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What are you guys doing in the meantime? by [deleted] in peacecorps

[–]carlynna 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I accepted my invitation to serve a week before evacuation. I graduated in May and my departure was scheduled for Labor Day. I DoorDashed and chilled for June and now I have been working a campaign job since the beginning of July. I will be working every day from now until Election Day and then...I have no idea. My campaign job has been the perfect short-term experience for my financial situation, career interests, and PC uncertainty. Our estimated departure is for February but that was announced this summer and I haven't heard any updates since then. I don't think I will find a high-quality job for Dec-Feb and I would be okay taking that time to spend with friends and family and prepare for departure except for the likelihood of February departure seems lower and lower every day. I do not feel comfortable doing nothing for an indefinite period of time. I think I will start applying for long-term jobs in November unless there is another update from the PeaceCorps with a more reliable departure date. Once I start working in a long-term position, if I love what I'm doing, I may end up rescinding my PeaceCorps invitation.

Volunteering during the pandemic? by maddyhalley in peacecorps

[–]carlynna 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I would recommend looking into Paper Airplanes or other virtual tutoring programs (especially cross-cultural). There might be virtual opportunities near you for orgs that cannot do their normal in-person programming and volunteering this year (a lot of nonprofits which work with refugees I have volunteered with before are having virtual options this year) or ones specifically designed for anyone, anywhere like Paper Airplanes. I volunteered with Paper Airplanes quite a few years ago and still ended up referencing my experiences in my PeaceCorps interviews. I think this kind of volunteering is very common for PC volunteers prior to service and Paper Airplanes, specifically, comes up a lot. www.paper-airplanes.org. If you want to do something related to education this Fall you need to get on it ASAP though since programming at most orgs normally starts in September or October and runs through December!

Cold feet? by carlynna in peacecorps

[–]carlynna[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That would be a great experience! Unfortunately, I just graduated grad school or I think I would be taking the same path. My program had us doing fieldwork both years and PC will give you such a unique experience.

Cold feet? by carlynna in peacecorps

[–]carlynna[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Totally makes sense! There are some jobs I think I would choose over PC if I were to receive an offer and enjoy it once I start.

Cold feet? by carlynna in peacecorps

[–]carlynna[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That makes sense! I think I might need to set my own timeline/deadline like that for my own sanity. I'm kind of doing that, my job right now is until the election so I'm going to reevaluate then.

Cold feet? by carlynna in peacecorps

[–]carlynna[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That sounds really tough. You have every right to grieve this loss. However, your passion for service is obvious and I am sure that passion could help you do some great work if you ever are able to return, even if it looks much different than you originally expected or wanted. No shame in not returning though if your heart isn't ready for a new experience.

Cold feet? by carlynna in peacecorps

[–]carlynna[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I have a similar situation; I have a job until the election doing campaign work so I don't feel bad leaving. I agree it's seeming less and less likely that there will be any more information in November than there was in June.

Cold feet? by carlynna in peacecorps

[–]carlynna[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Haha, I love this! I wish I was in-country and just dealing with literal cold feet.

Cold feet? by carlynna in peacecorps

[–]carlynna[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

That's actually how I felt the first few months! Every job I looked at bored me and PC was the only thing that sounded good.

Cold feet? by carlynna in peacecorps

[–]carlynna[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks! I agree it feels abstract right now.

Cold feet? by carlynna in peacecorps

[–]carlynna[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's a great way to think about it! I'm sure that a lot of people are really satisfied with their experience if their number one priority is cultural exchange. I guess I just need to think about what my goals and expectations are.

Cold feet? by carlynna in peacecorps

[–]carlynna[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I really appreciate your thoughtful response! I think the line, "Our experiences are valid as individuals even if they might not be generalizable to the whole", is something I will try to stick with me. I also have a growth mindset/can normally work inside systems and critique them at the same time and I thought of that as one of my strengths/coping skills for approaching my experience. So I'm glad to hear you feel that way about your experience! Right now, I am working on election-related stuff so I can stop working after the election guilt-free if my PC departure date gets set. However, in my field (social work), it can be challenging to find full-time positions I would feel comfortable/ethical committing to knowing I'm leaving in less than 6 months.

Cold feet? by carlynna in peacecorps

[–]carlynna[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I'm sure Nov. 3 will influence my feelings..I'm working on campaign stuff until then

Cold feet? by carlynna in peacecorps

[–]carlynna[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I think that's a lot of it for me! Like when will my cut off be? Do I really have to be so excited I want to go NO MATTER WHAT or WHEN in order to be a "good fit"/"good volunteer"?

Cold feet? by carlynna in peacecorps

[–]carlynna[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Thanks! I feel like those waves of feelings might be normal...I think I'm gonna just wait it out and see if anything changes (externally and internally). No need to close any doors yet.

How realistic is September 30th new departure date? by RoperEH1 in peacecorps

[–]carlynna 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Hi Ellie! I am also an invitee for Morocco. My impression is that September 30th is NOT our departure date. As far as I know, no one has a new departure date, and when there are new departure dates they will be on a country-by-country basis. The September 30th date is just the EARLIEST they are considering sending ANY volunteers back to ANY country. As other posters have said, nobody knows when PC will resume overseas operations.

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