The Journey of Becoming a PCV

It’s Official!

Kortni — Fri, 13 May 2011 03:21:53 +0000

Well, almost. I got all four of my wisdom teeth removed today! Then I mailed my dental work off to the Peace Corp, and now I’m done. I can breathe easy and only have to worry about packing. My face is swollen like nobody’s business, and I couldn’t care less. I’m in!

Got more information by email today about training. I’m getting really excited. I think I’m going to start practicing a little Swahili, just so I can understand general phrases upon arrival.

I’m transferring my blog to a new site now. It has my contact info, packing info and all that. This will probably be my last post in the blog, so come join me at: PeaceKortni.com!

Later

Booked Flight to Philly

Kortni — Fri, 06 May 2011 15:27:50 +0000

So I just got off the phone with SATO, and I have offically booked my flight to Staging in Philly. I started to read my “Kenya Reporting Instructions” and I’m freaking out a little. I can’t believe I’m 1 month away from 2 years of Peace Corps. I suspect, there will be more of these updates in the near future.

Wisdom teeth are coming on next Thursday!

Hope everyone is well! <3

Short Update: Great News!

Kortni — Fri, 22 Apr 2011 07:22:02 +0000

I’m slowly getting through all my Peace Corps requirements. Sorry I have been unable to post details like I usually do. I’m up to my last week of school, and I really need to focus on my studies. I wish I had more time to prepare! Anyways here’s what I’ve been doing:

Aspiration Statement
Resume
Passport and Visa
Statement release form
Home Stay Questionnaire
& Now for the good news: I’ve gotten my cavities taken care of, and I found out I don’t need an expensive crown! Also, my teeth will be extracted soon after graduation, and then I’ll no longer be on hold!!

I also found out we’re for sure staging in Philadelphia. Pretty cool. I’ve never been there before. We have a Kenya facebook group, so I’ve been getting to know some of my fellow invitees a little more. They are pretty awesome, from what I can tell, and I can’t wait to meet them!

Also, just a heads up, I will be moving my blog somewhere else in a little while. Once I’m done with editing and formatting, I’ll post the link here. Good luck guys with whatever stage you’re in!

Okay…back to biochem.

Luggage

Kortni — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 14:45:09 +0000

What luggage are you planning to take with you on your Peace Corps journey and why? I’m completely lost in this department.

Colombia

Kortni — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 15:29:28 +0000

Hi all!

I’m sorry for not keeping up with the Peace Corp community. My life got really hectic these pass few weeks, so I haven’t had much time for anything besides school, work, and my club.

Well, this time next week I’ll be in Colombia leading a group of 15 people, with the help of my fellow officers, through a medical volunteer trip. I’m very excited and nervous at the same. I haven’t been on a trip in over a year, so it’ll be nice to focus on volunteering for one full week. Also, I’ve never lead anything so important before. I hope everything runs smoothly.

Here’s video of us. We’re pretty awesome. All trips are student planned. Though we do get funding from SGA, we earn a good portion of our money through fundraising and donations. This is the club that ultimately led me to the Peace Corps. I will forever love IMO.

Finally Here

Kortni — Fri, 04 Feb 2011 20:35:46 +0000

Sorry to post so frequently, but I really want this journey to be documented in the best way…

I was just on youtube trying to find more Kenyan videos I might have missed in the past, when I just suddenly had the urge to cry. I don’t know how much you guys know about me, or if I already put this on my ‘Why the Peace Corps’ page, but doing something like this with the Peace Corps has been a dream of mine since I was seven years old. Though I didn’t have a name for it, “Peace Corps,” I had an idea for it. This is very exciting for me. It’s very easy for me to get lost in the technical details sometimes, like having a competitive application, or making sure OMS has reviewed my medical kit. Thus, it’s very easy for me to forget to look at the big picture, why I’m doing what I’m doing. Now that I’ve had the opportunity to, I’m ecstatic! I’m going to Kenya, and I’m going to make a difference. Though it might be small, collectively, with all the other volunteers across the world, I think it’s an impact to be proud of being a part of.

I really do adore all of you. I wish I knew people like you around my area. I hope that during our service, we can still stay in touch. I’m very happy to have gotten to this point with you and all your positive energy, so I’m definitely hoping for it to continue.

I feel like this is something I should be saying the night before I leave for Kenya, but I feel it now, so I just wanted to express this.

-Kortni

The Results Came In

Kortni — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 01:35:08 +0000

I was in my Molecular Pharmacology class when I got a text message from my mom with the results. It read, “I am cancer FREE!” The best 4-word combination I’ve ever heard in a long time. I literally couldn’t stop smiling. After class, I called her to talk details and everything is going to be alright. Then….I pulled out my laptop and accepted my invitation!!!!

This means I get to joke about all the things I’ll get to do in Kenya like… adopting a zebra, ridding a giraffe, befriending a lion cub, using Lion King references in normal day-to-day conversations, climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro and bragging to all my friends back in America about it, etc. (Wow, a lot of those have to do with animals.) Needless to say, I’m really excited!! I have a lot of researching and preparing to do. Please excuse me while I dance around my house because I’m going to Kenya!

My Invite to…

Kortni — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 01:49:59 +0000

A video, for your viewing pleasure:

My Invitation is Here

Kortni — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 21:46:06 +0000

I haven’t opened it yet. It’s funny. For the past couple of months, I’ve been contemplating what I was going to do when I received my invitation. Would I open it right away? Would I wait? Which paper would I look at to find out which country? Would it be the one in the pretty blue package or the cover letter? Today, when I saw it there lying on the ground next to the door, I was not very happy at all. I cannot open it.

I called my mom…We talked about it. We are hopeful that everything is going to be okay. We’ll be receiving results hopefully by Wednesday. Wednesday, I’ll make my decision. That’s 7 days. Until the meantime, I’m still going to be brainstorming when I’m going to open it. Don’t worry; I’ll keep you guys updated. Thank you for being so supportive. It feels like a soap opera right now, so it doesn’t even seem real. Thanks.

Hmmm…

Kortni — Wed, 26 Jan 2011 00:16:32 +0000

Well, this is a complete turn of events. I might have to deny my invitation. I haven’t received it yet, so I have 10 days after I do to make a decision. Does anyone know if you can get an extension?