The Journey

So today makes my last day in West Virginia. A place that is very misunderstood and under appreciated. Their are so many wonderful people here. Many people in the U.S.A don't even realize it's a state, they think it is still apart of Virginia. For me this state help me to really find myself again and prepare me for the journey ahead. The past two year were not easy. How many people can say in this time they overcame personal problems, went through a break up, got sued, moved out on their own, graduated from college then moved to another state where I knew almost no one while trying to get the final details of the Peace Corps. That is a a lot of stress and I just need to get out of Ohio. Some times the best thing any of us can do is step away and get away for a while, that is why vacations are always refreshing. Today is my last day of vacation, tomorrow brings the duty of finishing my last details then to another place where I again know no one but I am not afraid. I am ready and if it wasn't for this time here among the mountains I don't think my confidence and mind would be ready for October. West Virginia allowed me to go rafting, which I can not wait to do in Africa, know my mother again, first time I have lived with here in 20 years, meet new people on my own, preparing me for meeting amazing Peace Corp people, knowing I do this journey. Looking forward to the journey ahead and it will be here for anyone to read. So I tend to not really look in the past of my life, could say I am one of those that don't like to look in the rear-view mirror but I only feel it's fair to explain some of my back story since it has been brought up so here is the bullet point version of the last two years.

June 2009 Applied to PC- got an interview and during this time I just finished seeing a therapist, same time went to a DEAF Event and talked to a PCVR about his time in Fuji, this time PC was doing alot of radio ads and almost everyday I heard one.

July- Had a phone interview, week or 2 later got nominated for Health Educator to leave for the Pacific Island August 2010, saw ad on TV for PC

August- Had to get paperwork signed by counselor about being able to go and was fine to move on to next stage to get medical paperwork. PC want to defer me for a year but counselor tells them I am able to go 

 October- Got served paper for a car accident I was in two years ago to date, lawyers try to settle and tell me not to worry about case because it was a throw out case.

November- Broke up with boyfriend

December 2009- Tell Recruiter that my case my not be thrown out and get Legally deferred till case is over,  New Year's Eve find out that I will be medical deferred till August of 2010. Same time watch a T.V show that has a character that says she just got back from the PC.

January till June 2010- A lot of thinking, crying and falling back into old habits good and bad

June- Graduate from OSU, move out and have fun for a while, got my tarot cards done for the first time said I would no love life for a while, that someone I saw as a sister would no long be in my life at this time next year, a decision that I had been waiting for would happen during the harvest season and be favorable. All of these things has happen, during this time I am working with my lawyer about my lawsuit. Court case is set for August. During this time I am thinking about not even going to the PC, then run into about a few PCVR, one in a line, at hairdresser, a few at compfest, at work and my favorite random sign started to read a book and one of the character was going to the PC. At this I closed the book and threw it across the room.

August- Lawsuit is pushed back but medial deferment is over but can not get medical papers till legal issue is done, move out on my own. Watched How I Met Your Mother episode about Barney going to the PC

September- Won my lawsuit after a week long trial, friends encourage me to contact PC again, was thinking this time to go to grad school then go or teach English, got my medical papers a week later. Stayed on my shelf for a few months

September till December looked into other options, second guessing a lot of things, listening to others and not myself. This time my tooth is hurting. Also I decided grad school wasn't what I wanted to do and saw another episode about Barney and the PC,  their are four episodes on this subject. I saw all of them during this time.

January- March 2011 Start my medical papers, had to get a root canal again on same tooth that had one 3 years ago. This time heard more ads on radio again and I saw a psychic who told me that if I didn't move forward with past plans that I was putting off I would go down a dark path what involved drugs, now if that didn't scare you into going into the PC. Just for research purpose went and got tarot cards done and he said I had two paths, one was good and the other was very bad. They said a lot of the same things.

April 2011- Decided I didn't want to be in Ohio anymore and some of my bad habits were coming back and I really hated my job was very unhappy, I missed deadline for medical papers but got them in time for me to not reapply over again. Meet a few more PCVR at work

May 2011- Moved out of apartment, quit job, moved to West Virginia and found out was Medically cleared but would not be leaving till late 2011. Watch Boy Meets World in morning and two character were going to PC, their are about five episode on the topic.

June 2011- Had another interview with placement officer, found out going to Tanzania in October 2011, this was the same day I started my application. Meet a person while at work the next week that vacations in Tanzania. Meet a few more PCVR at compfest again!

July 2011- Starting to preparing everything, meet some of my future coworkers and meet a guy a work that knows Swahili and practiced with him.

August 2011- Packing things to go back to Ohio, fully happy, complete and ready to leave, said goodbye to friends and mom, meet a couple that spent time in Africa in Uganda, and read a book that talked about Africa and it was a trashy paperback novel, also found one of my favorite quotes, remember we can not complete others and they can not complete us. Because before we can help anyone, we must first help ourselves be full and whole to improves others. When full we can only improve but empty we destroy. So help others by completing yourself and grow with the each other.

So that is my rear-view mirror. Many events have happen and along with  random signs about the Peace Corps during this time. Some may have seen my signs as me looking for reinsurance   but I do not see it that way. I see them as reminder that I need to do this and keep believe in the journey. So we will see what other signs come into my life as I continue my journey.   

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