preparando...

In a little over a month, I will be embarking upon a two year journey in Peru. It has been quite a process up until now and I can't believe its almost here! Last October, after debating various options post-UVa, I decided to apply to serve in the Peace Corps. The Peace Corps had always been something in the back of my mind; I figured the real world and/or graduate school could wait two years while I completed what I have heard is possibly the most challenging, yet rewarding, job of my life.

After completing the application and a few essays, gathering recommendations, and participating in an interview with the regional recruiter, I was nominated to serve in the area of health extension in Latin America. Because of my background in global health and Spanish and my experience in Latin America, I was pretty excited about this nomination. After the nomination, I had to get medical, dental, and legal clearance before I was placed in a specific country. And then, the hardest part, I had to wait.

And finally after a lot of waiting... in late April, I received a big package in the mail from Peace Corps headquarters. I found out I was going to Peru! I couldn't be more excited. I traveled to Peru last spring with my friend Claire while I was studying abroad in Argentina. Although I saw only very little of the country, everything I saw I liked. When I left after 10 days of traveling, I told myself that I definitely wanted to return to Peru one day. And so, luck was on my side, because now I will be living in the beautiful country for over two years!

This summer post-graduation/pre-departure has been really nice. After graduation, I took a trip to the Bahamas with Casey, Natalie, and Kelsey, some of my best friends from high school. I also had an amazing 3 week trip to Turkey with my family. Traveling and experiencing other cultures only made me more excited about my upcoming Peruvian adventure.

I've also gotten to spend time with friends and family and appreciate Charlottesville for my last months here. Other than working at my various jobs, I've been relaxing and starting to prepare for my travels. In addition, my compulsive list making has certainly begun ("to do," "to buy," "to find," "to pack definitely," "to pack maybe," "to pack probably"). I'm glad I have a month to finalize and check off all of those lists. On September 10, I will travel to DC for two days of Staging, where I'll meet the other Peace Corps volunteers going to Peru. I am looking forward to meeting and getting to know my fellow volunteers. After Staging, we'll fly to Lima where we'll complete three months of training before we start our two years of service. Here are a few pictures of my life prior to la vida peruana....