Happy 2009!

Officially The balll drops!!! May the new year bring all the happiness and memories to all. I hope everyone has a great year. To all of the women and men serving in the Peace Corps and in the U.S. Armed Forces...Thank You! Hopefully this is the turn around year that we have been waiting for...for what seems like ages for better years!

Also I have a video from this year that I am trying to load into this spot...

It should be here shortly!!

Farewell to 2008 and welcome 2009.

It's been a pretty crazy year. Leaving in January of 2008 and moving to Cyprus. Visiting London, France, Hong Kong, Romania, China (Mainland), Dubai, Egypt, and India all withing a short couple of months. CRAZY is one way to sum that up. Meeting new friends, welcoming others, and rekindling a few as well. While some of the times seem faded, they are not...Stuck in memories that I am sure will last for times to come. Waiting for the Peace Corps is quite the challenge. Something that I have been yearning to do. Bulgaria, Romania, anywhere! These things seem to be rolling through my mind on a semi-daily basis. I look forward to serving. I am quite excited. But for right now I am going to enjoy the last hour of 2008, you should too- wherever you are!

Poka!

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

I hope everyone has a great couple of days to relax and enjoy the time in whatever fashion you'd like! No new updates...Although going snowboarding tomorrow, I guess that's good for some time off! Ha! I have begun starting to research Bulgaria and Romania more... It is CRAZY...I have looked at a lot of Bulgarian websites and I can read Cyrillic and start to translate...I was like 'GO JON GO!" Kind of Surprised myself. Also looked at my old info on Romania just in case. But as usual it's up in the air!

It wasn't so long after all..

It's funny how time flies. In reality, One year ago I was looking for an idea of where I was going to be living. Little did I know I would be living in Cyprus. I had only found out that I was graduating not too much earlier. I'm sure in due time I will be looking back on this Peace Corps Adventure and say, "Man that wait was so long, but I know it was worth it!" Anyways, so I was looking at my computer...Trying to clean it up and I found a video that I shot and edited from the first couple of weeks spent living in Cyprus and a trip with a few people to Cairo, Egypt! I hope you enjoy!

So Many Invites Lately!

So I was reading some blogs I follow, and People are getting invited to serve into the Peace Corps. Today I saw someone get invited to Krygz Republic. That'd be so cool to go and live in a place that's in the middle and squeezed between China,Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Tajikistan. How cool?! That would be so awesome! I have been working hard...Tomorrow I get to sleep in, till about 7am probably get swammmmppeed with work. I can only hope that tomorrow's work with go faster. I have begun to create a wish list/packing list, just because I need to get that at least strumming in my head. I am going riding (snowboarding) on Friday and I look forward to getting on the board and enjoying my time. My brother comes home tomorrow so that's a good beer or two!

Cheers!

Passing Time

Time seems fast some days, and others it drags along. Today is a day I feel like is going to zip by. Waiting for something I've wanted for so long is a true test of patience. The holidays are here (literally a week away) and I have yet to do any Christmas shopping. Let alone begun to look at what I may need or wouldn't need for the eventual service. I am working from home today- Entering data for More Peace Corps Campaign, and probably some miscellaneous jobs that can be done via computer. It is very interesting to see where this amazing non-profit will go in the next couple of months, especially with Obama's transitional team shaping up. It could be very sweet for the Peace Corps and the National Peace Corps Association. Today marks the 29th week since I was officially nominated. 29 weeks!!! Goodness. Oh well. More waiting ahead!

Cheers.

Nothing New...Really...Wait yesss! .....a C+!

I got a C+ in Russian. I'm Pretty Pumped! Considering that I worked full time and with some early hours. I am happy! Russian is a hard language but I managed pretty well! No new update with Peace Corps, but I feel confident! Perhaps Bulgaria is most likely where I will be spending service, who knows though! Other than that I have contemplated taking some ESL course to help pass time over the coming months (and by taking the course, I mean learning how to teach ESL as I am positive I will be in situations where I'll be speaking not English. I've also started to think that perhaps I should start my Masters. I keep saying I will start my Masters, but hey I'm not made out of money....but who is? I also got my truck back and I am pretty pumped about that! I also went snowboarding this past weekend and it felt great!

December!

