Late winter of 2022, I was happily working part-time, planning two adventures, and starting to think about a getting a garden going… and then…

I got an email from Peace Corps requesting an interview! Wow! So much for the monthly emails I was expecting, but this was even better.

I picked the first interview time that worked for me, March 1. I put on a collared shirt, a silk scarf, a suit coat, and leggings… it is after all the world of virtual interviews. I thought the interview went well and we had some good conversation about what to expect, process, timing. Yes, timing! They were looking at a tentative departure date of late July or August. Sooner than I expected!

My placement officer also shared that the Peace Corps would issue invitations at least two months before departure to allow time for clearances and for volunteers to get ready to go. Working backwards, that puts a potential invitation date of late May for a late July departure.

Reconsidering plans

Of course, I wanted to know if I would be invited to serve, but I also wanted to know when I would know. In fact, the latter seemed almost more important – knowing when I would know would allow me to make plans for the interim.

Lacking any info, I looked at alternate plans for the spring. My big road trip was to happen in April and May, so I plotted out a shorter trip if that seemed like it would be warranted. But the more I thought about it, I would be almost home by the end of May and I could cut a few days off the trip along the way – maybe I should just go for it. And, I didn’t have to make a decision yet. In fact, I could make the decision while I was underway depending on when I received more information.

So, I was back to finishing up my job and planning trips.

Photo is a from a sunny snowshoe hike at Mt Rainer.