Here's what I've been up to...

Hello All! It's been a while since I've posted anything real so I'll update! I've made my official flight arrangements and since I live a stone's throw away from Philadelphia, PA I won't be flying out until the morning of October 12, 2010. I'd like to say I found a few people that I'll be in orientation with but I think they found me first. I'm still really struggling with this blog thing... but i'll get there eventually. I'm really excited that i've found a few blogs for people that i'll be serving with in Kenya!!! In the grand scheme of things however, it still hasn't hit me yet that i'm leaving everything I know for 27 months, I don't think it will until the very last minute. Anyway, to summarize i'm RIDICULOUSLY EXCITED to meet the other Kenya people!!

This weekend will be trip 2 for me. My mom and I are headed to New York tomorrow after work to see family. It'll be a nice trip since I haven't seen them in two years and I'm not sure i've ever been there in any climate other than cold. I'll let you know how the trip goes but I'm certain it will be fantastic.

In other news, I got an e-mail from Kenya today... actually it's from the Africa Country Desk Assistant, but I prefer to say I got an e-mail from Kenya. He sent a little survey situation to fill out so they can better fit me with a host family which is exciting, I'm glad they're asking for a little bit of input from me. My Grandmother really wants me to have a family with teenagers because she thinks they'll be more willing to teach me what they know... and more likely to speak english. I kind of hope my family doesn't speak any english at all. It's also a really exciting thought to think that my host family is probably contemplating what kind of American they will get. :-)

I'm updating this blog from my back porch and I just noticed that leaves have started to fall here but we've got this wonderful breeze that makes it really pleasant

so it's not that great a picture but... you get the idea

Okay, this is my last thing and it comes with a picture too. My friend Ashley took me out on the town for one last time before I leave... We had an absolute blast and it was so much ridiculous fun! We met a bunch of guys that went to the same college as me, as well as a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer. He told me to get a good bed, and to not quit... he talked much longer than that, but that was the jist of it...

That's all for now, this was a long one, thanks for reading if you were able to stick it through to the end!!!

hey staging team, lets be best friends

It's here! My staging information is finally here! I didn't even have to wait for it in the mail, they sent it directly to my e-mail which is new and refreshing. Anyway... it says my staging starts on the 12th of October and then we fly out from JFK on the 13th. Looks like we get to make a quick stop in Amsterdam! Just wanted to post up a quick update!

Also all my stuff is officially moved into the concrete box... what a ridiculous day that was.

Thanks for reading!

Full swing, fall down

I haven't updated in a while but there isn't too much going on in Peace Corps world other than I'm still waiting for my medical hold to be lifted. However, I've been trying to see more of the people I know I'm going to miss when I leave. At this point I'm full speed ahead on everything I'm doing i.e. packing for the PC, packing for the storage unit, working on invites and decorations and such for my Safari njema party before I leave!!
Yesterday I had my first ever real skateboarding lesson. It lasted about 8 minutes before I completely wiped out and got a gnarly scrape on my elbow... I've been telling people I was in a break dance competition in a parking lot because if I tell them I was skateboarding they look at me all crazy. I am proud to say I was up on the board for several seconds at a time so I was pretty impressed with myself. I'm fairly certain I would have continued but I think I got up too quickly and then almost passed out, it was hilarious fun and time well spent. I'd do it again in a heartbeat... but with more padding.
I also received my first Kenya letter from a great friend the other day. It was a dry run I suppose and before I got it I was so confused as to why I was getting it before my departure but it was great and I loved every word of it. I'm bringing it with me.
Speaking of what I'm bringing with me.... my pile of "things I need to bring with me" is dominating the left side of my closet and starting to ooze out the doors. Therefore, in the future there will be a post about deciding what to bring with me out of that mountain, plan your life accordingly.

Storage moving day: T minus 9 days! Status: Not Ready.
Thanks for reading!

My worst nightmare

It's official, the new school year is getting underway and I worked two whole days this week! I'm exhausted! Turns out my first day back the PC called and wanted me to call them by Friday afternoon, it was urgent. When I found out the message was from the PC nurse I was a little worried as to what could be going on. Friday morning I get up and I have an e-mail saying my application status has changed: MEDICAL HOLD! After 3 miniature heart attacks I called the nurse and she explained i'm on a hold until I get my immunizations since i'm part of a new pilot program that requires you get them before staging. Long story short i'll be getting a Polio shot this week. Woo!

