About to become an Invitee! But...

My phone rang this afternoon right after Colin and I dropped our cat, May, off at the vet to be hospitalized overnight.  He stopped eating today and they wanted to cath/IV/force feed him.  He goes in for ultrasound tomorrow.  Needless to say, we were upset.  So when my phone rang and it was the 202 area code, I was kind of thinking, "Really, PC?" I answered, and it was Kristin, my Placement Specialist (a mystery no more)!  We talked for about 15 minutes.  She started off by telling me that my program was full from February through March, so that they were looking at April-June departure dates.  Then she asked me a bunch of questions about how I've been preparing for service, why I want to join, what I think will be most difficult for me, how I plan to deal with separation from my husband, etc.  She also mentioned that as a health worker, I'd probably be somewhere more remote and will be less likely to have electricity, running water, and especially Internet.  I don't think I sounded like a complete moron/emotional basketcase while answering questions despite my preoccupation with May's illness, and she then told me that she was ready to send me an invitation (!!).  She said that I'm definitely qualified for a health extension position focusing on HIV.  Then she said that there is a slot available in March for Eastern Europe, but that it doesn't focus on HIV, and would I be interested in that or would I prefer Africa?  I told her that I preferred Africa (shocker!), especially if the position focused on HIV.  She said that made sense given my qualifications.  Then she said that she would be finding a slot for me and then I should get a package in the mail within 7 to 10 days.  I asked her how long it might take to find a slot and she was like, "Oh, I think we can get you one pretty quickly."  Which to me meant, like, right after this phone call.  SOOOOOO I'm about to become an invitee! And to the program I want!  Possibilities include Botswana, Ghana, and Malawi (according to the PC Wiki as of right now).  Time for the stalking of the UPS truck to begin.  Damn you, holiday season, with your frequent false alarms!

I'm really, really, happy, but I'm also having a really difficult time getting excited because I'm pretty sure our cat is going to die soon.  It's really terrible.  I'm having trouble thinking about much else.  This isn't how I imagined I'd feel when I finally got the call from the Placement Office.  This day has really sucked and I almost wish that the call from Placement could have waited.  I know that makes me sound ungrateful or like I don't want this enough, but I just want these two things to be separate.  I want to be able to think happy thoughts about the Peace Corps without feeling guilty and I want to be able to grieve for my cat's condition without being interrupted by my PC excitement. 

Blerg.  But there you have it!