Drum Roll Please

Written October 7

Yes, I have the answer we have all been waiting for-where I will be living for the next two years of my life. I know the suspense is killing you. But, before I let you in on this essential piece of information, I am going to tell you about the Peace Corps Business Plan Competition I partook in this past weekend. (Please don’t read ahead to just find out my site). I traveled to the capital with the other trainees to see the annual business plan competition that is put on by other Peace Corps business volunteers and a micro finance NGO. As business volunteers, we have the opportunity to teach a course on basic business skills and how to write a business plan to the youth in the community where we serve. Youth create an extensive business plan on a micro business that they would like to start in their community. These plans are submitted and the best plans are presented at this national conference each year. This year, there were three winners-the groups actually get the money to start their business and even those who don’t win the money are so passionate that many find ways to fund raise to start their business. Businesses varied from starting an internet café, to a hot dog stand to a repair shop, etc. It was such a rewarding experience sharing the weekend with such motivated youth. I didn’t realize how much of an impact this experience has on so many of their lives. There were teenagers there that had never left their little campo before and now they had the chance to start their very own business! It was the first time I really got to see Peace Corps Volunteers in action. The whole weekend got me so excited to get started. I will definitely be helping out next year to plan the event.

All the business trainees were super anxious this weekend-the other volunteers in different sectors had found out about their sites and then current volunteers were telling us that they found out their placement at the end of the business plan competition when they were trainees. But we had two weeks left to go in training, so we weren’t expecting to hear anything. The director had made it plenty clear to me that she still wasn’t sure where she wanted to place me. I mean, it is very difficult to place us. In our sector, there is such a diverse amount of work that you can do, they really try to match your skills and your preferences. Sunday rolls around, we are reflecting as a group on our weekend and the Director walks in. Everyone stops talking and just looks over, because I think we secretly knew why she had walked into the room. She explains to us that we are going to have a class on geography. Geography? Really, almost two months in and we are going to go over geography again? But, the twist was that we were going to have a geography class to show us where our placements are on a map. Everyone went crazy. We were screaming, some people started to cry. I mean, this is a huge deal. We have been basically walking blind, left our home for two years not even knowing where we will be living, putting our future in their hands- yea, it’s a big deal. Since the computer wasn’t working (go figure), we pulled out a huge map. We sat together, holding hands, anxious to hear everybody’s placement. For each person, a sticker was placed on the map showing the location, a one to two sentence description of the site project was given, a drum roll and then the person who’s site it would be was announced. The placements were given, starting in the south. I was one of the last placements to be announced. A sticker was placed literally at the end of the road on the peninsula of the D.R., the providence of Samana, on the water. Everyone gasped because it is 1. Almost unheard of to get a placement on the beach 2. Where exactly the sticker was placed in Samana is one of the most, if not the most beautiful beach in the whole country. It was announced that the person who would serve there was going work with an organization to aid in business development, help with some fisherman project, but also do community development work. The community needed someone innovative and creative. Super broad I know. My name was called and I freaked out. Everybody, I will be spending the next two years of my life in Las Galeras. Look it up on the map, research it, get excited! Luckily, one of the current volunteers that was at the business competition is my neighbor (about an hour away and from San Diego, go figure) and she was working on preparing the site for me. She didn’t have too much information for me, but she had a picture of my site on her phone. Uhm, let’s just say that if you plan on visiting me, be prepared for paradise.

I don’t know too much about my project just yet. I have to wait until the 18th of October to receive more information, but such a weight is lifted off my shoulders. Not only am I relieved that I know where the heck I will be living, but I feel like karma is coming back to me and it tastes SO sweet! The director did such a good job at placing everybody. It seems like everybody’s preferences were taken into consideration. What a great way to end the weekend. I feel like I have something more concrete to look forward to now. Knowing my site has made this experience seem so much more real already. Las Galeras-can’t wait!