Please Mr. Postman

As planned, last Tuesday I spoke with my placement officer. Per what I had read on other applicants blogs, the 'interview' was more of a formality aimed at reaffirming my interests and motivations prior to sending me an application. She asked me if I was still interested and how I would deal with challenges, should they arise. After answering her questions, and posing a few of my own, she informed me that the program that I was initially placed in had been delayed and would not be leaving until late June. She offered to look at other options with earlier departure dates for me though, which I gladly asked her to do. She said that she would get back to me and let me know if anything else was available. 

That was on Tuesday. On Thursday, I woke up to an automated email telling me that my application status had been updated. I logged in, and saw that I had been issued an invitation! Finally. But to where? She never called or emailed me, so I assumed that nothing had changed. I decided to email her anyway though, and asked her where the invitation was to. Lo and behold, she emailed me back a few hours later saying this:

Hi Tim,

I can tell you that you will be excited about this position! It leaves for the Pacific in mid May.

Once you receive your invitation, let me know if you have further questions.

Pacific. Mid-May. Not only was this 2 months later than I was planning on leaving, but on the other side of the world. I was disappointed at first, because I had spent so much time mentally preparing to be living in the Caribbean and leaving in March. However, the Pacific was the other region I had selected in my preferences initially, and I had wanted it over the Caribbean. I lucked out getting the Caribbean, and was doubtful that I would get reassigned to the Pacific just because I wanted  to leave earlier. Apparently my skills are just as needed there though, and my placement officer was accommodating enough to switch my placement to an earlier departure date. 

I've read about other volunteers who have talked to their placement officers and found out the country they are assigned to before they get the official invitation, my PO seems loathe to give me details though. All I know is that it's in the Pacific and leaving in mid-May. The departure date for Fiji is May 17, I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Now, I wait for my invitation. Until then, I'll be sitting by my mailbox. I'm not kidding. I've been doing it since Thursday when I found out it was issued. I need a job....until May.