12 Days and Counting...

One of my friends asked me some questions and I thought it might be helpful to post them since it explains some new information. If you have more questions you want answered, post them on here and I'll answer what I can when I can :)

A. How does this whole peace corps thing work? Are you allowed to leave at all? Like to visit home?
I get 2 vacation days a month which can be built up and used at once. Now, depending on what I'm doing, I may have weekends off anyway, so theoretically I could travel some on the weekends. But as far as big trips, I use vacation days, and when I cash in my saved up vacation days I received additional vacation pay to offset the cost of travel. I can travel back to the U.S. but only plan to if I have a family emergency (or if I can get permission to come back for Kelsey's wedding I will probably do that). We have to get permission from the country director to travel, mostly for safety reasons and so they know how to contact us in case of an emergency, etc. I believe we are also "strongly advised" not to travel to certain countries that are dangerous, like Brazil or Colombia, because of the drug cartels.

B. Where are you staying?
I don't know much about where I'll be or what exactly I'll be doing. I know I leave June 16th for Miami, where I will stay until midday on June 17th. The one day in Miami will be spent in meetings preparing for our departure to Ecuador. Then I know that I will be staying in Quito for 4 days. Not sure what all we do there, but I know that we will be receiving all of our pre-service medical screenings including vaccinations, and being briefed on safety etc. in Ecuador. Then, I know I will be spending the majority of the 3 month training in a town in the mountain region. It is in the northern hemisphere, btw, because we will cross over the equator when driving. Lastly, sometime during the 3 month training period I will find out where my site will be, and should be spending about a week there before completing the training, being sworn in, and heading to my project site.

C. Do you get compensated at all?
I basically receive a room and board stipend, with some extra for whatever else. It's a modest amount, meant to allow me to live at the same level as the people of Ecuador. Then when I return to the U.S. at the completion of my service I will receive a "reacclimation stipend" to start up again here in America.

D. How does the whole visitors thing work?
I'm not allowed to have visitors for the first or last three months, but for the other 21 months I can. How easy it is just depends on where I am and if I am staying with a host family or if I have my own place. Are you gonna come visit??