A new beginning

"I'm leaving NYC and moving to Vermont for the summer, and then hopefully moving to Africa in the fall to join the Peace Corps!" Yes, that's the 'news' in my life right now, but it requires a lot of backstory, so I am using this post as a way to explain what's going on in my life in a channel outside of Facebook. 

A bit of background: I moved to NYC in June 2004, just 2 weeks after graduating from Drew University, and have been working and living here ever since. My first job was at Astralwerks Records, and I had actually been interning there for nearly a year before I started my job, first during the summer of '03 and then commuting in from NJ by train to work all day on Fridays during my senior year. I left Astralwerks in fall 2006, then moved to freelance work with Sugar Communications and Food Network for 6 months after that. I transitioned into full-time work at Food Network and stayed there for nearly 4 years before taking my current job at Venda in March 2010. In short, I've been working non-stop since graduating college. I haven't taken any time off between jobs (though I do feel fortunate to have been continually employed!), and I didn't get to do the requisite post-college backpacking and traveling because of my job. So, I have decided that I need a break from the corporate world. It's been nearly 7 years now in NYC and if I am going to continue on this way, I feel that it's important for me to take a step back and pursue something that's been on my life list for 10 years. Which brings me to...

Peace Corps: I had been interested in joining the Peace Corps since high school, a desire which was magnified during a 2002 volunteer work trip to Honduras with Drew. I attended the info sessions but ultimately decided to put it off due to my job offer. (Picture the legions of people saying "What? You got offered a job at a record label in NYC? You'd be crazy to turn it down!") So I moved to NY and spent my time learning the ropes of the New York business world. I also began to spend a lot of my free time doing volunteer work with City Harvest, the Greenpoint Soup Kitchen, and Met Council. Nonetheless, I still felt the pull of Peace Corps and so in 2009 I decided to finally apply. However, in early 2010 I was contacted by a headhunter and ultimately received an amazing job offer at Venda, so I elected to put Peace Corps on hold to take on the new opportunity, which I knew would be an incredible learning experience. It also enabled me to move to Manhattan and live by myself, which let's face it, was on my "life list" as well. The job at Venda has been challenging but rewarding and I have grown immensely in just one short year. But again, I still felt like there was something greater that I needed to pursue in my life, so I re-opened my Peace Corps application at the end of 2010. And this brings me to...

Logistics: I have applied to become a Peace Corps volunteer, and the program I've been nominated for is doing business advising in Africa, in French, leaving in September 2011. I am indescribably excited about this, because it's exactly what I am interested in pursuing as a career: using business skills as a tool to improve the lives of people around the world. I subscribe to an idea that I term "compassionate capitalism", which means that enabling someone to start their own business and become successful is ultimately a better way to solve global problems than simple foreign aid, whether it be food or monetary donations. Creating strong community-based economies has an enormous trickle-down effect that helps combat problems like malnourishment, disease and lack of education. (Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn write about this in length, specifically about the impact of women-owned businesses, in the NY Times as well as their book "Half the Sky".) I am excited about sharing the business skills I've learned in the past 7+ years, and ultimately it's made me glad that I waited to apply for Peace Corps, because 7 years ago I would not have known what I wanted to be a volunteer for-- it took me getting out there in the world to know that the business aspect is what interested me the most.

The program I am applying for leaves in September, but the lease on my apartment is up at the end of April. So, I have decided to move back home to Vermont at the end of this month. In addition to the lease aspect, I feel that living in the countryside for a few months will do me good and allow me to re-center myself before (hopefully) leaving for Africa in the fall. Additionally, because Peace Corps often gives volunteers only a few weeks' notice before they are due to depart, I decided that moving to Vermont and tying up as many NYC loose ends as possible right now (cable bill, gym membership, etc) would allow me to be more nimble and flexible should I receive an official Peace Corps invitation with not much advance notice. Which brings me to...

My current status as an applicant: I have spent an enormous amount of time and money going through all the hoops necessary to become a volunteer. I have completed the application, gotten the recommendations, done the interview, studied for and passed the French language exam, visited my doctors and dentist (10+ visits), and though I am feeling confident about my qualifications as an applicant, I am still waiting for my medical clearance to come through. Once I receive my clearance (hopefully in the next few weeks once I submit results of one final test), my application will go to the placement office, which is where they make the official decision. In terms of timing, I'm hoping to hear from them by June or July. So this brings me to...

Today: Despite the uncertainty of my departure, I've nevertheless decided to go forward with my move to Vermont. I have spoken to my boss and will be working remotely for my company for several months at least, although I don't have a guaranteed end date. My official move date is Saturday April 30th, and on that day I'll be driving a U-Haul to Vermont that's filled with my NYC life.

I apologize for this long post, but for those of you who I haven't been able to speak with about this at length, I felt that it was important to share the background and current status of my plans. Those of you who know me well will probably not be surprised by my desire to join the Peace Corps, so as sad as I am to leave New York and my friends here, I am hoping for everyone's support and understanding as I (hopefully) launch into a new journey in my life.