It is December! I didn't post the day after like I said I was, I didn't see the purpose if nothing had changed and no new news had come about. Ukraine was added to the March program on the wiki. So I guess that's one less spot for May. I have no idea where I could possibly end up. The whole process is just phenomenal and awesome. For any of those who are interested in doing the Peace Corps, definitely check it out...www.peacecorps.gov. Another day passed, is another day closer to an eventual invite and hopefully serving! It has been cold lately and it has been great! Snowboard season has begun! YES! So i need to dust off the gear and hit the mountain soon. Russian class ends in 2 days with the capstone final exam. I should do well in this course because I'm not too worried about it. Because at the end of the day/semester, I have accomplished my one objective where grades can't explain. I have been opened up to Russian and speaking. I have learned quite a lot! Hmmm. I can't think of anything else right now...I'll probably update this again shortly. Thanks!

Happy Belated Thanksgiving

I will actually be posting tomorrow or Tuesday, because it is the new week and it'll be December. I hope the holiday was a much needed break for you and your families as it was for me.


The 28th marked the 6th month since my nomination. So that means 6 months till May...meaning 6 months till my potential Peace Corps Service. If all is right where I am thinking...I have my fingers crossed so that between the next 2 weeks I should hear something. Hopefully before Christmas. Still thinking either Ukraine, Romania, or Armenia. Who really knows though...only time will tell.

I am learning Russian still and it's amazing. I am doing well on the verbal and on the auditory part of the learning process. Writing I am ok, but spelling I suck. Grammar is just stupid period. I need to actually get back to that. I also thinking of taking a masters course at American University next semester...start on my masters. Will cost me a pretty penny. Hoping that I can do that. The course I'd like to take is called, Quantitative Analysis of International Relations. I think it sounds awesome.

Well I probably should be get going, I'd like to read a little bit and do some financing. Maybe even add to my Amazon wishlist!

Have a good one.

Anticipation

I'll call this Blog, Anticipation.

It's been another week things are getting exciting! The country has chosen that Obama/Biden shall be inaugurated on January 20th, 2009. I think that change is what we will get. Hopefully it is all positive change. I hope Obama does not renege on his words to expand the Peace Corps along with the budget. Hopefully he is a man of his word. I also spoke to my Placement Officer last Thursday. He was happy I had called- he was trying to get me on board with a Central Asia March invitation (only 2 months earlier than my May Invitation) but couldn't because they (the countries) didn't need any more business volunteers. He said he would be sending out invites within another week or two. As the invitations began to come in for other people such as Romania- it made me wonder. What is the possibility that I will go to Romania? I loved it there when I was visiting in April. Be almost coming full circle. I must say I have narrowed it down again- countries - if I stay on course and receive a May Invitation. Armenia, Ukraine, Moldova, Romania are the top choices right now for the May departures because Albania, and Kyrgyzstan Republic are leaving in March. Romania is already slated to leave in May so that is still very in. Armenia has been known to leave in May in previous years. Ukraine usually leaves in Feb. but those departures were consolidated from 3 departures to 2 or maybe 1. Moldova can bounce around between May-July departures it looks like in quarters past. Georgia is usually a June departure but who knows where that will be in 6 months. Azerbaijan is usually a June departure...basically I have no idea where or when I will be leaving per usual.

I'll update you all as soon as something changes! Have a good one!

Election Eve

I ended up getting a 81 on my Russian midterm. Not bad. I am getting pretty good at the language which I am happy about! I went to a Troika Party two Friday's ago and spoke a good 30 minutes of Russian. This past weekend I went to Vermont and had a blast of a time. Now back in Maryland. The Eve of the election. Probably the biggest election of times to come. It's scary because this election directly effects myself and others like myself as we embark on our Peace Corps Service. I have been swaying back and forth and I have my mind made up. I won't tell you who I will vote for till after the election. I'm sure it will be an interesting day tomorrow. Speaking of Peace Corps, I'm going into my 3rd month of being medically cleared. I should call my placement officer this week, to see the status of my file. Hopefully I will hear something by the end of this week. I'll let you know how that goes.

Cheers.

Also a post from last week:

I must first apologize for the delay in updating progress for this blog. I have been medically cleared for I have no idea how long, I think August 2nd is the official date. I have been passing time while I wait for my invitation to serve into the Peace Corps by taking Russian and participating in a phenomenal internship. Russian is a lot easier than I originally thought, but still has difficult moments. I’m taking it at the local junior college, and saving a ton! I have a midterm on Monday, so we’ll see where I stand after that. Right?

I mentioned before that I had been working with a phenomenal internship. I am working with the National Peace Corps Association, more specifically their More Peace Corps campaign. I work on a variety of things including Facebook, Myspace, Youtube, Blogs, and a wide range of Public Relations/Marketing work. It’s really fascinating. With all of the presidential campaigns and the elections soon- it has been a great place to work with!

