Deadlines

So right now I'm in Jamaica (for a funeral) and all I can think about is the heap of paperwork I need to fill out when I get back.  I still have to take my pictures for my Visa and Passport Application.  And then to do those and mail them off.  Thinking about it all makes me nervous because I know that time is of the essence.  If I don't do everything within the right time frame, it could jeopardize my chances of leaving in May.   To add to the passport stress, I'm thinking about the list of things in the medical portal that needs to be taken care of (medical forms and dental forms of all varieties).  It's even more stressful because I can't do anything about it from where I am.  I can only hope that I can have everything all perfect for my departure.  I'd hate to have it on my mind that my failure to meet a deadline made me unable to do Peace Corps.  Good thing that I'll be back in a few days.  Well...I guess as good as it can get to leave a warm country to return to a cold one.

Dental Examination? No insurance? Check this out!

So one of the struggles I had after I received my invitation is how to fill out my dental forms without insurance.  My insurance is no expired since its almost a year since I've graduated.  Then, almost by a miracle, someone on tumblr put this link (http://www.usa-icd.org/projects/peace-corps/index.htm) on the the Peace Corps tab.  This link provides a list of dentists who are willing to take care of the forms that we have to fill out at no charge!  Here is the blurb on the site:

"These U.S.A. Section Fellows are volunteering to provide a dental examination and x-rays for Peace Corps applicants at no charge if called upon. The dentists are not compensated for their time, equipment or supplies. If the dentist shares a dental practice, please do not schedule an appointment with a partner, as he or she may not be a Fellow on our list of volunteers. Applicants are asked to allow for ample time to fit an appointment into the dentist's schedule. The applicant will bring a Peace Corps dental examination form to the appointment. Any dental treatment needed to bring his/her mouth to a healthy state will be the financial responsibility of the Peace Corps applicant. Applicants may choose to be treated by their own dentists."

From what I have heard, these are very credible dentists who are being generous in providing this service.  I'm so happy I found this site!  If only I could find a similar link telling of doctors I could visit for my medical forms!

Just a thought...

So just now, I decided to check out blogs for people who have done Peace Corps in Jamaica.  I am Jamaican (born and partially raised) and my entire family lives in Jamaica.  I read the blogs and they almost made me upset because it made Jamaicans seem so primitive.  Right along with this anger, I had an aha moment:  Is that the same mentality I go into other countries with?  From what I read in the posts, the volunteers were preparing for service, but how they discussed the country (although they may be trying to be as genuine as possible) seemed as though they felt sorry for us and they were there to save us from some form of oblivion that we were living in before.  I realized that a lot of the advice foreigners are given when going into new countries promotes this mindset.  When we go into other countries, we are taught to respect while being simultaneously taught to pity or play savior for the people in that country.  I'm glad I saw these blogs.  Now I can reevaluate the mentality I am going to Mongolia with.  By thinking about how volunteers see Jamaica compared to how I, a Jamaican, see Jamaica, I hope to go to Mongolia thinking of myself as someone going back home instead of a Western foreigner going to fix a problem.  Thank goodness I have 3 months to do some self-reflection to prevent myself from going in with the wrong mentality!

Peace Corps application essays

Essay 1:  Reasons for wanting to serve as a Peace Corps Volunteer,  How related to past experiences and life goals,  How expect to satisfy the PC 10 core expectations (not all 10, most challenging and how will I overcome them

When I first heard about Peace Corps, I instantly thought “That is the perfect program for me”.  For much of my life, especially since I’ve been in this country, I’ve been a volunteer.  I’ve volunteered in church events, school events, and even on my own.  Being taught that, “to whom much is given, much is expected”, I developed a love for volunteering during my pre-teen years which has continued to the present.

            I would like to be a Peace Corps volunteer because I would like to not only help people where they need it most, but to also partake in a cultural exchange.  My goal in becoming a Peace Corps volunteer is to become a member of the community in which I serve instead of imposing my culture onto the community.  This experience will enable me to join a new community and learn about a culture different from my own and be able to take it on as my own.  Also, throughout the world, the United States is often viewed as the country that forces themselves into countries where they are not wanted or who ruins the lives of many by imposing values different from those of the people within the country. I would love to promote a different impression of America.  I would love to go into the country and give myself in whatever way I am most needed as opposed to the going with the assumption that I will go to fix things that may not need to be fixed.

