Ukraine Video Promo

Jess v. The Suitcase

I've been very busy packing this week. My bedroom looks like a war was fought amongst the clothes and many pairs of boots. I'm afraid my suitcases are the casualties. I'm only allowed 100 lbs. That may seem like enough, but trust me, a girl needs more then just 2 suitcases for a 27 month trip! My mom and I are trying to work under these restrictions, but it is stressing me out. Not to mention that fact that all of my wardrobe consisted of attire better suited for the tropics. Updating has become spendy. :-( But I think I have everything I'll need. I'm pretty bummed about the 'no packages' rule during Pre-Service Training (PST). I can't even begin to express how important mail is during Peace Corps. Mom once wrote to me about picking out new curtains & I found it the most interesting news I'd ever read. I don't really care about the content...boring is great! It's NORMAL! Trust me, normalcy takes on a whole new meaning when you're away from the familiar. So I'm begging for letters. Please, send them. They are greatly appreciated.

I fly out of Portland, OR on September 24. My PC Staging will be in Philadelphia, PA. There we'll discuss safety concerns before leaving the following day (Sept. 26) for JFK airport in New York. And then we fly to Frankfurt, Germany and from there Kyiv, Ukraine. We'll have a 2-3 day orientation where we meet the PC Ukraine staff and learn survival tips about the language and culture. And from there, I leave with some of my batch mates for my training city--wherever that may be. I will not know this information until the last day of orientation. PST lasts 3 months. I am sworn in as a Volunteer on December 8, 2009. For now, I am considered a Peace Corps Trainee. :-) Looking forward to being a PCV once again. And looking forward to the next couple of years in Ukraine. It will be fabulous!

Life SO rocks!!!

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The Second Time Around...

My letter arrived from Peace Corps today, announcing that I have been invited to spend the next 27 months in the Ukraine.
PROGRAM: I will be teaching English as a foreign language to students 10-17 yrs. old.
DATES: I leave September 25, 2009. My close of service (COS) date is 12-08-2011.

I'm nervous for the new challenges that will face me in this unfamiliar environment, yet I'm optimistic and excited for this new adventure.



Click on the picture to read facts about the Ukraine!

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Leavin' Once Again

Today my Peace Corps placement officer called to congratulate me. I have been invited to serve in Eastern Europe to once again teach English as a second language. :-) The possible countries include: Albania, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Moldova, Romania & the Ukraine. I am SUPER excited and can't wait to find out which country will be my home for the next 27 months! PC does not tell us the name of the country over the phone for security reasons. But a letter was sent to me today via FedEx and I should receive it on Monday or Tuesday of next week. I leave for this new assignment at the end of September. I shall all let you know the details as soon as I know them myself. Words cannot express how relieved & ecstatic I am about this new journey. I can hardly wait to begin!

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Oh, the possibilities!

Hey all,

Many people continue to ask me where PC is sending me next. My stock answer of shrugging and saying "I don't know" leaves people dumbfounded and aggravated. Which I find rather entertaining, considering it's my future. People who ask this question have never done Peace Corps before, clearly. For those of you who remember my last time during this process, I gave the same answer but shared the frustration. I feel I'm a pro at waiting on Peace Corps this second time around. However, I was curious as to the possible locations, and I thought I'd add them here so people can have an idea as to where in the world I may end up. Care to place a bet? ;-)

Eastern Europe: Albania, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Moldova, Romania & the Ukraine.

Central Asia: Azerbaijan, Armenia, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyz Republic, Turkmenistan

Asia: China, Mongolia

Yep, that's 14 possibilities. And no, I have no clue as to where or when. Which is kind of part of the fun. I'm excited to go & looking forward to my next journey! Check back later (I'm guessing 8 weeks) to find out more.

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And the guessing game begins...

Another Peace Corps update, my friends.

It seems as if my only medical restriction this time around will be my ears--due to the problem I inherited during PC Philippines. This means I cannot serve in any tropical environment and, if Office of Medical Services doesn't screw everything up, will be placed in Eastern Europe/Central Asia & leave this September. This, of course, is a guess by my hardworking recruiter and should not be taken as fact yet (for those of you who are unfamiliar with the PC system). If OMS meddles and finds something wrong with me, the process could get brutal (as some of you well know.) So I'm trying to be my optimistic self and believe that everything will turn out in the end. And that the process will hurry along this second time. I'm very much ready to get out and see the world again!

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Approved!

Today I heard from Peace Corps! I have (finally) been approved for re-enlistment. Yaaay! Which means I am now in the “medical clearance” stage. Luckily I met with my doctor today and she expressed excitement that I have no medical restrictions this time around, considering how hard I’ve been building up the muscles around my knee with kick boxing, etc. So, hopefully, my medical will be cleared by mid-August and I will be placed by the end of that month—which means I will depart sometime this fall, as early as this September. If I’m placed in by this Fall, I would not serve in Asia but on one of the other continents. No idea which one. Worst case scenario, if I’m not immediately medically cleared, I will not leave until January where I will be placed in Northern Asia—which is either China or Mongolia. I’m 95% sure it would be Mongolia…Brr…

I have no aversion to Mongolia, but I really do not want to wait THAT long to leave. That’s more than a year since my release from the Philippines (due to medical reasons). So, hopefully, Office of Medical Services performs a miracle and approves me this summer! Keep your fingers crossed, my friends!

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