What.. What is this???

Laura Rowe Photography

What... what is this?? Is it excitement?? Why yes, YES IT IS!

FINALLY. Something to spark my little fire - again.

I did it. I took the next step. Well... one step in a looooong line of steps. Which may or may not pan out, but the outlook is good.

I met with a Peace Corps recruiter today. Discussed my options, talked about my experience in life - AND asked tons of questions and got amazing answers.



Soooooo..... here's the deal. I have the education experience you need. I have THREE out of 4 categories covered (which makes you waaaaay more attractive to them.) I have worked with youth organizations for YEARS and Health Prevention organization for YEARS AND my degree is in Journalism which translates to WRITING/READING.. AND I took French for 2 years in high school and 5 classes in college...

Yep.. Yep..

Not to mention the 14 exchange students and immigrant husband.

Or the years as a youth group leader, or community speaker, or.. I could go on and on...

You like that mini/unofficial resume I just threw at you?? LOL They loved it. LOVED LOVED LOVED IT.

Exciting.

One thing she said after our little talk is, "Well, you've got the experience part down, and are well rounded in interests. Should be a shoe in."

Say what?

Can you say that again!!!!!???

It's extremely competitive. You need tons of volunteer experience, which I have years and years and years of volunteering experience. From tutoring adults who are illiterate, to walking homeless dogs for the humane society, to youth group activities, to ALL OF THOSE EXCHANGE STUDENTS.. to everything.


Sorry.. I am just excited. Jumping for joy kind of excited, because THIS IS ONE OF MY DREAMS. Truly, I've written about it before. Maybe this is the next step. Every fiber of my being says do it. Every time I start to think, nooo.. wait.. some little whisper keeps saying - DO IT.

I'm not kidding... auto pilot type of do it.

Luckily, third world countries fascinate me! Not to mention,  I used to spend my entire summers living in a room the size of a bathroom with screens on the windows in the middle of a forest with close to a hundred screaming kids that I would take on small ropes courses.

I really want to push for the public health education piece. HIV education fascinates me. Perhaps while I wait, I will volunteer with one of the health organizations in town. Yep... next step. I think this is what I need to do.



Crazy? Nope. Well.. okay, a little.

But something clicked on today while driving the old country roads to the university (ps - why are most unis out in the middle of NOWHERE??) - I got to thinking about my purpose, my passion. I like to write. Can you imagine the stories I could share about a west African village? I like to take photos. Can you imagine the views of the mountains in Northern Thailand. I like to meet interesting people. Can you imagine the brilliant people I would work with or the colorful characters of a Caribbean Island? I like to try foods from other countries. Can you imagine all of the colorful items on a Peruvian plate? I like good conversation and learning new languages. Can you imagine me jabbing it up with a villager about Soviet Rule in Kazakhstan?

*sigh*

Still - it might not happen.

But I need to try.

Seriously.

I keep waiting for the egyptian. I keep waiting on a job (which I still need for at least a year or more..) I keep waiting and waiting and waiting for life to happen.

From time to time, I live. I mean REALLY live. The times I let the world suck the spirit from me,is when I feel I am wasting my life.
Remember me talking about finding my purpose? Why am I so fascinated with people from other countries, other cultures? Why did God put this passion in me, to serve the world??

I used to wonder why I never wanted kids, or why staying in one place and buying a home and living a traditional life was so distasteful to me.

Maybe.... God heard my plea. I asked in a prayer recently for something to be revealed to me.

Last Tuesday I got the email from the Peace Corps about meeting up with the rep.

I got up an went, even though I felt like crap.

I left feeling a sense of purpose.