Posted June 4th, 2003 by Michelle

Well. It has certainly been a full twenty-four hours. Suffice to say that I left my house at noon yesterday, and only just got home. And that I lost a few articles of worth on the way (haven’t seen my watch in several hours).

It started at the huge government office at Houston and Varrick. I had been to the Peace Corps office only once before, where the security checkpoint in the front of the building kept me for about five minutes to discuss why there were metal clips in my shoes, why I carried an Allen wrench, and various other bike-related inquiries. This time I was without my bike gear, and one of the security guys said, “I recognize you. You can go,” (after I had already been through the metal machine and swiped all over by a detector). So I made my way upstairs and only waited for about thirty seconds before my recruiter, a big, balding, sweet man, led me straight to the fingerpriting machine. I joked about never having done this before. He said, “Well, that’s good. When people come in and say ‘I have to do this again?’ I’m always a little worried.” After that we sat in a room and chatted. He asked me many good questions, but some of them were difficult to answer. He asked me about the last time I had a conflict with someone, and what I did to resolve it. I sat there for about two minutes trying to think of a conflict I’d had recently and couldn’t come up with one. So I talked about maintaining my friendship with one of my good friends, about how we had gone through some difficult times in our friendship but that now all was well. He asked me if my family was supportive, what I thought my biggest challenge would be, if there was anyone in particular that would be difficult to leave. As we were nearing the end, I asked him how long the whole process would take. He looked at me and said, “Ask anyone here. I don’t usually do this, I usually wait until after a second meeting to nominate anyone, but I think you are ready, and I am going to nominate you now.” Which was great. I had told him that I wanted to do something agricultural/environmental, rather than AIDS-related or medical, because anywhere I go I will be an AIDS activist and a medic. I can do these things while also working with farmers or in forests. He agreed that that was a great idea, and he pulled out a huge book that listed, in very general terms, the types of jobs coming up, where they would be, and when they would begin. There happened to be an agricultural/forestry job, starting in October in French-speaking Africa. Perfect. I can leave in October, since the AIDSRide is in September, I speak some French, and I want to go to Africa.

He said he was calling the office in D.C. and that I should check back with him tomorrow to find out if I have to be enrolled in a refresher French course before I can be officially nominated. I’ve already done the homework on that. There is a class starting in three weeks that would be over in August. If he can nominate me, the next step is the health exam and backround check, both which could be completed quickly. And as soon as I’ve sent them the health exam forms, I could be invited. Crazy, right? I mostly just want to know. I just want to know if I’m going so I can plan the next few months accordingly.

After my meeting, I met Hayley at a new Mexican restaurant on 6th Ave. We had our first margarita at about 3 PM, and, well, the rest is a ridiculously fun blur. I do recall making it McSorley’s where we met all sorts of people. There was a TV crew filming the reactions of smokers to the smoking ban, which created a hot debate throughout the bar. We started talking to an Australian guy who had only been here for a couple of weeks, and he ended up going to Ryan’s Irish Pub with us. Hayley and I tend to make a lot of new friends when we go out, and this night was no exception.

Anyway, I’m feeling it a bit this morning, and the dreary weather is not helping at all. But it is a glorious day off, and I hope to make the most of it. Or perhaps I’ll just go back to bed.