For a while now I’ve known that I have no desire to continue down my current career path.  Finance is not for me.  So I decided it was time to do something drastic.  But why Peace Corps?  That’s a good question, one that has been on my mind all throughout the entire application process.  I’m not exactly an altruist or an idealist, as you know.  I have no delusions about saving the world.  At first it was a just a whim.  But the more and more I thought about it, it just felt right.  If you think about it, doesn’t it sound like something that I would do? 

I can’t say that I was all that enthused about my nomination when I first got it back in November.  I had really wanted to go to Latin America so that I could become fluent in Spanish, but mostly I didn’t want to go anywhere cold.  And though I was being considered for only business-related projects because of my past experience, I expressed interest in health or environment projects instead.  What did I get?  A business project somewhere cold.  But now that I’ve done more research about Bulgaria and gotten more info from current and returned Peace Corps volunteers, I am really looking forward to it.  With Bulgaria eligible to join the EU in 2007, it seems like a very exciting time to be there.

I have just 2 more weeks of work left and then 4 weeks after that to pack, take care of all my business, and say goodbye to my friends and family.  I’m starting to get a bit nervous now that it’s become a reality, but I guess that’s natural.

On another note, I’ve now had several people tell me that I’ve lost a lot of weight.  Was I really that much of a fatass before?  I don’t think I look THAT different. 

Passport and visa applications have been sent, aspiration statement and resume are finished!  All that paperwork is done (for the time being).  Now I have to focus on sorting out all the crap I own and packing 27 months worth into a hundred pounds and getting rid of as much of the rest as I can.  Is it possible?

My bout with "malaria" was short-lived.  After a few days I feel a lot better, though I still have no appetite.  On the bright side, I seem to have lost all those pounds I packed on eating anything and everything.  I think I'm back to my normal weight.  I'll have to try on those jeans to find out.

People say that men have a tendency to lose weight in the Peace Corps, while women tend to gain.  How do you think I'll turn out?

pics from my trip 

I’m back from Panama, and I’m sitting here typing this entry with gauze pads taped to the crooks of both of my arms. More on that later.

Panama was amazing! (Hi Nancy, Lynn, Andrea, Nicola, Ropper, and Adam!) Beautiful rainforests and beaches, strange animals, and tons of mosquitoes and other biting insects. I think I have about 200 bites just on my lower legs. I won’t be wearing a skirt or shorts anytime soon! Anyway, good thing that I was taking my anti-malarials. I can’t take any chances and get some crazy disease before I leave for Peace Corps.

This morning I woke up feeling hung over, but I hadn’t had anything to drink. I took the morning off from work because I had an ortho appointment, so I could sleep in a bit. When I did get up I wasn’t feeling any better. I took my temperature, which was just under 100 degrees (for those of you on metric, 98.6 degrees is normal). But that wasn’t going to stop me from my ortho appointment. I was getting my bottom braces off! (Oh yeah, some of you probably didn’t know this, but I have braces.)

1 1/2 hours later I was done. Bottom braces out, permanent retainer in, molds for retainers done. I think the tops are coming off in 3-4 weeks. My brother thinks that my bottom teeth look too straight and perfect that they look fake. But I think they look great!

I didn’t feel any better after my appointment. Actually, I felt worse. I took my temperature again. 103 degrees!

I don’t know much about malaria. I was told that the incubation period is about nine days and that the first symptom to appear is fever.

It’s been nine days since I entered a malarial area, and I had a raging fever. I was covered in bug bites. I never get sick. I thought, of course I would get malaria even though I was taking anti-malarials, and I’d probably get my invitation to Peace Corps rescinded.

So off to the emergency room I went. A urine test, a ride on a gurney in a backless hospital gown, two chest x-rays, 7 vials and bottles of blood drawn, and a bag of IV fluid later, I was told the news: I didn’t have malaria! Yay! The doc said that it’s probably flu, and I just have to let it pass.

What’s the moral of the story? Don’t be a hypochondriac. And health insurance is great.