FAQ

I assuming there will be a few questions about me and my upcoming Peace Corps service. So why not put them all up here so everyone can check them out.

Q. Who the heck are you and what's with this blog?
A. My name is Jason, I'm heading to Kenya with Peace Corps at the end of May 2010. Last time I was abroad I found a blog a very effective and helpful way of keeping my friends and family in the loop on what I was up to with minimal effort from me (anyone can tell you I'm horrible at keeping in touch). However, anyone who wants to check this out or ask me questions feel free.

Q. Where are you going and when? How long will you be there?
A. I will be leaving for Kenya May 31, 2010 for 27 months. The first 3 months being training, and the next two years after my actual service. Specific locations to come as I find out.

Q. What will you be doing?
A. The following is from the Peace Corps's web page on Kenya and is a good summary of what the paperwork they sent me has...
"Volunteers help Kenyans address unemployment and alleviate poverty by focusing on sustainable income-generating opportunities. They support women and youth groups, community organizations and cooperatives in beekeeping, handicrafts, textiles, agricultural and dairy products and other areas. Volunteers help improve skills of local entrepreneurs, including marketing and bookkeeping skills. Some Volunteers are assigned to vocational and technical institutions to assist with computer literacy and the use of information technology in business and other areas."
http://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=learn.wherepc.africa.kenya

Q. What about safety/health/etc?
For this one I'll let the Peace Corps handle it. Here is a link to their Family and Friends section with anwsers to those questions...
http://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=resources.faf

Q. Are you excited/nervous/ready/etc?
The best way I can sum up my feelings on it are by using the following analogy. I would assume I feel a lot like a sky diver on a plane about to make the jump. Nervous, but mostly super excited and feeling reasonably confident everything will work out. Only difference is this jump will last over 2 years.

Q. Why the Peace Corps?
For a few reasons: to serve, to represent, to build the resume, to grow and to challenge myself. To build on that list, I feel that I've always had a pretty good deal in life, time to pay a little something back including to the country I've grown up in and love so much. To represent the US abroad as a part of an international relations institution that has been around almost 50 years and was created under the leadership and foresight of JFK. To add something valuable to my resume to help my future career. And lastly to challenge myself. I was reading in a book once about how all men (and maybe women too) spend their lives looking for the challenge or event where they can prove themselves, show who they really are. This may be mine. We'll see.

Q. Can we hang out before you leave?
We better... anyone of my friends who is in the pacific NW better make time to hang out before I leave.

That's it for now. Check back later for more details. If I haven't posted something on the site yet, probably a good chance I don't know it either yet.