            The core expectation I believe will be the most challenging is the one stating that volunteers should “prepare [their] personal and professional life to make a commitment to serve abroad for a full term of 27 months”.  Although I am willing to make the commitment, I have never been away from family for such a long period and it will be a new, and in some ways frightening experience to be away for that long.  I will overcome that challenge by fully integrating myself in the community in which I serve and maintaining regular contact with my family at home as much as possible.  By doing these, I will be able to serve to my full capacity without becoming overwhelmingly homesick. In spite of this challenge, I am willing to fully commit myself to all the core expectations.  I realize that to be an effective volunteer, these expectations are necessary to have the greatest impact on those members of the community I will serve.

            In closing, I would love to be a volunteer because this opportunity will assist me in determining what career path best suits me. I believe that with my life experiences from volunteering in homeless shelters as a child to travelling to Haiti to help families recover from the earthquake, Peace Corps is a logical next step in my search to find out how to become the best me I can be.

Essay 2:  Describe in 250-500 words an experience where you have had living or working in a social or cultural environment different from your own.  What specific challenges did you face concerning trust, confidence, and/or integration?  What did you learn from this experience that you will bring with your to your Peace Corps service?

One experience where I had to live in an environment different from my own is moving to the United States.  Although Jamaica and the United States are both English-speaking countries, the transition was still one that taught me a lot.

            I moved to the United States when I was 8 to live with my mother.  Although an exciting experience for me, I left most of my family behind since only my mother and father lived in the country.  Coming from a place where I could easily get to any family members’ house, being so far away from them was very hard for me.  When I started school, I sounded different from most other kids because I had a heavy accent.  As a result, I was teased and lost confidence in myself and who I was because I couldn’t be like all the other kids in my class.  Also, I didn’t make friends quickly since I sounded and acted a lot different from the other children.  This lowered my confidence and made me pull away from the group and become more reserved. Many times, I missed the comfort of being in Jamaica, from the weather, to having all my cousins who also served as my best friends when I was growing up.

            Throughout the years of being in this country, I learned to adapt to my new environment.  I learned that in order to make the most of your time in a place that is different from what you are used to, you must learn to adapt to the norms of that country while continuing to stay true to yourself.  In the time before I came to this realization, I tried to become like everyone else in order to fit in instead of being myself with influences from my environment.  I tried to become a stereotypical American child namely in the way I spoke.  I attempted to mask my accent and, therefore, my identity to simply conform.  I learned that this was not healthy for my identity and I began to appreciate my individuality more.  This would be relevant to my Peace Corps service because although I will be entering a culture different from what I am used to, I must still remember that I am still unique and can’t be anyone but myself.  Although I may adapt to the cultural norms of the community I will serve in, I wouldn’t be true to myself, or the Peace Corps expectations to represent my home country, if I try to be someone other than myself.  Therefore, I will use my experience in learning to strike a balance between integration and being an individual to be the best volunteer the people of the new culture could use.

Hello

So I'm Lorre.  I'm the eternal pessimist, so I waited until I officially got an invitation to the Peace Corps before I started a blog.  I will keep up with it as much as a can.  So where do I start?  Well...

1.  I graduated from Lafayette College in May 2012
2.  I applied for the Peace Corps in September 2012
3.  In February, I received an invitation to serve as a volunteer in Mongolia.  I'll be doing Secondary English teaching and Community development.
4.  I am random, and there will probably be a lot of randomness sneaking into this blog.
5.  I'll put up a timeline as soon as I get all the dates together (exact application date, recommendations, interview with recruiter, legal packet, invitation, and so on).

I'm not sure what else to write, but welcome to my Peace Corps blog.  This will be a blog about my life since application, and not solely what I hear from the Peace Corps.  I'm looking forward to this experience so much.  Oh wait, before I go, I should probably discuss why Peace Corps.  So why you ask?

1.  I was always taught "to whom much is given, much is expected".  Thus,
2.  I've been volunteering my entire life and have developed a love for volunteering.  This was a way for me to give back to my community.  Also,
3.  I've been traveling for much of my life.  I was born in Jamaica and traveled back and forth between Jamaica and the US since I was months old because my parents moved to the US when I was young (I grew up with my grandparents).  Since then,  I've traveled for various reasons such as volunteering, student ambassador program, and classes.  I've been to France, Italy, Malta, Monaco, China, North Korea, South Korea, Russia, Ukraine, and Haiti.  I love learning about different cultures in the world with traveling.  So
4.  Peace Corps is perfect because it incorporates the things I love to do.

I will strive to do the best I can for the community I'll be placed in.  All I can do is give it my best, right?