Peace Corps

We wanted an adventure. That is how our journey in the Peace Corps started. It was important to me that our adventure be service oriented, so we started looking at organizations. It was important to Hal that we not loose money while we served. Did you know the Peace Corps pays you a living wage, a stipend and even if you want decide to end your service early they will pay for you to go home? It seemed, to be the right fit, and just over a year after applying, we found out we were headed for Cambodia. Three months later we found ourselves starting our journey to serve the people of Cambodia.
We lived in Cambodia for 14 months where we fell in love with the Khmer people, learned a new lanuage, had endless adventures and learned a whole lot about ourselves.

You can read all about our adventures in the Peace Corps here.

Here are a few of my favorite posts from our time in the Peace Corps
This is An Adventure
Meet My
When Bureaucracy Matters More
My Cambodian Wedding Part 1 and 2
CAMP GLOW
Why There Should Be No Shame in Early Terminating Your PC Service
Why Peace Corps Was The Best Decision I Ever Made
Angkor Wat
Things I don't Want to Forget

If you have any questions about being a Peace Corps Volunteer, or about Cambodia in general, please feel free to e-mail me. samhal@gmail.com

This is a timeline of our journey to become Peace Corps Volunteers, and to serve as a married couple.
Our Peace Corps Story Part 1
Our Peace Corps Story Part 2

April 1st, 2010: We sent in our application through the Peace Corps website

April 2010: Heard back from our new recruiter, Nick Hake and started the intense interview process

May 2010: Nomination time. Found out that we were not nominated. 

June 2010: Peace Corps dinner party, recruiter told me I need to pass a Spanish test

June-September: Studied my but off to take the CLEP 

September 17th 2010: Took the CLEP and missed by 4 points. Boo.

September 17th afternoon: Checked e-mail. Received a nomination....for Asia. (yes I did just take a Spanish test) 

September - December 2010: Worked hard to complete all of the medical paperwork. All in, all approved

December - March: Heard practically nothing from Peace Corps

Marh - April: Finally heard, had some more interviews and had to fill out even more addendums

Mid-April: Qualified for Service! But can't give out invitations thanks to budget crisis. Told once again to pass the Spanish CLEP

April 29th: Received e-mail saying we were Invited....very confused

May 2nd: Received Invitation package. We're going to CAMBODIA!!

May - July: Worked our butts off to prepare

July 22nd: Boarded a plane for staging in San Fransisco

July 23rd: Boarded a plane for Tokyo

July 24th: Boarded a plane for Bangkok

July 25th: Boarded a plane for Phnom Penh!! Landed safely

July 28th - September 30th: Lived in Takeo province for training

October 3rd: Sworn in as official volunteers! 

October 5th: Boarded an all day bus ride, and road all day to provincial town

October 6th: Made it to permanent site in Bantaey Meanchey province, the north of Cambodia where we will lived for 11 months.
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