This morning, I received the notice that the Peace Corps is standing by their original decision to not clear me for medical.

So, that’s it. That’s the end. I’m not going to Uganda. That dream has ended.

Unceremonious.

Can you go to another country?

Given the nature of their medical concerns and the rest of my medical history, other locations are not an option.

How are you?

Not surprised. Disappointed. Sad. A little angry and frustrated. I did see this coming; it was the outcome I anticipated. I’m also a little relieved to finally have a definitive answer. At least I can go do something now.

What are your plans?

My immediate plans are to have some fun and take advantage of not having a job.

I saw this decision coming so have already started working on alternate plans and those will go into high gear in the next few days – hike the Washington section of the Pacific Crest Trail and then do a road trip around the US.

The hiking plans are not as set as I’d like, but I think I can pull it off. I’ll meet up with some friends about halfway, and that will help with some of the logistics of resupplies farther north. In the meantime, I need to work out details of my itinerary and prepare food. My hiking buddy and I joke that we hike so we can eat. Eating 3000+ calories of healthy, yet lightweight, food a day is a challenge! Some days, you just need to chow down on chocolate.

For the road trip, I’m going to take the itinerary I had already worked out and reverse it because I’ll head out in the fall instead of the spring.

Do you have longer term plans?

I have some ideas, but first want to have some time to not plan, some time to see what comes and what draws me. I’m very interested in growing food, that’s one thing that I always have the time and energy for. At the same time, partly for financial reason, I’m also considering going back to formal employment in my field, but not quite yet…

Will you still blog?

Yes! I enjoy writing and have some ideas I want to explore; I’ll also share some adventures, photos, and artwork. It will be under a different title and address, as, rather obviously, Karin’s Peace Corps Adventures is not an accurate title for anything that comes next. I will likely transfer this content over… but first I have to figure out the details of how to do that. I’ll post a link here so if you are checking this or signed up for updates, you’ll get the new info.

Photo

Today’s photo is a Himalayan Blue Poppy – my favorite flower. Why my favorite? It’s blue and it grows in cold climates. This particular one, with its head hanging down, looks a little sad, reflecting my feelings today.

The first place I saw these flowers was in my neighbor’s yard in Anchorage. They will also grow in western WA. A couple of years ago, I bought two, but managed to kill them off before I had them planted in the yard… I expect I’ll try again.