First and foremost, I should probably thank my family and friends for being so supportive of my decision whether or not they understand why I would be so willing to drop everything and run off to volunteer in god knows where, potentially without running water or electricity and getting paid at the poverty level in the country.  Honestly, it was a very spontaneous decision and one that, at the time of applying, I never thought I would go through with.  But as the wait to hear back continued, the more I thought about it, the more sense it made to volunteer abroad.  I have had the privilege to travel throughout the world and experience a mess of different cultures, norms and peoples and seen how lucky we are to be living in a country that provides us every opportunity to succeed.  On top of that, I have been able to appreciate having a set of parents that stop at nothing to make sure their children not only have the opportunities so many do not, but push us to succeed in everything we attempt.

So really, a year and a half ago when I applied, I thought this would be an easy process that would quickly either accept or deny me.  However, as you can tell from the application timeline, that was not the case, and thankfully it wasn't.  When I applied, I did so with little research into the organization, how applicants are chosen and where they are sent.  While the Peace Corps certainly was occasionally forgotten throughout the 18 month wait, I was able to do more research into the organization and understand what they actually do.  The interview and application process also really forced me to think about what it is I want to do with a bachelors degree in International Business and minor in Spanish.  

The application required an essay that answered the question "Why do you want to serve".  Up to that point, I had no clue what I wanted to do after college except that I wanted to do something in the wide world of business.  What industry?  What position? What location? I had no idea.  But after reading the essay question on the application, I was forced to take a look at my life and see how much we take for granted here and how little people around the world have.  I think that regardless of whether or not I received an invitation to serve, I would be somewhere around the world or in a poor neighborhood here in the US doing my best to help other people have equal access to the opportunities I had.  

During the wait to hear about my acceptance, I began to look at other aid organizations around the world and how to get involved with those.  I applied for a number of positions at AmeriCorps as well as a vast number of other organizations that work with entrepreneurs in developing countries to build global relationships.  For the first time in my job search, I was excited to hear back from applications and was willing to do whatever it took to get involved. While many of these organizations require advanced degrees or years of service in the field, I was finally able to "find my calling". 

Without applying for the Peace Corps and being open to where they send me, I would probably be stuck in an office doing something that I really don't want to do.  While the journey will certainly be tough and twenty seven months is a long time to be away from the comfort of home, I have absolutely no regrets and am extremely excited to be embarking on this new experience.