September 2012: Submitted official application via recently updated PC portal
November/December 2012: Interview with Peace Corps recruiter (estimation)
Early January 2013: Nomination for Education sector with tentative departure in June 2013
April 2013: Rec’d news that the Medical Office was delayed in pre-approving me and that I would not be eligible for June departure. Was given 7 days to decide to continue with the process, PC noted my departure would be closer to Jan-Mar 2014*
Early July 2013: Invited for PC Jamaica Education Sector departing March 2014! Given 7 days to reply
July 2013-March 2014: LOTS OF PAPERWORK ERRHH MEH GERRRD
October 2013-January 2014: Medical clearance process, all systems were go!
March 9, 2014: Departed for staging in Miami, FL
March 10, 2014: Staging event, meeting Group 85!
March 11, 2014: Arrived in Kingston, Jamaica
Total time from application to departure: ~19 months
May 12, 2014: Site announcements
May 22, 2014: Swearing in ceremony- off to site!
*Note: This was an extraordinarily discouraging part of the process. PC told me that this was a good test of my patience and flexibility. They were right, but that’s not to say it wasn’t easy. My life inevitably went on during this time. I changed jobs, set out to move on with my life in a new city, fell deeply in love, and eventually had to come to terms with the fact that one decision made by me (and for me) would alter all of these events. [See full post here]
