Accidental Information

So the intern at Peace Corps returned my call yesterday. The first conversation was as expected. She basically called to tell me what I had already known; my invitation was in the mail. Thanks for the call back. I asked her if they sent the package via certified mail. How else would they know the reception date from which to count 10 days (you have ten days to accept or reject the invitation before they offer the slot to someone else)? She informed me that they use FedEx. Cool. No Problem. End of conversation.

I then began to wonder why, if it was sent via FedEx, I had not yet received the package. I speculated that they may not have used next day air. At any rate, I called back and politely asked if they could provide me with a tracking number in the event that I did not receive the package in the next couple of days. What happened next was VERY unexpected. It went something like this: "Hold on a second, let me talk to the person who's in charge of sending out the invitations." [one minute pause] "Thanks for waiting. You know what? We sent out the Romania ones via U.S. Mail, so you should get it in a few days." Well, the proverbial cat was out of the proverbial bag now. I excitedly blurted out, "Romania, did you say Romania?". She then realized what she had let slip. I asked if it was against Peace Corps policy to disclose such information and she said no, but they like people to be surprised when they open the envelope. Well, that was surprise enough for me. I jokingly promised that I wouldn't tell anybody and that I would act very surprised when I got the invitation package. Sooooooo......

more waiting. 7 to 10 business days.

So Close

Well, I got the e-mail I've been waiting for this morning. I'm in, but I don't know where, when or what I'll be doing. The Peace Corps updated my on-line tool kit to reflect the change in my status from "nominee" to "invitee". I'm now at the mercy of the U.S. Postal Service. The invitation kit that was mailed last Friday has all of the info that I'm so desperately wanting. Upon reception, I have 10 days to accept or reject the invitation. No guess as to what will happen there. Must...have...Peace Corps...patience...