Not there yet (the when and the why)

As you can tell from the name of this blog (JP in Namibia), I will be blogging about my experiences in Namibia. However, I am not quite there yet.

I figured it would be a good idea to at least: 1. let you know when I will be there and 2. let you know why I will be there.

When: July 23, 2014 to September 17, 2016 (dates subject to change). That's approximately 27 months or 112 weeks or 787 days or 18,888 hours or 1,133,280 minutes or 67,996,800 seconds...I'll be there for awhile.

Why: The short version is, that less than two years removed from school I realized that the typical corporate/business environment is just not for me...at least not yet. The long version is, well, longer:

On May 19, 2012 I graduated from Marist College with a degree in International Business. It was a great day, more so because it also happened to be my birthday as well. I had no job, but hey, if I had a job would I have gotten to drive across the US? (#shouldvebloggedthat). I eventually did start working for one company, and then started working for another, and then another, and then one more. In between working for the third and fourth company I submitted an application to the Peace Corps (June 12, 2013). I did this because the more I worked, the more I realized I wasn't on the right career track. I just could not picture myself working in corporate America for the rest of my life. I needed to do something that would be more interesting, challenging, and rewarding. I felt strongly that the Peace Corps would be the answer.

Nine months later (March 20, 2014) I received my acceptance to be a Peace Corps Volunteer. I had been working for that fourth company for awhile, and while the job was good it still did not fill my needs. There was little doubt in my mind that this opportunity would be perfect for me as the opportunity to work in Namibia as a Community Economic Development (CED) Volunteer would absolutely be an interesting, challenging, and rewarding experience. I tried to think of reasons not to go, but I found that there was nothing that could sway me. This was my calling, so despite my departure being less than 4 months away I have started mentally preparing myself for what will undoubtedly be a truly incredible adventure.

Note: I officially accepted the invitation on March 24, 2014 (because they require a response in 7 days), but decided to hold off on my official announcement until now so that I could have enough time to ensure that I was making the right decision.