Are you a vegetarian?

Last words I expected, but the best words I heard all week: "Well, let's get you nominated."

So the interview consisted of: turning my fingers bright pink from the fingerprint ink; 40 minutes of paperwork; being asked at least 3 times if I was a vegetarian; having a philosophical debate about how odd the answer "not currently" is to the question "are you romantically involved with anyone"; once again detailing my volunteer, professional and leadership experience from every year of my life; explaining how I would deal with loneliness, boredom, frustration, anxiousness, stress, awkwardness and pretty much any other emotion you can feel as a human; and grinning like an idiot when I said I wouldn't mind living in a mud hut without electricity or running water for 2 years.

But at the end of it all came the magic word: nomination.

So as of now I've been nominated to work in Community Development with a focus in HIV/AIDS, in Africa, departing January 2009. For those of you who have been with me during this whole process you know that I couldn't ask for a better nomination. Of course, a lot could happen between now and January; who knows, by then I might be doing sanitation and hygiene work in Latin America. But everyone keep your fingers crossed that not much will change.

Next step: medical clearance....I know I'm very much looking forward to all of the vials of blood they'll be taking. Eeek!