Month: July 2019

With just two and a half weeks left to departure and packing well underway, I can’t help but feel the jitters that are synonymous with new adventures. These jitters, similar to butterflies in your stomach (but a bit more gut-wrenching), come with any new experience for which I am equal parts thrilled and terrified. With just two and a half weeks left to departure, what was originally a dream is now a dream coming true, the concept is reality, and there’s no stopping this train.

Much of this comes from the unknown, and from the questions that people ask that I just don’t have answers for yet: “What part of the country will you be living in?” “How close will you be to a hospital?” “What if (insert horrible disaster) happens?” My answer (as politely as possible): “I DON’T KNOW YET!”

Daily, the “what ifs” swirl around my head: What if I’m not prepared? What if I can’t do it? What if I fail? What if I get hurt? What if I forget to pack the solar panel? What if I make a cultural faux pas? What if? What if? What if?

I’m lucky to have many people in my life who tell me, “Reilly, what if NOTHING? You are spiraling and being dramatic and you will be just fine.”

Surely, I can’t be the only PCV who’s ever been completely terrified to go. Looking at it objectively, it seems a little bonkers to sweep your life into a suitcase and backpack, pick up and move 10,000 miles away, and settle into a plumbing- and electricity-free mud hut for the next two years. But PCVs share a common thread: we have a desire to leave the world better than we found it, to change not the world but people in the world, to expand our worldview, and to use our servant hearts to learn from others. When I spiral into the what-ifs, it’s easy to get mad at myself for leaving everything I know and everyone I love, but then I think about my life’s greater mission: to serve and empower others. Those five words quiet the what-ifs, slow the spiral, and help me reign this crazy decision back into perspective.

People move, travel, see the world, live in rugged conditions, learn new languages, and challenge themselves all the time. I have to remind myself that I wouldn’t have put myself out there and applied if I wasn’t ready to put myself out there and respond to the call.

I’m trying every day to re-frame the what-ifs…”What if I’m not prepared…What if I learn how to improvise and think on my feet?” “What if I fail…What if I gain the opportunity to learn from my mistakes and try again?” “What if I get hurt…What if I practice my first aid skills and a bit of resiliency?” “What if I expand my world?” “What if I help a community make a sustainable difference?” “What if I make new bonds that will last a lifetime?” “What if my dream comes true?”

In other words, Peace Corps prep isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. If this post feels a little negative to you, please remember that I am striving to be transparent and honest about my experiences!

PCVs and soon-to-depart PCVs, I can’t be the only one who’s felt like this, right? Family and friends, comment below with a what-if you want to ask me, and then try to re-frame it in a positive way!

Any PCV (Peace Corps Volunteer) knows that getting medically and legally cleared for service is no small feat. Today, I woke up to sweet, sweet relief because I was finally legally cleared. Having both my medical and legal clearances means I’m 100% set for service! Zambia, here I come!

As I mentioned, getting these clearances is a pretty involved process. It was difficult completing most of my medical clearance tasks while in Arizona, so when I arrived home for the summer, it was a mad dash of vaccinations, physicals, dental work, and pulling together mountains of very specific paperwork. After endless appointments, a cavity filled, documents scanned, emails back and forth between me and my physician, and new glasses, I was finally awarded my medical clearance. 1 clearance down, one more to go.

Back in March, immediately after accepting my invitation (sitting in a popular hyper-local pub surrounded by loved ones while on spring break), I began gathering the paperwork needed for my legal clearance. This meant surrendering my passport for a government-sponsored one, consenting to a background check, and applying for my Zambian work visa. Unfortunately, there is nothing you can do to expedite this process, and I’ve heard stories of volunteers getting their clearance just a week before departure (Mine came just 3 weeks prior to departure, but I can’t imagine the sheer panic of not having clearance one week before). I received a few updates via email that basically said “there are no updates yet,” but this morning, I woke up to sweet, sweet relief.

Subject line: “Peace Corps Legal Clearance Granted.” YAHOO! Having both my clearances makes this 100% official. In a flurry of early-morning excitement, my dad and I sat down and pored over the Amazon shopping list we’d been building since March (I can now explain to you the different merits of ultra-lightweight sleeping bags; never before had I considered the color of paracord 550 for maximum visibility) , made final comparisons on solar kits, read any updated reviews, and pressed the “order” button on many new essentials.

To have my clearances granted, to have my flights booked, to have much of my gear ordered…it’s all becoming real! It’s all officially happening! Watch out world, here I come.