Finally it's Final

The interminable wait has at long last reached a conclusion! I am going to Namibia in November! To update those who are in the fog, the long and involved process of applying for the Peace Corps has finally come to fruition. I submitted my initial application back in February 2008 and after an hour long phone interview, an extensive legal/dental/medical screening process, and many months of semi-fretful limbo, I finally opened my invitation packet amidst the onslaught of nerves and ebullience... Namibia! I quickly did a cursory scan of the packet full of info and learned that I will be teaching high school math for two years in one of the most sparsely populated countries in the world located on the Atlantic coast of Southern Africa. This volunteer assignment is almost exactly what I was hoping to do when I first had the idea to apply, and the confirmation comes with great relief as I just recently read an article describing the cuts to Peace Corps funding and the growing of number of qualified applicants that are being turned away. Although there is a certain amount of trepidation regarding the fact that I will be away from friends, family and the familiar for 27 months, I really feel that this is the right decision to make at this stage of my life and that everything will work out for the better. Depending on my placement within the country, I hope to have internet access (the frequency/reliability is yet to be determined...) so I can keep people informed about the goings-on in Namibia via this blog. There is a rapid intake of information happening as I read through everything that the Peace Corps has sent me, but there is still a lot more knowledge to acquire and tasks to complete, so until next time, may Peace proliferate.

-Paka