So, I made up my mind and called my (former) PO. I decided to go ahead and switch regions, and I *should* receive an invitation in about a month.
I figure, either way I’m going to have to wait and have more time to work and get things in order. If I leave in January or March, my loans won’t go out of deferrment and I won’t have to worry about ponying up the cash for a few monthly payments. If I do end up getting an invitation to somewhere really cold, like Mongolia, I can defer (though I would prefer not to have to) and perhaps hold out for next July.
Who knows where this will take me, but it’s out of my head and off my shoulders for a few more weeks now.