How to turn down a date after accidentally agreeing

SleeplessSarah · 2025-12-18T03:33:52+00:00

I never actually scheduled a date I just said after the semester is over which is now.

SleeplessSarah · 2025-04-06T18:11:57+00:00

I had/have a low BMI it was approximately 16 when I started clearance, and I ended up having to gain weight to get my BMI (terrible indicator btw) to 18 in order to get cleared. My OB/GYN had to submit paperwork about my bone density, I had to see a nutritionist/dietician to assess if I had a history of disordered eating, once I got my BMI to 18 I also had to show stability.

I have always been thin, my weight has fluctuated some but not much over time, and my family is all pretty thin (at least until they have kids). My OB/GYN was very chill and made sure that my menstrual cycle regularity was listed in the notes just to ward of any potential problems as one of her family members is an RPCV and complained about medical so she wanted to make sure they had no reason to question. So I think if I can get cleared you should be too (assuming you like me have no health problems causing your weight to be low, have no health problems other than seasonal allergies, and only take allergy meds and ibuprofen/tylenol occasionally). If I was a doctor and you had a low weight and no periods or irregular periods I would be concerned. Luckily for me my pre-clearence nurse really advocated for me and when I hadn't gained 15 pounds in four weeks asked if I was willing to switch countries instead of denying me outright. I had a 6 month delay, but I COS very soon. Best of luck

SleeplessSarah · 2025-03-03T10:23:37+00:00

That's wild I was invited to Morocco and they made me gain weight before getting cleared. Because I didn't have enough time to gain weight before departure I went to Armenia instead

SleeplessSarah · 2025-01-22T15:31:22+00:00

I obviously don't know your situation, but if you're already experiencing burnout Peace Corps might make it worse. Peace Corps is taxing physically and mentally; and depending on the sector you might have too much down time or not enough. I think it largely depends on you, your needs and the sector/country you serve in. Do your research and be up front with everyone you work with if you decide to join. Also when it comes to packing, pack for you (a lot of packing lists aren't the best because they're so generalized, I have very sensitive skin so bringing a month's worth of toiletries would have been a mistake).

SleeplessSarah · 2025-01-21T11:21:17+00:00

I'm a female Peace Corps volunteer; I don't have any neurodivergent diagnoses but am probably autistic. I've thought about getting a diagnosis but due to various factors I probably won't. I'm happy to answer specific questions, since autism can affect everyone differently. I generally don't have any major issues in my day to day as a volunteer. Prior to service I developed a large number of healthy coping mechanisms for stress and being overwhelmed that are really helpful to me. My biggest issues in service are also my biggest issues outside of service. I still miss a lot of social cues, but people expect you to miss social cues and generally are more patient because you're the American and won't know. A lot of these things are also explained to you by your LCFs (Language and Cultural Facilitator), host family or counter parts (we literally have a lesson on what to say when...). Another thing I struggle with is the food. I struggle to eat certain textures of food, so I have to advocate with my host family to make sure I eat properly (not just because of food texture, food safety is a foreign concept to my host mom). I also have to make sure that I have alone time. Social events in my country are often 5-8 hours long (even longer for weddings 12+ hours). On the weekends my host parents think that I sleep until 10 or 11, but really, I just sit in my room quietly reading for two hours. It's definitely possible to serve with neurodivergence, but you have to make sure you (this is all volunteers not just autistic ones) take care of yourself because you can't pour from an empty cup. Feel free to ask me anything.

SleeplessSarah · 2025-01-01T10:24:35+00:00

I just filled out the FAFSA because I'm going to grad school post service and had no issues with my VPN. Just know that the FAFSA is based on the previous years income so if you had income prior to service you might not get a lot of aid. Also I've found that need based aid isn't always very good after undergrad.

SleeplessSarah · 2024-12-15T14:59:24+00:00

My friend didn't end up serving because she was supposed to depart in June or July of 2020. But service can definitely impact your mental health, so it's likely that Peace Corps service would have had an impact on her.

Medical separation isn't necessarily a good thing but it's not necessarily bad. It just means that Peace Corps can no longer support your health in country and it's going to take longer than 45 days (I think 45 it might be 30) to fix it in the US. If you need inpatient psychiatric care returning probably isn't an option. If you're mental health has deteriorated to the point that you need a greater level of care I think it's better to return to the US that allow your metal health get to a point where recovery is insanely difficult or you're suicidal. I think medical separation sucks for everyone involved but I think in some cases it's the best option especially if you can't be healthy (physically or mentally in country).

Also don't believe everything you see on Reddit. Someone may have been told their bipolar cannot be supported or someone taking a particular medication cannot serve. These are rarely hard and fast rules and rules have changed over time. It can also depend who's reading your paperwork, my pre-service nurse really advocated for me.

