the future

I figured I’d make it official on our blog and report that David and I are headed on an adventure.  We’ve been invited to serve in the US Peace Corps in Romania.  David will be teaching English and I’ll be working with marginalized youth.  It’s a 2+ year commitment and we couldn’t be more excited. This is a great way to start our marriage — having an adventure, learning about ourselves and each other, living more simply, facing challenges, establishing a home together in a foreign country, sharing stories and culture with others, being global citizens.  But here’s a bit of how we came to this decision. . .

A bit of history. . .

I started my Peace Corps application during my final year at undergrad, but I never finished it.  Grad school was the agenda.  Then as I finished grad school, I pulled out the application again, but I had to get my board certifications and my license.  When I wasn’t too thrilled with my job at the VA, out that PC application came again. But nothing really came to fruition.  PC was on my life list, the timing just wasn’t there.

Then David entered my life and turned it upside-down —  falling in love, being engaged, planning a wedding, switching jobs — life happened at break-neck speed.  Somewhere in that whirlwind, David read my favorite book, “The Alchemist” by Paulo Coehlo.  I remember he read it on a plane and the moment he got in the car he said, “I read that book and I want to join the Peace Corps.”  I was speechless.  First of all, David enjoys his creature comforts, can’t live without his gizmos, and dislikes dirt and vegetables. Plus he’s a computer geek (yes, I mean that lovingly).  What cube-loving IBM-er wants to give up all that for the unknown of a developing country?  Secondly, I had NEVER mentioned my PC application that was filled out, waiting for me to bite the bullet and submit it.  I pulled out my life list (yes, it’s dorky, but I have a literal list) and showed him #38: Serve in the Peace Corps.

That initial conversation was 3 years ago. There have been many many since.  And here we are embarking on this path.  There are still a lot of unknowns — where we will live, what we will do, can we hack it, what will we do afterwards, will people like us, will we like them, what can we live without, who will we be when it’s all said and done?  But what I do know quiets all those questions in my head.  What I do know is that I’m finally on this path,  that I’m on it with my best friend and biggest fan, and that I couldn’t be happier.

When you are on the right path, the world conspires in your favor. . .