I had a plan… I always have a plan. Some are bigger than others. This one was pretty big… join the Peace Corps. 

This plan came about while I was taking care of my dad in the last few years of his life. The things that had held me back previously were no longer in my way. My dad so supported the idea that a couple of times he said I should apply right away – we could talk on the phone on Sundays, he said. I gently reminded him that he needed someone to take him to medical appointments, manage his finances, and generally coordinate life for him. He would nod acceptingly and we’d go on, a very practical man. Still, I love how much he wanted this for me.

Over several years, I looked at the Peace Corps openings from time to time. I identified that I wanted to do agricultural or environmental work (I LOVE growing food) and my first choice of countries was Nepal – I also love the mountains. I figured out that this combination came open each spring. So, in February 2020, I looked – there it was, my Peace Corps position!

Before the end of the month my application was in. About ten days after submitting my application, I learned that my initial medical screening meant I couldn’t serve in Nepal. But, immediately on the heels of that email, another said that I was under consideration for an agroforestry position in Guinea. That seemed like a good alternative, although I was a little concerned about melting in the African heat.

Yeah, you know what happens next… it happened to all of us… the world closed its doors and shut down. Still, as that was happening, I did have an interview for Guinea in early April 2020. I anxiously awaited the “know by” date of June 1, which was pushed out to September, then pulled completely… and I waited…

Had the original plan gone as anticipated, I would have left for Guinea at the end of November 2020. By now, April of 2022, I would have been in country for well over a year.

So on to plan B, C, D… Z…