Other than that I am spending time living at home, and working to pay off those loans. Last Thursday, I received an email from my Placement Officer with the Peace Corps saying that within the next 3-6 weeks I should hear something. He said that if I don’t hear anything that I should call around the second week of November. So getting closer to finding out is definitely something I have looked forward too! I don’t mind where I get placed because I know deep down I’ll be happy anywhere- as long as I’m helping and learning- you can’t go wrong. I am planning a trip to Vermont one last time to see people before I leave (as it will be expensive to make numerous trips). I am also trying to either go to Louisville to see my cousins there or to Montreal- as a weekend trip at some point to. Those are the last bit of trips that I want to have before I eventually leave.

I have a feeling that I will still be bound for Eastern Europe in mid-May, which has probably been pushed back till mid- June because of budget cuts. In one of my emails- I had told my PO (Placement officer) that I was open to earlier departures because I am ready (not that I’m trying to jump the gun). I know that in March there is Central Asia, which is Russian speaking. We’ll see. I am still thinking that given my nomination, and my experience that I think I will be placed in Ukraine, Moldova, or Romania. Which would be phenomenal. (Even if I get placed here- learning Russian now helps since those Moldovan, Romanian, and Ukrainian all at some point adapted from Russian as well as it is spoken there also). If I were to be placed in Central Asia for March- I would have to put my finger on Albania, Kyrgyz Republic, or Kazakhstan. (In actuality, I have no idea- Hah!) All of which are absolutely crazy to think about. It will be awesome to learn so much about a place that most of the inner circle would even dream about or even say the name correctly. I am looking forward to the surprises in my life that lie ahead of me. This road that I have decided to take- is by no surprise- a road less traveled. I think this is a long enough blog for the week. I will get another entry in a week, and I’ll give you all to follow the progress. I’ll let you know how I did on my exam! Cheers

A little update, for those who want it!

As you know, (if you don't already... now you do)- I have joined the Peace Corps. I have been nominated and have all clearances needed. I now just wait for the official invitation with my included departure date. It looks as though right now, I am headed to somewhere in Eastern Europe, but all that can change. Unfortunately, the Peace Corps has endured some struggling times in the past year. This is due to budget cuts, the amount of volunteers, the depreciation of the dollar, and a whole other hand full of reasons.
In order to help boost the opportunities for myself and other Peace Corps Nominees, I am asking that you


the facebook cause here http://apps. facebook. com/causes/39193?m=c8752&recruiter_id=65787,


Visit the More Peace Corps Campaign site: http://www. morepeacecorps. org


On September 11th-13th. Barack Obama, and John McCain will talk about Volunteering in New York. Collectively, we are trying to get as many people to sign up for these causes to help push the importance of Peace Corps and their Volunteers.
Without adequate budget, volunteers are being cut back, as well as the expansion of 20 new countries that NEED our help. Take 5 minutes to read and sign up, because the more push we have, the better the likelihood that our budget will increase. This not only affects you in determining a President, but it affects me directly as well as others in volunteering for the Peace Corps. If you have any questions, hit me up at boardingjon25@yahoo.com We need your help!
http://www. morepeacecorps. org

Still Waiting

Last Thursday I got an email saying that they needed more information regarding my TD booster. So I got the information requested and sent it off on Tuesday. This is good seeing as that means after about 5-6 weeks the Peace Corps Medical staff is getting around to my info. Woo-hoo. back to paying off loans and saving money!

In the meantime I had a wonderful trip to Boston-Vermont-and Cape Cod last week, purely amazing!

Update

It's been about 3 weeks since I've sent in my medical packet, about a week and a half since I got dentally cleared, 4 weeks since my interview and nomination...and the waiting continues! For those that don't know, I've begun and mid-way through the long difficult process of becoming a Peace Corps Volunteer. Something that I really want to do, no just to live in another country for two years, but because I solely believe in the foundations that the Peace Corps is built on. I feel that it is important to give back, so that you can help better yourself in becoming a better global citizen, a better global leader. I was nominated for May '09 for Business Advising/Environmental Studies, for Eastern Europe (the possibility of going back to Romania make me jump for joy, as I truly enjoyed that place during my previous travels!) All of this could change before my actual invitation (which happens to be after I am medically cleared (what I'm waiting on now). So what could happen is that I end up leaving earlier and for a different region. Could be Africa? Who knows. Anyways this is my new Blog to help write about the journey. I was tired of seeing "jonincyprus" when I was no longer living in Cyprus...speaking of which I need to get back to work and actually loading the other posts of my Cyprus travels.

Take care!