The grad school applications are done and sent, and as promised, I have finally, I hope, figured out more details of my next few months. At least for now. I have learned recently that you can never really count on things going according to plan, and that the NGO world is never 100% stable. Also, I learned that I should listen to my jinx rule that I outlined earlier in the blog and not tell the "public" what I have planned in the farther future.
The good news and the bad news: let's start with the bad. Obviously after saying that I have a position in Thailand from which I will be returning from in May, I asked the organization about my visa, to which they replied that they were in fact closing exactly when I was supposed to arrive. Thanks for letting me know. After a week of scurrying, worrying, and way too much planning and thinking I seemed to have resolved the problem of finding a volunteer opportunity in the region. I hope, fingers crossed, that this remains stable, but I will not tell you about it until tickets are purchased and the date gets closer haha.
The good news though is new detailed news about Ethiopia! I will be leaving the US on the 20th and am getting really excited to see how things will be in the capital, Addis Ababa, where I will be living and working. For living it seems that I will be in a house with the 2 other JDC JSC year-long fellows there, and have already been in contact with one who seems really fun and nice. Work wise things will be very interesting and different from what I was doing in BA. I think, at least I am told for now, that I will be helping out with administrative type tasks at a medical clinic in Addis Ababa. I will of course elaborate when I see first hand what I do. Although my work in BsAs was very valuable, I have always felt that the health sector is most likely where I will wind up when I am eventually working with an NGO in the future. Of course, I feel the need to see and experience all things and places hence this year of slight craziness, but deep down I think this sort of thing is what I will wind up being involved with so I am very very excited to see what this type of work is really like on the ground. From my understanding this clinic helps Jews and non-Jews of all ages, so that should be an interesting change as well.
In other news, I have purchased my ticket to Addis, gotten my Ethiopian visa, and have become a Star Alliance Dividend Miles member. After leaving later this month, I will be gone until probably early May, so, I plan to acquire a large amount of miles by doing some around the world flying, traveling for pleasure a bit, and hopefully seeing some friends along the way.
Not sure when the next post will be but you can be sure there will be one after Xmas when I will have already begun work in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia!
The good news and the bad news: let's start with the bad. Obviously after saying that I have a position in Thailand from which I will be returning from in May, I asked the organization about my visa, to which they replied that they were in fact closing exactly when I was supposed to arrive. Thanks for letting me know. After a week of scurrying, worrying, and way too much planning and thinking I seemed to have resolved the problem of finding a volunteer opportunity in the region. I hope, fingers crossed, that this remains stable, but I will not tell you about it until tickets are purchased and the date gets closer haha.
The good news though is new detailed news about Ethiopia! I will be leaving the US on the 20th and am getting really excited to see how things will be in the capital, Addis Ababa, where I will be living and working. For living it seems that I will be in a house with the 2 other JDC JSC year-long fellows there, and have already been in contact with one who seems really fun and nice. Work wise things will be very interesting and different from what I was doing in BA. I think, at least I am told for now, that I will be helping out with administrative type tasks at a medical clinic in Addis Ababa. I will of course elaborate when I see first hand what I do. Although my work in BsAs was very valuable, I have always felt that the health sector is most likely where I will wind up when I am eventually working with an NGO in the future. Of course, I feel the need to see and experience all things and places hence this year of slight craziness, but deep down I think this sort of thing is what I will wind up being involved with so I am very very excited to see what this type of work is really like on the ground. From my understanding this clinic helps Jews and non-Jews of all ages, so that should be an interesting change as well.
In other news, I have purchased my ticket to Addis, gotten my Ethiopian visa, and have become a Star Alliance Dividend Miles member. After leaving later this month, I will be gone until probably early May, so, I plan to acquire a large amount of miles by doing some around the world flying, traveling for pleasure a bit, and hopefully seeing some friends along the way.
Not sure when the next post will be but you can be sure there will be one after Xmas when I will have already begun work in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia!
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