Here We Go

Welcome to the first official entry. This site is intended to serve 2 purposes:

1. to keep my friends and family up to date on my 2-year voyage through Europe and a means to maintain contact with them
2. to be a resource for other volunteers and those who are considering joining the Peace Corps or embarking on a similar journey


Let's start with the questions on everyone's mind and those that I've already had to answer about 50 times:
Why in the blue hell did you decide to join the Peace Corps?
Here's my response...first off, I have been bouncing around the idea of joining the Peace Corps since I graduated college in 1999. Seeing how you need a bachelor's degree to apply, I never took it seriously until that time. It wasn't until right after 9/11 (2001) that I finally caved in and decided to apply. I had gotten through most of the interview process and found myself at a crossroad. I put the Peace Corps on hold to get married to a beautiful and amazing girl. Needless to say, the marriage didn't quite work out and I found myself back to the drawing board. The problem now was that I was 31 years-old, well into a career in human resources, a home-owner amongst other things. The question became...do I continue to live this good life always wondering "what if?". At the time I was living and working for a great company in Billings, MT, but decided to seek out more opportunity and a change of scenery in Chicago. I landed a great job in HR out there, but still was not 100% fulfilled. Prior to finding that job, I spent 3 months over the summer looking for a decent job which meant much alone time to do some soul searching. I decided, you only live once and to at least apply and see what happens. When I heard that only about 40% (or some number close to that) of applicants receive an invitation to serve, I didn't even think it would become reality anyway. I began the interview process in July and got accepted just 2 weeks ago (a very long process which I'll outline in a future post). They gave me 10 business days to accept or decline and I took all 10 days to really weigh the decision before accpeting the job yesterday. At first I started to get cold feet, but now I am really excited after taking those 10 days to read others' blogs and talking to my placement officer.
So that's all great, but....WHY???
- I found myself hitting an early mid-life crisis of sorts. I started to get scared of the fact that I may end up sitting behind a desk pushing papers for the next 35 years. I did not want to end up on my death bed without at least one exciting adventure under my belt.
-I really wanted to live outside the country and experience a different culture for a year or two. I wanted to become educated on the differences this world has to offer and not be so ethnocentric toward the U.S. In the process, I think it would be fun to learn a new language.
- I wanted to make a difference or at least attempt to make the world a better place. I figured 2 years out of a person's life is really nothing to give up when you think about the possibility of changing a whole community's life or bringing happiness to another culture or just giving a helping hand to those that need it.
- I grew so accustomed to a ridiculous way of life that I needed out for a brief time. The big screen tv's, tivos, tv schedules, cell phones, nice restaurants, cars, fake people, bar-hopping, cruising for ladies, and all the insanity this country has grown to depend on started to seem so silly to me. I just needed a break!
-Does it really surprise anyone anyway? Those that know me realize I take a different approach to life. I realize that time is flying and we only get one shot at this so, personally, I want to experience all I can and meet as many interesting people as possible, I have tried several different careers, I tried the American dream of marriage, a nice house with a white picket fence and a dog, I have lived in several places, been through some amazing and ugly moments and it just comes down to...I like change! When I look back on my life as a whole, I love to remember the places I've lived and people I have met and spent time with over the years. I have experienced more in 30 years than most people experience in a lifetime and........
WHY STOP NOW???!

There are other little reasons, but these are the main ones. I'm just in a good spot in my life to do something of this calibur and the time is right.
So there ya have it. Feel free to post additional questions and I will answer them accordingly.
This is long enough. Stay tuned for the outline of what I had to go through to receive an invitation.