I had dreamed about being a Peace Corps Volunteer for a long time.

I started an application four years ago, back in 2010, but never submitted it because I didn’t yet think I had what it takes. So instead, after college, I moved abroad, earned a teaching certification and learned a second language, all while keeping Peace Corps in the back of my mind.

Then, in April 2013, I finally turned in the initial paperwork, a step that took me a month to complete. I waited, had an interview in June and then waited some more. I started taking French classes at my recruiter’s request. I wrote a fourth essay. After more delays due to applying from outside the United States, I received my legal clearance in September. The day after Christmas, I was officially invited to serve – 8 months after submitting the application.

I wrapped up my life in Chile and moved back to the United States where it took me another 3 months to complete more paperwork to be medically cleared.

I arrived in The Gambia on June 27, 2014 – 15 months after starting the application. But I still wasn’t a Peace Corps Volunteer.

For 10 long, long weeks, I started learning a local language, interacting with host country nationals and training to work in Gambian schools.

On Sept. 5, I finally took the oath.

The special ceremony overlooked my favorite view, the ocean. After many important people in Peace Corps and The Gambia education system gave their congratulations, welcomed us to work alongside them and left us with words of wisdom – I too had the opportunity to speak. I gave the first part of a speech in Jola, while my fellow volunteers delivered the other parts in the various local languages.

Our whole cohort sang an original song in Mandinka, the main Gambian language, to close the show.

We ran to the ocean in our matching asobis and jumped in, a Peace Corps The Gambia tradition.

I am not an emotional person, but the ceremony made my throat sore, the way it kind of tingles when you try not to cry. It’s hard to formulate into words the way I feel about finally arriving at this moment.

It took so long to get here and this is just the start.

–JDF