Ashlee's Peace Corps adventure...

This section is a breakdown of my experience with the application process...

• ~March 8, 2006: Application and Health Status Review Submitted
• ~April 7, 2006: Interview completed
• ~April 11, 2006: Fingerprints and background check completed
• ~May 16, 2006: NOMINATED! I was nominated for program #155-07-033-A2... or in other words a Health Extension program going to Africa in April 07 to do HIV/AIDS education and outreach  
• ~June 27, 2006: PC OMS received my medical packet, filled with pages of questions about anything and everything and my lab results from the SIX tubes of blood they took!
• ~September 8, 2006: Officially MEDICALLY CLEARED! After the application/interview/nomination medical clearance is in theory the biggest hurdle in the way of getting an official invitation! The only issue I had was that since I use Dramamine for motion sickness my doctor had to fill out a couple pages of paper work say when/why/how I use it... I know crazy for Dramamine... but at least that was the only problem I had!
• ~September 26, 2006: Dental clearance! What this means is that I have completed all the necessary paperwork and information to be officially considered available for Peace Corps service!
• ~December 9, 2006: INVITATION!!! I was officially nominated to serve in Botswana. My program is "Community Capacity Building for HIV/AIDS in the area of home based care and orphan care and also prevention of mother to child transmission."
• I was so excited I called Peace Corps as soon as I received it through email, but they told me to take more than a hour to think about it and call back in a couple days... so I did  
• Once you accept your invitation there are a few things which need to be done: Aspiration statement, updated resume and apply for PC passport... all of which I have finished 
• ~March 17, 2007: Received my staging kit! This was basically the last bit of paperwork I will receive from the Peace Corps. It had information about flight arrangements, schedule for staging and some forms to fill out.
• April 15, 2007: Started Staging in Philadelphia: This is when I first met the other 43 people who I would be travelling to Botswana with. Staging is basically just about getting to know each other and spending a couple days preparing for the great adventure that lies ahead...
• April 17, 2007: Depart for Botswana! This is when it really all began... we made the trek from Philadelphia to JFK on two buses and then departed for Jo Burg
• June 21, 2007: Officially sworn in as a PCV. This was the day we had a ceremony with PC staff, local government officials and our host families. All of us who started training successfully completed it and from here it was on to life as a PCV. And this is when the real story begins...