Last Will and.....WHAT???

Let me begin by saying that there is a lot of paperwork that goes into becoming a Peace Corps volunteer. For anyone who is going through it or those who may be thinking about joining, don’t let this deter you. There is a lot, but it is not stressful or difficult… just merely a lot! From your 30 page application in the beginning to your resumes, motivation and aspiration statements, to the piles of legal and medical clearances, you will be busy compiling documents for the government. Then you get invited and the fun just begins! You must get finances in order, pay off debts, get student loans deferred, set up banking (paypal, etc), get personal property insurance, shall I go on? I am not complaining, just saying that there is a lot to do. I read that it is a good idea to appoint a Power of Attorney to take care of any obligations (taxes, etc) for you while out of the country. As my dad is an Attorney, naturally he was my pick. I go over to his house last night and he hands me a stack of papers to read over. It basically stated I give him permission to take over my life! Ha-ha! As I flipped to the end of the stack, I came across a paper that read “Last Will and Testament of Jennifer L. Grigsby.” Needless to say I freak out! “What the hell is this?” My dad calmly states “Your will. Jenny, it is important to have all things in order.” So what? He thinks I might get destroyed there in Guyana? I think not! Nonetheless, I read through it and said OK. I guess father does always know best. Im sure not every 26 year old Peace Corps Volunteer writes a will before they leave (I don’t own anything of value anyway), but why not add it to my plies of papers? LOL!

Anyway, it is really getting exciting talking to all the people in my group. They all seem like they are going through the same emotional rollercoaster that I am. Woohoo! I got a phone call from the Peace Corps Guyana Director and the Director of Education. We had a 40 minute conversation about what to expect, some general information on safety and medical care, and specifics about my skill set and where I see myself living. To be honest I told them I still wasn’t sure. I can’t wait to get in country and really see what it is like. I can daydream all I want, but I will never know until I step foot on Guyana soil! We did speak about how there are some discipline problems in the schools and that teachers are struggling with ways to deal with difficult children. They said that some teachers still resort to the switch…. That might take some getting used to. However, they were very interested with my behavior management background and how we could incorporate those skills. That really got me motivated and I can’t wait for training to begin… ok I am getting a little ahead of myself. But that definitely sparked a new excitement, as I didn’t think those would be skills that I would be utilizing! I’ll never know till I get there :)