So I guess technically it is a little less than a month away because I just booked my flight today for my staging (aka orientation) event and I leave July 18th! Oh my gosh! It is in Washington DC! Funnily enough I was actually just out on the East Coast to visit my friend Chris so I have already been to DC, and I was out there once before that to see my friend Jesse too But I am going out there for totally different reasons this time and it is going to be crazy exciting/scary/intense!
What if I got to meet Obama?? That would be so awesome! I'd have to play it chill like "Oh hey Barack, how you doing today?" and "Michelle, ha that's my middle name!" or "How are the girls liking the dog?" Don't worry I'm just kidding, I would totally be respectful...I would actually be completely speechless haha either way the situation is very unlikely but I would have amazing bragging rights if it did ; )
Anyway! The day after I arrive I will be going through an orientation with other volunteers to...well..orient us to life as a trainee. Probably going to be a fair amount of paper work, talking aobut expectations and (dun, dun, dun) shots. Boo. I'm super stoked though! It'll be really exciting to meet other people in the same boat although I am not sure if all of the people at this orientation will be going to Madagascar but I'm sure there will be some at least. Then the day after that I ship out to Madagascar!!! Baaaaaahhhh! What?? It's starting to sink in a tinsy bit what I have gotten myself into, while I am absolutely sure that I still will have absolutely no idea what it will really be like until I wake up my first day there! What a trip! Did I mention the flight is 17 hours and 25 minutes? I have a window seat at least... One stop over in Johannesburg, South Africa and then a 3 hour and 10 minute flight over to Antananarivo, Madagascar. So quite litterally a month from today I will be IN Madagascar, I will be IN my host country of service = (excited) damn!!!
I am reading yet another one of the booklets that Peace Corps provided in my invitation packet that talks about adjusting to staging, training and service. I will say that they provide very realistic expectations which is a bit nerve wracking but I am also sure it will be better than having it all sugar-coated and bail out when you hit some road bumps.
I am trying to practice meditation on my own. I have been figuring that almost Everything that I am accustomed to is going to be gone and I will even have to relearn how to do stuff like how to go to the bathroom (this is what the book is telling me anyway) The ways I normally deal with stress may even be hard to do but I'm thinking meditation can pretty much be done anywhere and it has always been great when I have done it in the past. Plus, not having a spiritual base is really starting to get to me and what has realy fit me the most so far has been yoga and meditation.
A few other things that are going on right now:
I have stopped wearing my contacts/I threw out my last pair. Since running/clean water may not be available and supplies for contacts might be limited they suggest glasses anyway so I ordered a pair of those transition glasses today.
I am procrastinating taking my lip ring out... I've had it for four year... I really like it but they are taboo in Madagascar and not easily hidden thus I must take it out... but I'm getting over being sick right now and I want my body to focus on that rather than closing up the hole in my lip... and Yes... I'm trying to rationalize! On a good note though I am finally going to get my back tattoo finished next Tuesday Yay!!!
Manahoana! Fahasalamana? This means Hello! How are you? in Malagasy. I have been going through the introductory language lessons that the Peace Corps has provided. This language stuff is going to be intense! Good thing I have had language (spanish) classes in the past, I hear it's easier to learn more languages once you have learned one other than your native tongue. I borrowed some French books too, which by the way, French and Malagasy sound nothing alike from what I can tell so it'll be interesting if I have to learn both.
I have decided that instead of being super responsible I am going to keep my options open for an opportunity I may not have again. There is this readjustment stipend that each volunteer gets after their service but they allow you to take money out of that stipend if you need to make monthly payments in at home if you need it. I was going to do this with my student loans, consolidate them and make payments so that can start getting tackled while I am away. But a returned Peace Corps volunteer said he took his stipend and travelled around the world for 6 months after his service. I asked my dad if I should be responsible or not and he said not consolidating my loans wouldn't be irresponsible so I have decided just to deffer them : ) Thanks Dad! Love you!
I have a couple last hurrahs to do in Fort Collins.
My lovely sister is getting married this Saturday (I'm the Maid of Honor).
I get to see my best friend Shannon one more time before I go.
I have a family reunion to go to the day after the wedding.
Need the H1N1 vaccination
Get all my stuff into storage (what a silly concept by the way)
And I need to start figuring out what to pack!