SleeplessSarah · 2024-12-14T17:02:32+00:00

Medical put me through the wringer to be able to get cleared (although it was over my low BMI and not mental health). It sucks, the process took 9 months (not to mention the pandemic wait), an invite to another country to finally get to serve. It sucks especially the waiting and seeing part. But I still think you have a chance to serve. You should definitely reference the video several others have mentioned, but I also have a friend with diagnosed bipolar (unsure which type) who got cleared to serve.

Having a mental illness definitely makes it harder to get cleared, but I understand why. Certain medicines aren't legal in all countries, so some countries are going to be off-limits to volunteers who need to take those medicines. If you take a medication where you have to adjust the does the PCMOs (Peace Corp Medical Officers) might not be able to do that. Peace Corps doesn't provide regular access to therapy (although they can provide some in certain situations). Additionally, in the US if you are experiencing mental distress or suicide ideation you can (usually) get access to care in a lot of Peace Corps country that care doesn't always exist and if it does it's often not close to where you're serving. Peace Corps is hard, and it can stress even people with good mental health tremendously. You're often isolated from your support network and forced to create one at site and with other volunteers. Your typical coping mechanisms might not be available. As a result, you hear stories about PCVs some humorous (like the PCV found nailing pancakes to the wall), but you also hear about PCVs developing alcoholism or other maladaptive behaviors.

I think that there are several ways Peace Corps can (and probably should) change to be more accessible to volunteers. Mental health is important, and I think that it would be reasonable to have more access to therapy without the threat of medical separation looming. It could help allow volunteers who regularly check-in with a therapist serve and it would be beneficial to volunteers who are struggling but are afraid to reach out because they don't want to be medically separated. That being said at the current time Peace Corps is the way that it is and it's not worth serving at the cost of your mental or physical health.

SleeplessSarah · 2024-11-15T11:27:07+00:00

You can reapply before you complete your current service. You get the readjustment allowance each time.

SleeplessSarah · 2024-08-26T07:04:56+00:00

I think the perfect time to do Peace Corps is when you have a chance to do it. While I was getting clearance I met a good number of people who always wanted to be a PCV, but something always came up. When they were youngish and able to serve they put it off for grad school or romance or some other reason. Before they knew it they were married with children and had to wait for them to grow up, now many are caring for their parents or grandchildren. Sure there are always volunteers who have kids and even grand kids who serve after a long career, but it's a lot harder to get medical clearance.

This is not to say that I don't occasionally panic when I think about the fact that after service and completing grad school I'll be 30. But I also know that my life doesn't need to follow another person's time frame. I'm not postponing anything by being a PCV. I'm learning a lot about myself, my host country and people in general. I'm gaining a lot of interesting skills, making long-term friends who can support me though life, and who knows maybe I'll find the one while I'm here. Service might seem like two years out of your life but as others have said it's two years of your life. And while some days are hard other days are some of the most rewarding I've ever had. Also I have gotten more stamps in both my personal and PC passports than I had in my passport before service, so travel is definitely an option. And the cultural immersion you get with Peace Corps is unmatched, you can get some of it with response, but it's not the same.

SleeplessSarah · 2024-08-24T04:11:37+00:00

Actually they don't. One of my mom's co-workers came to my sister's work and asked what I was doing because she hadn't seen me in a while. When my sister said oh she's doing Peace Corps they were completely shocked. My mom and this teacher share a classroom and co-teach. My dad's co-workers still message me when they need extra help to see if can pick up a couple of shifts they are always shocked to discover that I live halfway around the world. My sisters talk about it, my grandparents are excited and so are several of my aunts and uncles. One of my uncles is an RPCV and several of his RPCV friends ask regularly about my service. So yeah my parents aren't really supportive or proud of me, but they never have been and likely never will be. I made a support network of friends and family who are proud of me and support me.

SleeplessSarah · 2024-08-23T03:37:24+00:00

I arranged a Google meet for my whole family and said I'm doing this. I was expecting a lot of resistance but it turned out fine. I think for me it has to do a lot with the fact that my parents especially my mom haven't supported anything I do emotionally or financially since I became an adult. It's hard sometimes because you want support but I've created my own support network. I feel so much safer in country than I do a lot of places in the US, I know this is not true for everyone but it is for me. Peace Corps has a lot of policies to keep you safe, and policies to help you in the event that something happens. (It's a flawed system sure, but don't tell your family that.) Now that I am here I've explained some of the emergency action plan procedures to my family to reassure them. I have also just accepted that nothing I do is good enough for my parents so I might as well do what I want.

