Searching in the field for treasure

I am a planner.  For the past ten years, I have had a "five year plan" to get me through each transition of my life.  While the plans did not always unfold to the letter, I took comfort in having a direction even if it was just a rough sketch.  According to habit, two and a half years ago I began the process again.  I began to plan what I would do upon my graduation from the University of Puerto Rico.  Originally, I had a vague idea that I would come back to Connecticut and "settle down."  As I listened to my classmates' plans and the curiosity growing in the pit of my stomach, I realized that I was not ready to embrace the "American Dream."  In my travels I had learned so much of the world and how it worked.  I had adapted to the subtleties of other cultures, learned how others perceived the world, met fascinating people, tasted new foods and formed strong friendships.  It was at this point I decided to seek out a way to quench my curiosity and my desire to learn about the rest of the world with the ultimate goal of sharing my experiences and stories from the other countries in the United States.

By the time I had finished school, I had already sent out applications to several programs which I had believed were suitable for what I was hoping to do.  For various reasons, each of these paths lead me to a dead end. So, I found a job and a church as I settled back into peaceful Connecticut life, all the while continuing the quest.  It was just over the year mark of when I had returned home from Puerto Rico that I began to be discouraged and was ready to just accept that maybe my plan wasn't meant to be, when I stumbled across the Young Adult Service Corps of the Episcopal Church.  After reading through the philosophy behind the program, I knew it was right for me and applied.  In February of 2016, I found that I had been accepted to the program!

You remember that at the beginning I had mentioned that I was a planner?  Since I have applied for the program, there has never been a distinct plan.  At first, it was unsettling.  I was trying to figure out what to do about my two jobs, trying to decided how much time I should dedicate to activities and language study, as well as make sure I spent enough time with family and friends.  The follow up process for YASC was slower than I had expected for a number of reasons; at one point I even wondered if maybe they had changed their minds and decided I was not a good candidate for the program.  This, however, was not the case and I began the required orientation two weeks ago. The good news is that I have now moved to accept the uncertainty and would say that I have embraced the mystery.  It provides a certain amount of excitement.  During the year, I promise to unravel the mystery as it unfolds, so here is the first bit:  I'm going to Brazil!  I just found out last Tuesday.  The part of the mystery that still remains is what I will be doing and when I will be leaving, but I'm looking forward to finding out.