John and I found out this week that we didn't get medical clearance for the Peace Corps. We were expecting to have difficulties, but the finality of the decision came as somewhat of a shock. John has arthritis (which is basically an auto immune disorder) in his left wrist, but he doesn't need medication for it and it rarely bothers him. But I guess the Peace Corps is strict about immune disorders, because of the possible complications. We were told that malnutrition and stress have a huge effect on the immune system, and that it was likely like he would face medical problems.
So it's been a hard week, knowing that something we had spent so much energy and thought on was not going to happen. The huge application process, the interviews, the acceptance and nomination to leave for Central Asia in July, the constant wondering and speculation of what country we might go to (Kyrgyzstan, by the way). But in some ways, having a definitive answer was a big relief, even if it wasn't the one we were hoping for. Now we're free to figure out what we want to do next, to not run all our decisions through the Peace Corps filter...do we need to buy that if we're going to leave this summer?...is it worth it to move to an apartment with air conditioning?...etc.
So now comes the next step of envisioning what the next few years are going to be like without living overseas. All along we've been thinking of other things to do if the Peace Corps didn't work out. Should I look for a new job? Should I take some classes? Should we move to San Francisco? Should we get a puppy-dog? Should we take a sabbatical with my family in South Dakota? Should we go to Europe? The possibilities are endless. (if you don't count the whole Peace Corps thing)
I am ashamed to admit I started this scarf over a year ago. It's the first thing I've tried to knit, and I was very gung-ho about it. My mom and I decided last Christmas to knit scarves while I was visiting for the holidays, and my estimation on how long it would take me to do this was apparently wrong. Although I must say, there was a chance I was going to finish it before the year mark, but I ran out of yarn and couldn't find any more of it in the stores. So I'm stuck. Maybe the yarn I chose was too trendy (if yarn can be so) and has since gone out of style. I'm going to check the store in Chino (where I originally bought my supplies) when we're down there next weekend. But tonight I did notice that the last foot of the scarf has gotten suspiciously wider than the beginning, so perhaps it's time to retire this one and start a new crafty project. Because there is that box of quilt squares lurking in the back of our closet.
