I had my maybe-final phone interview today with my Placement Officer. I was super nervous. At the beginning my hand was shaking so hard I thought I might drop the phone. But I relaxed and got into my confident "radio" Zara voice. My PO was really nice through-out the interview. She asked me why I wanted to go into the Peace Corps, about my gardening experience, about my French experience, about my family & friends' feelings, about how the Peace Corps related to my life-goals, then if I was disappointed to be nominated for agricultural rather than health (nope!).

Unfortunately, she has more applicants than spots for the Ag program she is trying to fill right now (Cameroon??). So she is doing some more interviews and then will pick the best of us for those spots. Aaah! Direct competition! I hope very much that I get one of those spots, but if not I will know that someone better suited will be very excited to have one. She will be choosing the invitees by next Wednesday (6 weeks before Cameroon staging?!).

If I don't get one of those spots, she said I had the bare minimum qualifications for science teaching, and asked me about my teaching experience. She said that we would talk again if I did not get the Ag invite. So, hopefully, whatever happens, I will get a spot somewhere, sometime, some day.

Til then, j'espère et j'attends.
Z-dawg.

Last time I thought about something besides the Peace Corps (or boys): ... I have no idea. What else is there to think about?

Can't wait 'til Wednesday. And also however long it takes to get to the next step. And the next?

News! Got an e-mail from my PO two days ago. We have scheduled a final phone interview for next Wednesday at 10 am (here, 1 pm EST). !!! From what I have gleaned from other blogs this is the last step before invitation! I am nervous about the interview. It seems like it will be pretty standard. I am just not a big fan of phones. Or interviews. Ha. It will be great though. I have been jumping around and smiling a lot.

Updates. Barely. Called the PC office again 2 weeks after I first called. My PO was out for the holiday weekend, so I left her a message. Haven't yet heard back from her. I called again two days ago, another week later. The lady I talked to said that I should hear something in 1 to 3 or 4 weeks.
Le sigh. If I end up going to Cameroon or Togo, the latest I could hear would be August 6th. Still a ways away. I looked at the Cameroon & Togo PC groups on facebook, there are a number of people already invited to both. Many of them are from the group that didn't go to Mauritania.

Will there be room for me? Will I wait longer?

Bark.

Patience. Un mot la même en français qu'en anglais.

Tomorrow morning I will call the Placement Office again, hoping to find out more about when I can hope to find out more. If I am in fact headed out mid-September, it could be an entire month before I find out if I am or am not invited. I guess it was silly to think that I would actually know by now.

Okay, Peace Corps, I will chill out. I will even sing you a Beatles song to woo you.

Who knows how long I've loved you
Do you know I love you still
Will I wait a lonely lifetime?
If you want me to I will.

Until next time, PC.