Withdrawn.

Well. I got an e-mail from B today. My application has been officially withdrawn. But fear not! Not all is lost and I never lose hope :). Basically he said that he has been trying to find programs for me but there is a lack of spots available and many applicants have been waiting 6+ months. There is also not going to be a lot of spots opening for 2013. He also said that if I would like he would keep looking to try to find a spot for me. I told him that I understand that there aren't a lot of spots right now and that I appreciate all of his hard work. I would love for him to keep looking as this is something I have always wanted to do. I hope that this all works out. If not at the point in time, later on in life. This just gives me a chance to become a better applicant! Don't ever lose hope, if this is something you want keep fighting!

Also one of my high school friends, G, is leaving for PC in January. I wish her all the luck in the world but she won't need it.

In the words of Ellen....
Be kind to one another.

This blog will now be on hiatus until any developments occur.

The Waiting Is The Hardest Part...

Soooooo.... It's the end of October and I am still waiting for a nomination or a "So sorry Bridge, you are great but we just don't have enough programs / money right now. Thanks for your interest in the Peace Corps". Any thing would be nice at this point. Yes I am aware that this is all about patience and I am trying very hard to stay calm and keep busy. I think I'm doing a decent job at that soooo yeah.

I did speak with my recruiter a few weeks ago since he was at the job fair my school put on. It was nice to see him, get my name and face fresh in his head again. But he basically told me what I already knew. More waiting because programs closed, there is no funding, government craziness. The usual.

So for all of you out there in a similar situation, know that you're not alone and that patience really is a virtue. And stop reading those PC blogs, they are so addicting! I had to slowly ween myself off.

Hurricanes, Earthquakes and Other Earth Moving Processes...

So... in case you live under a rock there was a earthquake on the East Coast last Tuesday (I think) apparently it's national news. It was pretty funny though, my dad, sister and I were in Safeway doing the weekly grocery shopping when I heard some rumbling then heard things falling off the shelves. The I realized my feet were uneven and everything clicked.... EARTHQUAKE. I just laughed which is not the safest thing to do in the situation but oh well.

Crack in the Washington Monument from the 5.8 mag Earthquake
Picture from Washington Post

Then this past weekend they news hyped us up for hurricane Irene. This proved to be extremely uneventful. It was really windy that night and we got to close up work early but that's about it.

School started this week... I had my last first day ever yesterday. Which went well, my classes aren't too bad and I am really going to focus on bringing my GPA way up. Also I started my volunteer job! I am working at a local high school assisting in an AP Environmental Science (APES) class. So I e-mailed my recruiter to let him know what was going on and got a reply today that basically said keep up the good work and I'll let you know when we get an idea of what programs are looking like.

DO I HEAR A SEPTEMBER NOMINATION IN THERE SOME WHERE?
xX cross your fingers for me Xx

People Blow my Mind.

Things have been really weird lately... stuff just keeps happening. I won't bore you with all the details of my life but there is one thing that I do wanna let you guys know about. Let me back track here a bit...

P.S. I know this is a long post, but please read it

August 4th

I had just taken my final for my summer class and did really well so I decided to get some new clothes at Tysons Corner. I hit up my fav store, The Gap because I had a 30% off coupon. I walked around, had some food and got ready to leave. As I was walking out of Nordstroms to the parking lot I heard a lady scream and yell "STOP THAT KID! HE STOLE MY PHONE!!" Instinctively, I started running after him. Screaming along the way at people he was running by so they could stop him, but no one did. One other person started running after him and backed him in to a car but the kid got away and ran across a 6 lane highway.

I stood with the lady, we will call her London, while the guy that was helping us followed the kid. I called 911 and reported the incident and waited with her until the cops showed. The guy eventually came back with her phone but the kid was gone. We all gave our statements and waited while the helicopters, dogs and cops looked for this kid. (Yeah all that for an iPhone, crazy). As we were waiting, London asked for my address and cell phone number. I told her it was fine and she didn't owe me anything. But she insisted on writing me a thank you note so I obliged. They had found someone that matched the description we gave so we got to ride in the cop car, I got the back and looked like a criminal. We talked a little and positively identified the kid. I got a ride back to my car and had a hell of a story to tell that night at the dinner table.

Now, B, my recruiter had emailed me earlier that week telling me about a PC event downtown. I was going to go but all of this craziness happened and by the time I was done the event was over. So I sent B an e-mail on Saturday saying I had witnessed a robbery and was unable to make it and also gave him a quick update about what was going on in my life in regards to PC.

Fast Forward to TODAY.

I got an e-mail from B.

That is crazy that you witnessed a robbery. I hope you helped solve the crime. Thank you for the update. I will definitely give you an update in September once we get an idea of how programs are going to look.

How adorable is he? But the I will definitely give you an update thing made me happy. It's the little things.

Later Today...

I left my dads and went over to my moms. She hadn't been home yet so I grabbed the mail. I noticed an amazon.com box but figured it was something my mom ordered. Upon further investigation.... it was addressed to me. I didn't order anything, weird. I opened it and saw it was a book, The Insider's Guide to the Peace Corps. Since my birthday is 2 weeks from today I figured my mom ordered it and accidentally put my name on it and not hers. I unwrapped the book and noticed a little note...

Bridge,
Thank you for your heroic actions. I really appreciate all your help. You deserve all you dream for, good luck with the Peace Corps :)
Yours,
London 'I got my iPhone stolen' Last Name xo

How crazy is that!?!!? I was in shock. I still am. That was so unbelievably nice of her. I had to thank her, but I didn't have her address or any way to get in to contact with her. But I tracked down her info with my super sweet detective skills. I just think its awesome that she was actually listing to the conversation we were having, since she was all shaken up (being robbed will do that to you). If I remember correctly she is in Paris now and I hope she is having a great time. I doubt she will read this but if she happens to find it.... You are amazing and I can't thank you enough.

Click here to get the book on amazon.

Hey Budget Cuts... I Don't Like You. (Interview)

So the interview. I freaked out about what to wear but ended up wearing a simple button up and a pair of dress pants with some flats. I thought that I would be nervous about the interview but I was more excited than anything else. I needed to take nyquil to fall asleep because of the excitement and I woke up at like 6:30 this morning. I got off the metro at 10:45 and was way early since the interview was at 12. I just hung out and had some breakfast.

Waiting for Interview

The interview went well... for the most part. I had no reason to be nervous, it was like talking to a friend. My recruiter, who we will refer to as "B", is really nice. He said that he liked me, my head is in the right place and that I had a great attitude and personality! Which makes me hopeful. Unfortunately due to budget cuts PC has become a lot more competitive. He told me "If you had applied a year ago, I would be ready to nominate you." While these are encouraging words they also sting a bit. Stupid budget cuts. He said that I am great in person and need to work on looking better on paper. He said that he was willing to fight for me and I need to get some more experience in environmental teaching. He wants to nominate me for either environmental awareness and education or community development. I also asked about forestry as I am very close to fitting the requirements for that. And he send me a skill addendum so that I can state all the experience that I have. But lets focus on the positives, B liked me and we talked about nomination options.

So I'm still in it. Waiting. Working on being better on paper and getting as much stuff done as I can. BRING IT. I am in this for the long haul.