In 6 months from today, I will be leaving Kazakhstan.
I didn't want to bury the lead, so there it is. However, there is a bit of a back-story to that comment which I will now explain. Last November, Peace Corps informed all Volunteers in Kazakhstan that due to programmatic, financial, and expansion issues, my group will be leaving 3 months earlier than originally scheduled. Because the Peace Corps program here has recently shifted to 2 training groups per year (one in March and one in August), the number of volunteers which will overlap this year is more than can be supported by our staff in Almaty. As a result, my group is being phased out early to shorten the overlap time between Kaz 21 (my group), Kaz 22 (arrived last August), Kaz 23 (coming soon in March) and Kaz 24 (coming soon in August). If my group was allowed to stay until our original contract COS date of November 1, Peace Corps Kazakhstan would have 4 full groups of Volunteers in the country for August, September, and October of this year. There is no way that our medical staff of 2 people, for example, could accommodate 200+ PCVs.
However, it is not like Washington is giving us the boot without due consideration. We were told after this shocking bombshell of information, that OCAP (me) and YD Volunteers could put in for consideration to stay until the original date of November 1, should our programs at site merit the "extension".
This is why I have been uncharacteristically silent about this issue until now. I have given it a lot of thought, factoring in the 4 grants that I am working on as well as the need to find employment after Peace Corps, and finally decided to leave with everyone else on August 2. Employment threw the trump card on grants, and I'm not over the moon about that, but I figured I could ramp up my efforts a bit more in the coming months and satisfy a good portion of the activities while preparing my co-workers to finish the deed.
The dust is still settling over the landscape in my mind, now that I have made a decision. When I signed up for Peace Corps and finally left America for 27 months, the idea of returning to America was never something I factored into my life in the immediate sense. Ok, that's a lie, in my weakest moments I admit I thought about calling it quits here and scrambling back as soon as possible. Outside of those moments, it was always 24 months left, then 18 months left, then 12 months left, and now my 9 months has quickly shrank to 6 months and that feels very soon to me. Yes, friends, 6 months now seems like nothing after a year and a half away.
As a result, not only am I preparing to leave Kazakhstan early, but I am also preparing to enter America early. I'm on the prowl for a job, and I've already applied to 14 positions-- some with consulting, some with investment banking, some with think tanks, and one with non-profit work. If anyone has news of an opening in the Houston area, please let me know.
It appears as though God's Country is my next destination. That's right, Texas, I'm coming to mess with you. August 2011. Get ready. The countdown is on.
I didn't want to bury the lead, so there it is. However, there is a bit of a back-story to that comment which I will now explain. Last November, Peace Corps informed all Volunteers in Kazakhstan that due to programmatic, financial, and expansion issues, my group will be leaving 3 months earlier than originally scheduled. Because the Peace Corps program here has recently shifted to 2 training groups per year (one in March and one in August), the number of volunteers which will overlap this year is more than can be supported by our staff in Almaty. As a result, my group is being phased out early to shorten the overlap time between Kaz 21 (my group), Kaz 22 (arrived last August), Kaz 23 (coming soon in March) and Kaz 24 (coming soon in August). If my group was allowed to stay until our original contract COS date of November 1, Peace Corps Kazakhstan would have 4 full groups of Volunteers in the country for August, September, and October of this year. There is no way that our medical staff of 2 people, for example, could accommodate 200+ PCVs.
However, it is not like Washington is giving us the boot without due consideration. We were told after this shocking bombshell of information, that OCAP (me) and YD Volunteers could put in for consideration to stay until the original date of November 1, should our programs at site merit the "extension".
This is why I have been uncharacteristically silent about this issue until now. I have given it a lot of thought, factoring in the 4 grants that I am working on as well as the need to find employment after Peace Corps, and finally decided to leave with everyone else on August 2. Employment threw the trump card on grants, and I'm not over the moon about that, but I figured I could ramp up my efforts a bit more in the coming months and satisfy a good portion of the activities while preparing my co-workers to finish the deed.
The dust is still settling over the landscape in my mind, now that I have made a decision. When I signed up for Peace Corps and finally left America for 27 months, the idea of returning to America was never something I factored into my life in the immediate sense. Ok, that's a lie, in my weakest moments I admit I thought about calling it quits here and scrambling back as soon as possible. Outside of those moments, it was always 24 months left, then 18 months left, then 12 months left, and now my 9 months has quickly shrank to 6 months and that feels very soon to me. Yes, friends, 6 months now seems like nothing after a year and a half away.
As a result, not only am I preparing to leave Kazakhstan early, but I am also preparing to enter America early. I'm on the prowl for a job, and I've already applied to 14 positions-- some with consulting, some with investment banking, some with think tanks, and one with non-profit work. If anyone has news of an opening in the Houston area, please let me know.
It appears as though God's Country is my next destination. That's right, Texas, I'm coming to mess with you. August 2011. Get ready. The countdown is on.
Well, it may be hard for you, but I am pretty psyched you're coming home earlier! And the offer is still open to apply to my company, though I can't promise anything.
ReplyDeleteKat
I can't offer you a job upon your return, but I do plan on bombarding you with hugs.
ReplyDelete