I have started feeling like my time here is dwindling. I see people and wonder if it will indeed be the last time I see them for 27 months which is a really weird feeling. I've also planned several trips to see out of town family and friends which pretty much take up almost every weekend in September.

Surely everyone wants to know how the packing is going! I have 1 bin left and 0 clothes packed.. that's how it's going. I'm confident it'll eventually get done... maybe.
Thanks for reading!

Christmas in August

I was right! It is like Christmas! Everything I ordered last week came in yesterday and today! I think my most exciting purchase was a sleeping bag that fits into this tiny bag and then it also has compression straps to make it even smaller! It's fantastic and light weight and doesn't take up much room. Still a few things left to pick up but the list is definitely dwindling... and so is time.

In other news I started back at work today. It was a mad house as anyone that works in a school knows the first day back always is. I am pretty excited that I will get to see my co-workers for another month though but it sure is tough getting myself back into the swing of things.

Lastly, I said my first real actual goodbye last night to a friend of mine going to college way on the other side of the state tomorrow. It was a bummer to think that's the last time I'll see her for over 2 years but she's super awesome and ridiculously supportive so she promised to write!

Speaking of college.. must not be much going on in local news world since all I heard about was traffic back- ups around the streets of the local University since it's freshman move in day. Seriously I heard 5 different news/traffic reports mentioning it during my 12 minute drive to work this morning. Anywho good luck to anyone that is starting school in the next couple days!!

What to wear

If you've ever met me, you know I can stand in front of a full closet and tell you I have nothing to wear. If you know me well you know how exact my packing process is and that I match up all my outfits and try them on before packing. I have a dilemma. I have one more day off before work starts back up and about 2 1/2 weeks before I move all my worldly possessions into a giant concrete box. So at this point i'm asking myself, "Self, what will you wear between now and October 11th?" As you can imagine, no clothes have been packed into boxes yet. I've made progress on other things though and gone through quite a bit of junk/treasures depending on how you see it. Here are some interesting things I've found in no significant order:

1) My smashed penny collection from my childhood days
2) This really adorable blue box with Giraffes on it that makes me want to go to Africa right now
3) Some interesting newspaper articles that i've never seen before including one with a picture of my Dad teaching another legally blind individual how to water ski.
4)Way too many pictures/momentos of ex boyfriends
5) $20
6) my sanity... SYKE!
7) An entire ziploc bag full of cheap bangle bracelets. They were TOTALLY "in" about 7 years ago
8) A key to my first car that was totalled a few years ago
9) A marker from band camp
10) An itinerary from my trip to Canada in 8th grade

Anyway, in official Peace Corps news I sent off my resume and aspiration statement today so there's not much else to do now until I get more staging information and schedule a flight.

Thanks for reading! :-)

Dry run

Today I made an attempt at a dry run for packing. At this point I have one bag that I am for sure going to use since it's gigantic and a duffle bag (I can't wait to see me carry it through multiple international airports but I don't need wheels adding to my weight limit). I think it's fair to say I got about half of my list into this duffle and it ended up weighing 25 lbs so I'm starting to feel more optimistic about getting what I think I will want/ need for the next 2 years into 2 bags equaling less than 107 inches and less than 80 lbs.

As far as things to do I've done an impressively good job of knocking stuff off that list. I finished all my passport paperwork so hopefully that will go through without a hitch. At the moment I'm working on my aspiration statement and resume to send to my host country since they don't know anything about how wonderful I am yet.

I've also ordered boat loads of stuff from a few different places so this week/ next week are going to be like Christmas and I can't wait!

On an exciting note... Happy Birthday to my Mom tomorrow! We went and rented jet skis today and it was wicked awesome. We arrived real early and were both apprehensive as neither of us have ever operated one before. They gave us a form to sign our life away and the back had a little quiz to give us our temporary "boater's license for the day" that's what the girl said. So right now, that's right ladies and gentleman (I assume) I am a licensed boater, I'll be basking in this special feeling until midnight (I assume that's when my contract becomes null and void).  Anyway, I think it was a great way to get both our minds off of the stresses of life. Neither of us crashed. Neither of us fell off. Neither of us injured anything. We're both proud.