Last Day of Work

Well, I made it to my last day at work! I've been at HP for over a year as a marketing intern, and have learned a lot. It was a great opportunity I am very thankful for, but I am definitely ready to be done and hit the road on my motorcycle trip. I'm going to leave next Wednesday or Thursday, and will be on the road for about a month and a half. My usual moto trip buddy, Cole, couldn't make it this time, so I'll be going "Lone Wolf" on this adventure. I'm very excited to start a new chapter of my life and am really looking forward to traveling around the East and seeing old friends. I will update this blog along the trip and am looking forward to people leaving comments.

Now for my short Peace Corps update...I talked to the same woman yesterday to get a status on my Medical packet, and was told there had been no progress. She confirmed that PC has my phone number, and that it will be ok for me to take the moto trip. Peace Corps will call me if anything changes, or if I need to redo something, and I will try to get it done while I'm on the trip. She mentioned that they are almost through their busy part of the year, and that myself and many others with similar deadlines are next to be screened. However, if some kid kept calling me to get a "status", I would say something similar to keep him from calling all the time too. :-) Anyway, hopefully the Med Packet has no errors, and I will receive an invitation in late August, but I have learned when dealing with any government agency it is prudent to "hope for the best, but expect the worst". That way, anything good that happens will always be a pleasant surprise. Take care, and feel free to leave me comments...I do read them, and will respond to any questions you have. Thanks!

A Case of the "Mondays"

Hey everyone,

So I got back yesterday from a great 4th of July weekend. I flew to Missouri to see my girlfriend Emily and her family. They took me to Lake of the Ozarks for the weekend to enjoy lots of great food, waterskiing, and fireworks. I really had a great time, and it was cool to visit somewhere I had never been. They always make me feel at home, and go out of their way to pack as much fun as possible into the short time I can visit. All in all, it was a perfect weekend, and I can't wait to visit again after my motorcycle trip.

Now on to the Peace Corps "update". I called PC Headquarters this morning and talked to the same lady I did a month ago. She said that Peace Corps is still really backed up reviewing medical packets from applicants who leave in August and September. I was told there had been no progress on my packet, but she expected there would be a development in "Late August". This was kinda discouraging b/c she told me a month ago that she thought there would be progress by now. I'm guessing that means that by late August they will at least start to look at my packet. Then, if there are any paperwork errors, etc. they will let me know. I am NOT planning on this part going easily. Maybe I'm a bit of a synic, but I would be very surprised if the medical packet gets reviewed and approved without a hitch. I know that it will all work out, but its just getting really hard not knowing anything new for so long. Its hard not to worry about your future when its so uncertain, but everything happens for a reason. Patience is one of the best things you can learn from the application process, but it can be a hard pill to swallow at times.

So, that's about it for now. I'm getting pretty excited about being done at HP (July 24th!), and starting the motorcycle trip (August 1st). I bought a new helmet, ordered new tires, and have my one man tent ready to go! I'm planning on using this blog to update everyone once I'm on the motorcycle trip. So check back around the end of July for that. Take care.