NEEEWWWWSSSS!!!!!!

I woke up this morning, made myself some breakfast, waited until I felt fully awake, then dialed Brian Purse's number.  I steeled myself for a whole new cycle of invasive questioning and instead met with his answering machine.  I left my number, told him that my home phone was the best place to reach me, and then hung up.  I then proceeded to call back about every hour until he finally called me back.

"Hello?"
"Hi, I'm looking to speak with H. M.**?"
"Hi!"
"Hi, H.*, this is Brian Purse with the Peace Corps placement office."
"Hi, how are you?"
"I'm great, how are you doing?"
"I'm great, how are you?" (he ignored this little flub of overexcitement/nerves)
"Well, I've found a placement for you."
"Great!" (cue heart POUNDING)
"I just wanted to ask you, do you have any difficulty walking or biking in humid climates?"
"Nope." (whew, that was easy)
"And the placement would be with a host family, would you be comfortable living with a host family for two years?"
"Absolutely." (yay! host family!)
"Ok. Well, I will get this invitation sent to you and it should arrive in the next 5-10 business days."
"Ok!"
"Can you give me the address you would like me to send it to?"
"Oh, of course. It's P.O. Box 117 ....."
"Ok, great. So you will be at a spanish speaking post, central or south america, and you will leave in mid-September."
"That's so PERFECT!!"  (PPERRRRFFEEECCCTTT!!!!!)
"Great! I'm glad to hear it.  I can't actually tell you the country over the phone, but you will get it in the packet in the mail in the next 5-10 days.  It probably won't be processed until monday, so look for it 5 to 10 business days after that.  You will then have 7 days to accept or reject your invitation."
"Oh, ok." (You are going to make me wait for the country? Really?)
"So, do you have any questions for me?"
"Just one. I actually am not going to be at home much longer, I leave for D.C. in a week and I'm a little worried I won't be here when the package arrives and I won't be back until August 28th."
"Oh, that is an issue."
"Yea, and I would give you my address for where I will be, but I actually don't know it, and last year when I had something sent there it took 2 months...which would be a little late for me to accept!"
"That's true.  Well, i can't express deliver anything to a P.O. Box."
"Oh, I'll just give you my street address."
"Perfect."
"It's -------"
"Ok. It should get there by Wednesday of next week then."
"Thank you so much!"
"Congratulations!"
"Thank you!"
"Bye."
"Bye!"

I promptly jumped up and ran through my house screaming, only to come back into the living room and jump up and down screaming.  I freaked my dog out, who got up and wandered towards me to make sure I was alright, and I gave her a huge happy hug!

I can't tell you how excited and relieved and happy I am.  I had prepared myself for West Africa, and started to prepare myself to learn to speak French, and hadn't really figured out what I would do with my finances if I ended up having to leave before I started or finished my summer job.

I am going somewhere, where I already speak the language (kind of, i need to work back to my old level of fluency).  I am going to a region I have been to before and loved.  I am leaving in mid-September, which means I have time to say goodbye to people after I finish my summer job.  I can go to Maine again before I leave to see family.  I will have money from my job.  I am doing public heath work, which I think will be amazing.  I am staying with a host family, which means I will have a group of people I can bond with and who can offer me some kind of support and comfort and teach me more about the culture and customs of wherever I am.  I am so excited. I am so so so so so so excited.  It could not be more perfect. :) :) :) :)  So that's the news for now!

(**this blog post has been edited to remove my name so I'm no longer google-able.  Just playing it safe.)