On Tuesday morning, I got up, fired up my laptop and found a message from the Peace Corps: I had been sent an invitation! Great, but no hints as to where. My burning question, which was like a bad itch I couldn't scratch. Each day I checked the mail, nada. Finally, on Friday, I found a huge package in my mailbox. This was it. I took a couple of deep breaths, sat down on the front steps, and opened the package. The cover letter congratulated me, but I kept thinking: where, where, why aren't they telling me where????? I finally glanced at the bottom of the page and saw "Macedonia". YAAAAAH, this is one of the spots I was hoping for and I am going! After I calmed down and read the letter again, I noticed that Macedonia was mentioned in the first sentence of the letter but I never saw it. I was too excited.
So, I called some friends who have been on similar pins and needles for me (and for them, they plan to visit but really had some countries in the Eastern Europe/Central Asia region that weren't on their top ten life list destinations). I then got online and sent out an email to all I had promised to notify (many family members and friends who I have driven crazy with this project).
I took the neighbor's dog for a celebratory hike up Tunnel Trail, then came home and read through the package. My first order of business is an early Monday morning phone call to PC to say: YES! and then fill out and return the passport and visa applications. I will be issued a PC passport, I can't use my personal one.
More later, but there is one ironic note: I was so anxious to get this notification so I could start language lessons. Macedonia has several languages and the orientation package tells me that depending upon the location of my assignment, I will either be learning Albanian or Macedonian. So....I just hope they are similar, like Spanish and Portuguese.
