Future Diplomat (Too)

Welcome back if you've joined me from my old blog, Future Diplomat, and if you've just happened to pass by, I hope you like the blog well enough to stay!

As many of you already know, I am currently a Peace Corps Volunteer living in Guatemala who has spent a good part of the past three years anxiously sitting through tests, writing narratives and shuffling security paperwork in my bid to become an Officer in the Foreign Service

So, what's new?

I'm still in Peace Corps, having extended a third year as a PCVL (Peace Corps Volunteer Leader) in a new site near Lake Atitlan. Please take a moment to enjoy my view:

Here are some highlights from my last two years of Service as a regular Peace Corps Volunteer:

• I facilitated 7 community workshops (Nutrition, Health, HIV/AIDS, Early Adolescence, Project Design Management, among others.)
• I met the Second Lady of the United States, Dr. Jill Biden, and as a PCVL representative, took a “selfie” with her that she shared on her twitter account.
• I co-facilitated a day-long retreat for USAID’s Economic Growth Office and made some contacts there.
• I developed a photo project for Peace Corps Week 2015, which was picked up by PC Worldwide on their Twitter, FB and other social media accounts. You can see some of the photos I took here.
• I helped construct a greenhouse made of wood and recycled plastic bottles. You can see all the photos here.

In Foreign Service news, I just submitted my latest round of Personal Narratives to BEX, but this time for Management Cone. Since I already have two Consular candidacies, I thought I'd shake it up a bit and try a cone that interests me as well. We'll see ;)

I'm still in "Final Suitability" limbo. I think they're just trying to get final approval on some last-minute tax concerns that came up. Hopefully the mistake on my taxes doesn't haunt me!

So, here I am. Waiting for Foreign Service while entering a new phase of Peace Corps Service. I feel happy with how everything seems to be settling into place, and I cannot wait to see what new adventures my life will bring me in 2015!