I’m an MSF volunteer now!

I got the letter from MSF in New York today, and I have been entered into their pool of available volunteers! This is what I’ve been working towards for over a year, and I’m really happy! As well as the good kind of scared you get when ambitious tasks present themselves to you!

The next step is an orientation in New York City, and the process of finding the right first posting for me. I’ll learn more about that process in the coming week, probably. Because the final decision on deploying me is out of their hands, the New York office can’t really guess when I’ll be deployed. However, the fact that I have very few limitations on the timeframe or location of my posting means I’ll be considered for more postings than some other first timers will be.

Here’s a big thanks to all the people who got me this far:

• My parents, who didn’t flip out when I told them about my plans.
• My guardian angels, who watch out for me when I’m traveling to these crazy places.
• My housemate Karl who remembers to check the mail more often than I do, and actually found the envelope from MSF!
• My sometimes-employer, Blue Chip Tek, and all my clients who make short projects for me so that I can be ready to leave when MSF is ready for me.
• All of the ex-MSF people I have talked to who counseled me, encouraged me, rewrote my resume, and inspired me.
• My references, who resisted the temptation to sabotage my job search in order to keep me in the US to work for them.
• MSF-USA for not taking out a restraining order against me when I wouldn’t leave them alone. (And MSF-Holland for not letting MSF-USA know I was trying to go behind their back!)
• All the old friends and new friends I’ve met in the last year who gave me such positive feedback on my goals and encouraged me. Even the one who wanted to be sure I knew how to fire a rifle before she agreed that aid work was a good idea! (I do know how to fire a rifle, for the record. Not that I’ll ever be doing so!)

I’m off to Casa de Snout to plan the Game, and enjoy some celebratory margaritas!