how we got here

This post, this next step, this adventure: all of these things are a long time coming.  The Peace Corps is an idea that danced in the back of our minds for many years.  What would it be like to live in another country?  Could we learn a new language?  How can we use our skills to make the world a better place?  

In the summer of 2011, we started volunteering with Catholic Charities.  We volunteered to teach English to two kiddos from Burma.  These kids had just arrived in the United States with their family as refugees, and we started with the ABCs.  Many rounds of “head, shoulders, knees, and toes” later, and we were smitten.  See how cute they are?

 

Yup, we taught those kids about plants and nature.  And, yup, his pot fell to the ground and broke about .3 seconds after we snapped this photo.

 

Then, in January 2012, just a few months after our wedding day, we officially started the application. 

And, just like we did when we decided to get married, we decided it was important to talk to other people about what an experience like this might look like.  We had coffee with a returned Peace Corps volunteer couple and emailed other folks we knew that had served in the Peace Corps.  We went to Peace Corps info sessions.  We read blogs and books. Incessantly.

 

Within a few weeks, we had an interview in Dallas.  The day before our interview, Pete came home with flowers and chocolate milk (throwback to 2006!).  How sweet does he look? 

After a year of tutoring our adorable kiddos, we switched to working with an adult refuge ESL class.  We’re still volunteering with this class now.  The students in the class are from all over the world, and they have incredible stories to share.

A few weeks after our interview, we received our nomination to teach English in North Africa or the Middle East.  A nomination, we explained to people, means that you might be going to a particular region of the world, you might leave during a particular season, and you might do a particular job.  While we were thrilled, we tried not to get our hopes up too much.  We’ve heard stories about how Peace Corps nominations and departure dates can change from time to time. 

Shortly after our nomination, it was it was time for fingerprinting and a background check.  

We received our nomination in June.  Then we waited.  We spent weeks and weeks and months and months waiting to hear what would become of us.  Would we really leave in January like our nomination stated?  Would the country change?  Every now and then, Peace Corps folks would email us and ask for additional information.  We immediately dropped everything when we got a request for an updated resume.

Finally, in September, our official invitation letter came.

Morocco.  Youth Development. January 14^th, 2013.

This. Is. Happening.

For funsies, check out our old passports and new passport photos.  Look how much we've grown up!

As our journey continues, we invite you to stay with us and go places.  

Love,

Britt & Pete