In My Spare Time...

So here's a quick note to update everyone on my status. My last day at work is the day after tomorrow and I still have a TON to do (I'm going to stay and work at church through the end of the summer, though). After that I'm counseling at a camp in Pentwater for a week. Then I have three weeks before the next camp, Camp New Day. I'm actually in charge at Camp New Day and will have lots of preparation things to fill those three weeks - picking up craft supplies, assigning cabins, making last minute adjustments to the evening activities, etc. Speaking of which, do you know anyone interested in being a camp counselor?

I haven't started my language lessons yet - I figure I'll have plenty of time after the first week of camp is over. I got as far as finding out that there are no w's in the Azerbaijani alphabet. That should be interesting considering my name. I have met some of the other volunteers that I'll be going with (online, not in person) and they're from all over the country. But so far I've just met people who will be in the TEFL (Teaching English as a Foreign Language) and Youth Development programs, none that are joining me in the Community Economic Development program.

My list is started and I've done some shopping (which means I've gotten as far as purchasing my luggage).
So the next couple of months should be interesting! Stay tuned!

The Right Thing To Do...

So I gave my notice at work earlier this week. It went about as smooth as it could go for someone who's been there almost six years (it was hard, but exciting at the same time). The next day the announcement went out that I'd be leaving and my last day would be July 3rd. The phone started ringing and email replies started popping up in my inbox right away...It was quite the shocker to send out, even more so since it was in first person - coming from me about me, the HR person. There were lots of congratulations and good lucks, along with questions like "Where is Azerbaijan?" and "What will you do there?" and "Do you have to go through training for this?" I think my favorite was having to tell someone that no, this is not a test to make sure you're reading your announcement emails.

It was great to get a response like that - and it reassured me that I'm doing the right thing. Most everyone was surprised, but after the shock wore off multiple people were telling me that they could really see me doing this, that it suits me. That was great to hear and seems like a great premonition for the future!

On another note, I'm already stressing and making tons of lists about all the things that I want to accomplish at work before I'm done...I don't want to leave them in a bind!

The Mission

For those of you that are not familiar with the Peace Corps, here is some basic information and the link to their website.

The Peace Corps' mission has three simple goals:

• Helping the people of interested countries in meeting their need for trained men and women.
• Helping promote a better understanding of Americans on the part of the peoples served.
• Helping promote a better understanding of other peoples on the part of Americans.

http://www.peacecorps.gov/

The Start of Something New...

The invitation has arrived (Thursday, amazingly only two days after being notified that it was in the mail!) and the country I've been invited to serve the Peace Corps in is...Azerbaijan! My role is as a Community Economic Development Advisor and I will be leaving on September 21st.

Backing up a moment for those who have no idea what I've been doing - I decided in December that I was interested in the Peace Corps, did a TON of research, submitted my official application in January, interviewed and was nominated in February, spent February, March and April taking care of dr. appointments for medical/dental clearance, and then was invited a couple days ago (and will accept the invitation on Monday). This may seem like a surprise for many of you, but I assure you that I have done my research and really want to do this (and feel as though I'm supposed to be doing this) - and as the title of this blog suggests, I don't want to look back at my life in 20, 30, 40, 50 or more years and wonder how it could have been different or what it would have been like if I took a leap.
Well, this is my leap.



I will admit right now that I am as scared/nervous as I have ever been. But I think/hope it's normal. I mean, I'm leaving for 27 months! But what would life be like if you never did anything that you're scared of? I may not have wanted to, but I got on that rollercoaster at Six Flags that took me upside down, and I survived and even enjoyed it (I'll admit, joining the Peace Corps is a little bigger than that) and I fully believe that something as tough as this will only make me a stronger person (like the rollercoaster).

So Azerbaijan. Are some of you wondering where that is right now? That's what I thought. Azerbaijan is located on the Caspian Sea and shares its borders with Iran, Russia, Armenia, Georgia and Turkey (some say it's located in Eastern Europe, some say the Middle East, and still others say Central Asia). It's a Muslim country, but from what I've read it's more of a historical/cultural part of the people than a religion that is practiced. They speak Azerbaijani and were a part of the Soviet Union until 1991. The Peace Corps has been active in Azerbaijan since 2003.

Here's an overview of what will be happening:

September 21 - 22, 2008: Staging
Staging is located in a major US city and is where all of the training group gathers and begins to be oriented to the Peace Corps. We then travel to Azerbaijan as a group.

September 23, 2008 - December 9, 2008: Pre-Service Training
This is done in Azerbaijan and includes language, job, culture, safety, etc. training. Trainees live with a host family during this time and have practical experience in what they will be doing at their permanent site. Volunteers are assigned to their permanent sites part way through training.

December 9th, 2008 - December 8th, 2010: Service
After training volunteers are sworn in and move to their permanent sites. Staying with a host family is required for a certain length of time. My job as a Community Economic Development Advisor means I could be doing a wide variety of things - teaching business related courses, developing funding proposals, organizational development, and on and on. The possibilities are endless.


My goal with this blog is to keep my friends and family up to date with the experiences that I have during this amazing adventure. Obviously, I haven't gone anywhere yet and cannot anticipate the conditions I'll have (how accessible the internet will be) so please be patient with me when I do arrive - and for now, it may just be posts about how I'm a horrible packer and the many things that will need to be done before I leave the country for 27 months. Any questions, just post and ask! Or send me an email directly at wendysuewalter@gmail.com.

Thoughts and prayers will definitely be appreciated during this apprehensive time!