Chapt 2.5
I do enjoy reading the accounts of my fellow bloggers on PC Journals and the comments of those on PeaceCorpsConnect- such awesome information sharing & moral support forums! My nominiation is for an Environmental Educaiton program in September 2010...so needless to say I have all the time in the world to scour the net for what the next step will be (after Legal Clearance) and be prepared.
To that end, I've updated my Resume to include an Objective Statement at the top: Seeking an invitation as an Environmental Education volunteer in the Peace Corps. I also added VOLUNTEER EXPERIENCE section which highlighted my volunteering in short bullet format. Overall, i think it looks so much better than the one I originally submitted with my application last Fall b/c the orign resume was the first time drafting a resume.
I also started working on an Aspiration Statement!! Thanks to some of the more detailed bloggers who actually posted their Aspiration Statements w/ subtitles to give you an idea of what you should be thinking of. They ask for Aspiration Statement along with the official PC Invitation to serve, AND a lot of other paperwork, so I figured 'why not do it now?' Yes, it's a little generic, but it will be a great springboard. Plus, why not start thinking about what motiviates you and start imagining what you will do after your Peace Corps experience????
This is an excellent time to practice more than patience...practice positive thinking...being sure of what you hope for & certain of what you do not see.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Finally some time to read
Chapt 2.4
Eastern-Atlantic BLIZZARD of 2010 has afforded a snow day, and some time to read. I'm currently reading Dark Star Safari by Paul Thereux...which is turning out to be a gripping read of his travels from Cairo to Cape Town (this is also the subtitle)! I don't expect to serve in Africa, but I am enjoying the book!
For those who haven't read Banjoree's "What to know before you go: insider's guide to the Peace Corps" he mentions that you should take a new book w/ you as you will likely find a vast library of donated books at you in-country PC office full of all the classics... so no need load your suitcase down.
I'm sitting here trying to think, if I could only choose two books to take w/ me (to the moon), what would they be? The Bible would be one (unless they already had a Bible on the moon)! So my second, I'm thinking should be poetry or philosophical in nature....since I never seem to have times to read these!
The History of God by Karen Armstron is a strong runner-up right now or Genius by Harold Bloom (widely read literary critic). Both books are long and big...and I've owned for more than 5 years! My Modus Operendi (M.O) seems to be that I read 50-100 pages, then stop to read another book, and by the time pick my original book back up, I have totally forgotten what I read and I havve to start all over again!! It's cycle!
I guess I'm trying to figure this out so I don't inadvertantly pack my books away in boxes, and lose them in storage.
Eastern-Atlantic BLIZZARD of 2010 has afforded a snow day, and some time to read. I'm currently reading Dark Star Safari by Paul Thereux...which is turning out to be a gripping read of his travels from Cairo to Cape Town (this is also the subtitle)! I don't expect to serve in Africa, but I am enjoying the book!
For those who haven't read Banjoree's "What to know before you go: insider's guide to the Peace Corps" he mentions that you should take a new book w/ you as you will likely find a vast library of donated books at you in-country PC office full of all the classics... so no need load your suitcase down.
I'm sitting here trying to think, if I could only choose two books to take w/ me (to the moon), what would they be? The Bible would be one (unless they already had a Bible on the moon)! So my second, I'm thinking should be poetry or philosophical in nature....since I never seem to have times to read these!
The History of God by Karen Armstron is a strong runner-up right now or Genius by Harold Bloom (widely read literary critic). Both books are long and big...and I've owned for more than 5 years! My Modus Operendi (M.O) seems to be that I read 50-100 pages, then stop to read another book, and by the time pick my original book back up, I have totally forgotten what I read and I havve to start all over again!! It's cycle!
I guess I'm trying to figure this out so I don't inadvertantly pack my books away in boxes, and lose them in storage.
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Skill Sets
Chapt 2.3
When I originally applied to the Peace Corps, I didn't do too much homework about the programs and countries. I was more concerned about whether my skill sets would be useful to the PC, rather than really figuring out what I would love to do in PC.
Bad idea? Maybe. I had been (and am) volunteering w/ the Lions Club, 1-on-1 literacy tutoring, and occasionally at my church's soup kitchen. I'm also bilingual (English/Spanish). Based on that, I applied for 1. Education, 2. Environment, and 3. Community Development.
I was nomiated for an Enironmental Education project (which thrills me) in Latin America departing in SEPT! But now that's I've working through peacecorp.gov's country and work area maps, I'm kind of remiss that I didn't ask or hint at an assignment in the Pacific Islands for marine conservation (think coral reefs) or natural resource management...after all, my degree is in Marine & Environmental Science!
Looking on peacecorpsWiki.com, I see all the possiblities of Environment projects departing in Sept. FIJI is on the list (but not high up).#1 is PERU.
I would love to be able to exercize my degree in a practical setting/manner. Plus, it would set the stage for my future graduate studies; the University of Idaho offers a great Environmental Studies graduate program & I'm planning to take the GRE before transitioning from the military (and the Post 9/11 GI bill will pay for it).
Oh, the opportunities are endless. A friend once told me, 'you got to make things happen.' If you keep doing the same thing, you're going to keep getting what you've always gotten. I also remember teh Sister Hazel song that says, 'if you want to be someone else, you got to change your mind.' Thus, I set foot in the Real world....where economies are bad, people go w/out health insurance, and the struggle to survive is very real.
When I originally applied to the Peace Corps, I didn't do too much homework about the programs and countries. I was more concerned about whether my skill sets would be useful to the PC, rather than really figuring out what I would love to do in PC.
Bad idea? Maybe. I had been (and am) volunteering w/ the Lions Club, 1-on-1 literacy tutoring, and occasionally at my church's soup kitchen. I'm also bilingual (English/Spanish). Based on that, I applied for 1. Education, 2. Environment, and 3. Community Development.
I was nomiated for an Enironmental Education project (which thrills me) in Latin America departing in SEPT! But now that's I've working through peacecorp.gov's country and work area maps, I'm kind of remiss that I didn't ask or hint at an assignment in the Pacific Islands for marine conservation (think coral reefs) or natural resource management...after all, my degree is in Marine & Environmental Science!
Looking on peacecorpsWiki.com, I see all the possiblities of Environment projects departing in Sept. FIJI is on the list (but not high up).#1 is PERU.
I would love to be able to exercize my degree in a practical setting/manner. Plus, it would set the stage for my future graduate studies; the University of Idaho offers a great Environmental Studies graduate program & I'm planning to take the GRE before transitioning from the military (and the Post 9/11 GI bill will pay for it).
Oh, the opportunities are endless. A friend once told me, 'you got to make things happen.' If you keep doing the same thing, you're going to keep getting what you've always gotten. I also remember teh Sister Hazel song that says, 'if you want to be someone else, you got to change your mind.' Thus, I set foot in the Real world....where economies are bad, people go w/out health insurance, and the struggle to survive is very real.
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