As you may recall I have been on legal hold for the Peace Corps since early October. The issue was they had not completed my background check most likely because I have a secret clearance which makes the process longer. In addition, there was a government shutdown which added to the waiting as, even though the PC got the background packet, a week later the gov shut down and there was no one at work to review it. So, after the gov reopened, my packet was reviewed by newly returned to work employees, and I got my legal clearance. Oi Vey
At this point I was asked for my preference on where I would like to go and was then presented with two options, Uganda and Vanuatu. I'm already familiar with Uganda as I had previously sponsored a child there through the Christian Children's' Fund some time ago. Vanuatu on the other hand I had to look up. After about two seconds I had made my decision. Tropical, island paradise please!
Vanuatu is an island country in the south pacific near Australia and New Zealand. It is made of about 80 islands. I say 'about' because a few of those islands are still being contested with the French. Both the English and the French had colonies in the area until they declared independence in 1980. Vanuatu and I are the same age!
The program I will be assigned to is Water, Sanitation, Hygiene (WASH) and Nutrition. Though what I will be doing exactly greatly depends on assignment and local needs. I made the big mistake during the conference call of saying I was interested in something specific, desalination, and asked how programs are picked. The next ten minutes was spent with four people, telling me to not show up with my idea of how things should be fixed. I felt really bad after that. I just wanted to know how a volunteer got to working on a specific program and to throw out there that I had some areas of interests that I would like to work on. But apparently my question of "So, I'm interested in desalination. How are projects picked?" was an early indication of imperialistic idealism that must be squashed completely and immediately.
So packing and luggage. I had packed two suitcases with what I needed for The Gambia based off of their three page packing list. In The Gambia, somethings are just too expensive or hard to get in country and you should just bring it with you while trying not to bring too much. If you can't live without it, if it will make your life more comfortable and easier, bring it and don't plan on getting it in country.
In Vanuatu, the over all consensus is it is all easy and inexpensive to get so don't bring too much. So now I have two suitcases that I had packed for one and am just going to bring to the other. If it's too much then so be it. I've already purchased it all and frankly have no where to stow it if I don't bring it with me.
When I was planning on going to The Gambia the staging occurred in Washington DC. I had stored my two suitcases at the staging hotel in DC and the plan was that the PC would fly me from my home of record, Utah, back to DC where I would then retrieve them. I then traveled from Virginia to California and then to Utah. But the Vanuatu staging is in Las Angels. Balls. That means I paid to have my luggage mailed to me. Dirty balls.
But I now have my luggage with me and I am all set to go to Las Angeles to then fly out for Vanuatu at the end of April. Once I sell the RV.
Remember how excited I was to get an RV? How profitable it was while I was renting it out when I wasn't using it? How I was going to be a proper nomad in my house on wheels? Well, Salt Lake City is a shit place for renting out an RV because of how saturated the market is and oh ya, winter. My friends in Cali who were going to hold onto it for me and continue to rent it out while taking their cut from the rental profits decided 'oh hey, since you haven't left yet, we've changed our minds. can you take it back?' So I have been trying to sell the sucker for six months now and have had no income from it cause RV rentals don't have a demand in winter.
This RV situation is balls. I have 8 brothers and sisters and god knows how many cousins, nieces, and nephews. No one can help me out with this thing. The truth is, my family just doesn't like me much. Well, actually when has this family ever come together to pool our resources and talents to help each other out? Though shout out to my brother who offered to put my RV on his property so as to help me with placing it somewhere.
But in the end I did find a company in Arizona, Going Places RV Rental, where it is now consigned. The company will keep the sucker onsite and do all of the work of renting it out. After their share of the rental fee I expect to need to rent it out for 7-10 days out of the month in order for the it to pay for itself. Fingers crossed this solves that problem.
So there we are. I am joining the Peace Corps, a volunteer position where I will be paid nothing for the next two years in order to have a fabulous life experience and to make a positive impact on the world. Meanwhile, my life is still a series of mistakes and blunders that mucks everything up. Joy.