Timeline

Here is my basic timeline for what it is worth:

May 2008: Applied to PC

June 2008: Interview (They were actually doing interviews at the University of Dayton two days after I sent in my application and I basically invited myself)

June or July 2008: Had a follow up phone interview where I was told I would likely be nominated

September 2008: My recruiter called to tell me there weren't any open slots at the moment and that my application would be placed on hold until there was one

November 2008: I was told that they found a match for me in the Pacific but all the spots filled up before I could be placed

December 2008: I was nominated (finally) for a business program in sub-Saharan Africa departing November 2009

January-April 2009: Getting all the medical, legal, and dental paperwork done. It was a huge pain (mostly because I traveled for work and was never in the same place for more than 3 days). It is a ton of paperwork and it has to be filled out completely and correctly or they won't look at it.

April 2009: Dental clearance

June 2009: Medical Clearance

August 2009: Legal Clearance

Late August 2009: Got a call from the DC Peace Corps office which I think will be a call offering me an invitation. Instead, it is a call to tell me that my November program has been canceled and PC will do its best to reassign me.

September 2009: I receive another nomination to do small business development and HIV/AIDS education in sub-Saharan Africa

November 2009: Receive my invitation in the mail (USPS, not FedEx). I read through all of the materials and call back to accept the nomination.

My application process is a little more drawn out than most. From application to invitation, it was about 18 months. When the say Peace Corps values patience and flexibility they really aren't kidding.

Congratulations! You Have Been Invited to Become a Peace Corps Volunteer

What a long, grueling, and strange process this has been. I have officially been invited to serve in the Peace Corps.

I will serve in Botswana, leaving in April. My job is to work with with Non-Government HIV/AIDS organizations as a capacity builder.

Up, Up, and Away

A good friend of mine that I have known since second grade came out to Reno. He is a pilot and was in the area. I got to catch up and show him Reno for a few days and on the day he left, he took me up in his plane for a ride around Tahoe.

The view from up in the air was different than what I am used to and I spent much of the trip gazing out of the window. We climbed to over 10,000 feet to clear the mountains surrounding the lake and then flew over the lake for a bit. Clayton let me fly the plane across the lake so now I can cross that one of the bucket list.

(You can click on any of the pictures to enlarge them.)

His plane. The wings and most of the body are actually covered in fabric. Yes, fabric.

Clayton and me in the cockpit. He actually looks like a pilot and I just pretended for the day.

The instrument panel in the plane. It was a pretty simple setup.

View of Mt. Rose Highway with Mt. Rose and Slide Mountain in the background.

Mt. Rose Ski Resort.

Lake Tahoe. This is right around the border between NV and CA.

Dollar Point

One last view of the lake before we headed home

The University of Nevada

And, for your viewing pleasure, here is a video of our landing. They say any landing you walk away from is a good landing, but this one was pretty smooth. It is quite a different experience getting to see out of the front of the airplane rather than a little window on the side.