Staging

After submitting an application one year ago, answering the oft repeated Peace Corps Questions,  quitting my job, getting rid of my car, moving all my worldly possessions into my parents house/storage and the goodbye party, I found myself at the airport. There, I said goodbye to my closest friends and my parents. I went through security and waited at the crowded gate feeling terrified. The abstract idea of Peace Corps which had existed for the last twelve months in my mind was suddenly and uncomfortably real. 27 months is a long time and South Africa is a long way from Salt Lake City (approximately 9900 miles hence the blog address).

I slept through the majority of both flights it took to get me from SLC to staging in Philadelphia. I picked up my awkwardly enormous bags and lugged them to the hotel shuttle. They weighed about the same as an adolescent corpse and look as if that may be what they contained. I arrived at the hotel, checked in and met a small group of volunteers who also arrived a day early. We went to dinner and I was instantly overcome by the warmth and understanding that I received from the other volunteers. Everyone had similar anxieties, excitements and it felt really nice to be in a group of people also embarking on this 2 year adventure.

The next day I awoke to snow fall comparable to that which I'm used to in Utah. We went to staging which consisted of discussions of our thoughts and feelings toward Peace Corps and Peace Corps' thoughts and feelings toward us volunteers. It was a heart warming affair. It snowed the entire day and well into the night. As a result, our bus ride to JFK and subsequent flight to South Africa were both delayed to the next day. We celebrated/commiserated the delay by going out to dinner that night. I packed for South Africa, not Alaska, so it was a very cold walk - made colder by the fact that many of the restaurants were closed due to the weather or were not equipped to handle 35 bushy tailed Peace Corps Trainees. We finally found a restaurant and bonding commenced. Everyone I have met has been so great and I am excited to see the great work everyone will do. I feel like I have instantly made 35 new best friends. We are set to fly out to South Africa and actually begin this crazy adventure. I'll keep you posted....don't hold me to that.