on vacation with my family in Tennessee and Florida. Then a couple weeks to finish packing, and I'm off! I'm not going to work the last couple of weeks, but I decided I would still try to volunteer in Niles. I love that place, and I'm going to miss the people there so much.