TB saga

Well I've spent the last month since graduation on two trips, one to Minneapolis and the other to LA. I've also read a stack of books, watched way to many episodes of Law & Order, CSI and the wedding shows on the Style Network as well as developed a decent tan by my standards. I think I am quite well recovered from my last sleepless-prone semester of college.

I am still waiting to find out where exactly I'm going with the Peace Corps. It is such a long process. I applied over Thanksgiving break and then Interviewed (the hard part) right before Christmas. I was then nominated for the West Africa Program leaving in early September to work in Small Business Development Advising. I then took until mid-April to get all my medical and dental forms filled out which you can imagine was very difficult considering I don't have a family physician or dentist because I've grown up all over the place. Then 8 weeks later they let me know that they need another form filled out. So when I got back from LA last Thursday I found out that I need to get a form about TB filled out by a doctor. That has resulted in a Mantoux/TB skin test, having blood drawn for tests, a chest x-ray and now they say because I've lived in a country that has a high rate of TB (the Philippines) within 5 years and that my skin test was positive (likely due to the BCG) and even though the Xray was fine that I need to be on drugs for the next four months. Now I hope this doesn't delay me leaving for Africa. I should hear back hopefully by next week. The doctor said that these drugs can easily be taken there and I would have been on it for three months before I leave so side effects should have passed. He also said I will be the leastlikely person to get TB out of my entire group because I'll be on the meds. Worse comes to worse I leave late October or Early November but I really hope it doesn't. I won't get back till 2010 then.....

The drugs are supposed to make all liquids yellow so my tears and sweat are going to be yellow. That means with the heat and humidity of Washington D.C. in the summer I am likely just going to be tinged yellow for the next four months because you sweat a lot here (hopefully I won't be crying).

Cum Laude!

I am officially Jessica Asha Flaten, BSBA Cum Laude. I think that's how you say it. But most importantly I am done!!! Thank you to every one who got me this far!!! As far as my life goes, the Babson portion has been very "normal". Girl goes off to college, joins a sorority, is an RA for two years, goes abroad, dates a guy somewhere in there for 1.5 years quite seriously but then breaks it off... If I ever wrote my memoirs, I wonder how long this chapter would be? I guess I've yet to see how it will define the rest of my life. It could have almost no factor in what I do or it could have a massive impact (which would of course make the chapter a lot longer).

And on another note... its funny the reactions I get when I tell people I'm planning to head to West Africa with the Peace Corps. Some people just give a mild "that's nice" but then others have tonnes of questions like what made me decide to go. People that know my background well usually say it fits perfectly. Which I feel it does... it brings everything I want for the next few years oh-so-nicely. My Babson degree with its unavoidable Entrepreneurship flavor, my dissatisfaction with the incredibly selfish values of the business world, my family heritage of international development and working to help the poor of the world, my itchy feet which are dying to get out of this country, the need to do something INTERESTING after Babson...and my desire to escape the humdrum of the norm. Suzy Welch's comment at the Women's Leadership Event was the spark that lit the fuse way back in November. She said she decided on which paths to take in life because she "didn't want a boring life". That phrase stuck with me and it made me realize, neither did I! And then I found the Peace Corps and... voila! Its funny. Ever since I got the idea into my head to apply, I've never wavered from it. I'm dead set on it particularly because it feels so right to be doing it!

Done

Yesterday afternoon I officially finished all my course work for my bachelor of science in business administration (quite the mouthful). So now really I just need the diploma. And the grades to come in but I'm not worried about them. Now basically I sit and twiddle my thumbs for the next 9 days. Well, that's not totally true. Senior Week starts Monday.

I am getting quite antsy to get out of here. I am completely ready for a summer of sun and family and nannying. Though as it gets hotter I am realizing I am going to miss cool weather but not cold weather... I am not a snow fan. It could be possibly be 2.5 years of hot weather continually, depending on where I'm posted by the Peace Corps in Africa. If its in the Saharan countries like Mauritania or Mali it will get cold at night as I've learnt in my meteorology class.

Hmm I wonder where I'll end up... I'd like Senegal or Mali I think.