100% Cleared and Official

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.