2 weeks, 2 days, and counting!!!

I leave in 2 weeks and 2 days from today. I am SUPER excited. I have my visa and my plane ticket. All I have left to do is pack.

A lot of people have asked how I came across this opportunity and how I was chosen. I thought that I would take this time before I leave to share with all of you the whole process.

A few years ago, I was surfing the web and was looking at all of the World Center websites. I found on the Pax Lodge website an opportunity to volunteer there as an assistant. I remembered meeting some of these volunteers when I visited Pax Lodge during my Wider Opportunity to England in 2000. I decided to look into this same opportunity at the other Word Centers and found that Sangam also volunteers for 3, 6, and 10 month periods. Since I was still in college, and not able to fit the volunteer work into my schedule, I kept that idea on the back burner.

As I entered my senior year of college, I had to start thinking about what I was going to do after college and I remembered the World Center volunteer positions. Since I have always wanted to go to India, I immediately went to the Sangam website, downloaded the application, and started the process.

I had to have my application and 3 confidential references sent to India by Dec. 31. After my application was submitted, I was then selected for a telephone interview. I had to wake up early for my interview since there is a 13 hour time difference. My telephone interview was with the Sangam Program Manager and lasted 30 minutes. During the interview, I was asked about my Girl Scouting experiences, my travel experiences, my opinions and views of other cultures and religions, and also was asked what I would do in certain situations. A few weeks after the interview, I was selected as one of three Program Assistants at the World Center. The other two girls who will be volunteering with me are from Canada and England.

I am very excited about going and will be very busy preparing for the next few weeks!

christa