Getting Ready

As most of you know by now (some may still be unaware), I will be leaving Arizona in about a month to spend the next 27 months as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Honduras. Getting to this point has been a long, arduous process. I submitted my application in December of 2007, had an interview in February, was medically cleared in May and was finally invited to serve in October. All in all it has taken fourteen months from the time I submitted my application to the time I will be leaving. 

Some may ask, "Why the Peace Corps?" Well, it is something that I have thought about doing since I was in high school. I've always thought that it would be a great opportunity to travel, learn a new language, experience a new culture, and most importantly to help people that have not been blessed with the same comforts that we here in the United States and other places in the developed world take for granted. Though I had thought about joining, it was never in the forefront of my mind until I got a job sitting in a cubicle for nine hours a day. During the long hours spent staring at said cubicle wall I decided that there is no better time than now to do something that I had been dreaming of for years. After being let go from that job in June due to the bad economy, I was sure that the Peace Corps was something that I wanted to do, and here we are. 

Being that I have a degree in finance and have worked for a few years as a securities analyst, it seems fitting that I have been invited to serve as a business advising volunteer. Though the details of my job are still rather vague, I do know that I will be using the skills that I have acquired over the years in order to "assist organizations and individuals sustain economic growth and improve their economic opportunities." 

I am very excited of the prospects the next two years holds, but sad to be leaving family and friends that have meant and will continue to mean so much to me. I am starting this blog so that you all may be able to keep up on what is going on in my life down in Central America and hopefully keep in contact with me to let me know what is going on in yours. I am not sure how often I will be able to update, but I will try to keep things on here current. Thank you all for your support during the initial phases of this process. I love you all and hopefully I will get to see some of you in person before I leave on the 24th of February. Take care!