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!

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?