July 2009: start online application
August 2009-February 2010: not sure I'm willing to commit to the 27 month commitment, along with figuring out various personal and family issues about leaving/staying/grad school/etc..
March 2010: realize the Peace Corps is something I want to do in my lifetime, finish online application.
April 2010: submit online application
May 2010: get final reference in
May 2010: regional interview in Chicago (roadtrip!!)
June 2010: receive nomination for secondary science education in sub-Saharan Africa leaving June 2011
June 2010: receive medical clearance packet . . . and the myriad of doctor/dentist/eye visits commence.
September 2010: submit medical clearance packet, receive dental clearance less than a week later
October 2010: start getting nervous that I have heard NOTHING since receiving dental clearance 5+ weeks ago--call medical office. They tell me everything is fine, the nurse has approved my file and it's being sent to their doctor for final review, I should hear back in November about whether I'm medically cleared. phew! :-)
November 2010: get a call from medical clearance . . . they're waiting on my ophthalmology papers (had to get a procedure done earlier in the year) to come in after my last appointment before Thanksgiving, but once they get that in, they said everything looks "GREAT". oh so so close!!
December 2010: weigh pros and cons and decide to go ahead and do the touch-up ophthalmology procedure even though I know it means i might have to wait longer for medical clearance.
January 2011: get call from medical clearance (I've talked to/bothered this lady so much now I feel like we're friends) and am told I have to wait til March for medical clearance since they have to wait 3 months after procedures--even though my ophthalmologist said there were no complications--i tell her I understand.
March 2011: get email from placement stating that I've received medical clearance and that within the next 4-6 weeks my application will be reviewed for consideration for an invitation and also asking me for a final transcript and updated resume.
April 9 2011: get email from Peace Corps toolkit that my application status has been updated, but don't see any changes on the site. (at this point I thought that meant I hadn't gotten accepted--I was crushed)
BUT
April 11 2011: INVITED!!!!! got email from placement saying my invitation packet was in the mail and I'd be getting it in 3-5 business days
April 17 2011: Accepted invitation to serve as a secondary science educator in Burkina Faso leaving June 6th for staging!
361 DAYS from submitting my application to receiving notice of my invitation. It was a long wait, and there were points where I felt like giving up, but now I'm on my way to the biggest adventure of my life and officially a member of the United States Peace Corps!
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