Legally cleared

Well we're both officially legally cleared, so all we have left is to wait for the invite! We checked the online toolkit and there was a checkmark next to legal. I hope this means they're now actually in the process of reviewing our applications and figuring out our placement.

My work weeks are dragging by with this waiting game now, and I think I'm spending more time researching info on the south pacific and other PC blogs than actually working at my job. And Brett's to the point of wanting to give his two weeks notice at work. I think it will get better though once we know where we're going and can start getting ready.

Where will we end up?

I don't really want to guess where we'll get placed in case it ends up to be something totally different, but with all the waiting it's hard not to. So with all my searching online here's what I've gathered.

For October and with our nominations for education/business it looks like it would be either Samoa or Tonga.

If it slides up to Sept, there's a departure to Vanuatu for these programs.

Based on the PC website, I don't think it would be any of the other islands, they don't have both of our programs. There were summer departures for Fiji (May), Samoa (June), Vanuatu (June-ish I think), and Micronesia (June).

Here's some paraphrased ideas/info on the islands it could be that I've gathered:

Vanuatu - in between Fiji/Soloman islands, very stretched out and some isolated islands. They speak some French/English and Bislama is the common language, but there are also sixty-some languages across the islands. Port Vila is the capital. The natives are called Ni-Vanuatu. There are active volcanoes, earthquakes, and usually at least one cyclone a year. It's hot and humid. The landscape looks very pretty, with lush green mountains/jungle and pretty ocean and beaches. Depending on where you're placed, you might not have electricity or running water and could live in a village.

Samoa - Next to Fiji, north of Tonga. It's divided to Western Samoa, where they send volunteers, and American Samoa. It's a smaller area, with 2 main islands so easier to get around. The capital is Apia. It's very hot and humid. Most of the villages line the coastal areas, and there are buses between them and the capital. It sounds like a lot of people get bikes. There is no malaria, and fewer cyclones hit. With the culture, everyone is in everyone else's business and is nosy. It's close-nit communities, and everyone attends church on Sundays. There are a lot of stray dogs that can be mean and attack.

Tonga - Below Samoa, smaller islands that are spread out. It's still a kingdom with a King. Very hot and humid, fewer cyclones hit and there's no malaria. Everyone attends church on Sundays.

Hopefully we'll know which country we'll be placed in soon!