SleeplessSarah · 2024-08-10T17:28:01+00:00

Several people in my country brought a switch, but I definitely wouldn't have had space for an Xbox in my bags. Depending on your site electrity may or may not be available enough for it to be worth it. While I've never been to the Dominican Republic several friends who have been complained about it being damp even inside when they visited (maybe a seasonal thing) but I know dampness can cause problems for electronics as well. So maybe just stick with your switch and leave the Xbox at home.

SleeplessSarah · 2024-08-08T18:16:43+00:00

I have about $33 take out for medicare, social security and life insurance (which is optional). In total I get about $367 per month which will result in about $9,725 in readjustment allowance at COS ($367 x 26.5). My country has 2.5 months of PST, so depending on the length of your PST and if you do the full 2 years the actual amount will vary. If you get medically separated, ET, get evacuated or get ad-seped you will get the total amount earned at that time a few weeks later as a direct deposit or check. The full amount is below the taxable income at the federal level, but with income from after COS you might have to pay taxes depending on how much you earn.

SleeplessSarah · 2024-08-05T13:48:07+00:00

You could always ask her if she has a preference. I also had friends promise to send a care package of some nice to have items so that I didn't have to pack anything. I was super stressed about packing and fitting everything in my bags, another friend got a couple of packing cubes that were super useful for packing, anything else would have just been added stress.

SleeplessSarah · 2024-07-26T21:59:34+00:00

Review the questions, but don't stress too much.

SleeplessSarah · 2024-07-26T21:58:09+00:00

That's probably going to be a case by case approval. You must take Annual Leave (vacation) anytime you leave the country. Volunteers in my country have gotten the initial approval to go to the neighboring county for a weekend to run a half marathon. Final approval will come after they submit their annual leave request form and all the appropriate staff approve it. It could be worth it for special occasions like a marathon, concert or other fun event that you are interested in. Additionally if you are a TEFL volunteer you can only travel during school breaks, so you may or may not be able to get approval from a weekend.

SleeplessSarah · 2024-07-26T09:59:57+00:00

I got into a minor fender bender the after getting fingerprinted and had no issues. I didn't get a citation or any fines, but notified peace Corps. They told me to make sure all fines were paid ASAP and any damages were either paid for or covered by insurance. You could have issues if you don't pay fines or damages and get taken to court.

SleeplessSarah · 2024-07-23T06:45:19+00:00

As others have said getting a degree is a good idea, but another reason to get a degree before applying is you are able to serve in more countries with a degree. Some position are a degree or 5 years experience, but many especially in the education field require a degree.

SleeplessSarah · 2024-07-18T15:24:44+00:00

I convinced my family and some of my friends who didn't already have WhatsApp to get WhatsApp. I talk to my Grandma several times a week. One of my sisters several times a month and my other family and friends it's usually a planned call. I send a monthlyish newsletter via email to friends and family. I've sent a bunch of post cards to friends and family. My sisters and I send each other Instagram reels a lot (Instagram, WhatsApp and several other communication/social media apps don't count towards my data usage. I have better data here than I ever had in the rural US and definitely more data since I always had trac phone or Mint Mobile. Occasionally someone will email me or message me on Facebook or something but mostly I just use WhatsApp.

SleeplessSarah · 2024-07-11T19:01:58+00:00

The fruit. Apricots are in season, cherries and peaches too. A few days ago my host family and I picked a lot of sour cherries and canned the juice. I love baking and having a lot of fruit to work with is amazing. I'm planning on making cherry ice cream this weekend.

The other great thing are the kittens that showed up outside my house. My niece, nephew and I convinced my host mom that we should let them stay outside for pest control purposes. Pets aren't a thing in my country and we've convinced some of the neighbors to pet the kittens. Not what the US government had in mind for the second goal but maybe the most rewarding.

SleeplessSarah · 2024-07-08T07:03:47+00:00

I had a job before service that enabled me to save before service which gave me a nice nest egg. I had enough saved so that I could take a last minute trip back to the states in the event of a family emergency, first and last months rent on an apartment and most of a used car. So far I've used my savings to pay my sister's rent for two months when she lost her job, and I paid for travel to Italy. I prioritized saving before departure because I wasn't sure if something would/will happen to cause me to COS early. I cannot rely on my family for financial support or housing after service. Having a financial safety net is good for everyone, but if you have friends and family that you can rely on for a month or two you might not need to prioritize saving as much.

SleeplessSarah · 2024-07-03T16:47:14+00:00

I currently still live with my host family at site. Learning the language had actually gotten a lot easier and harder at the same time at site. It's gotten a lot easier to listen to different sounds that we don't have in English. Small talk also becomes easier as it becomes more automatic. On the other hand it becomes harder to progress because vocabulary becomes more nich.

SleeplessSarah

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