Goodbye Video

This is a goodbye video from my coworkers! They are the best and I will miss them so much!! I had my last official day of work today and I'm packing up & leaving for Florida early tomorrow morning. Only 4 days left- hard to believe how fast time has flown by!!

Flight information!

Got my flight & staging information this week! I'm getting so excited! I still have a ton to do: packing, selling my car, wrapping up work etc. I gave my formal resignation letter today. It was bitter sweet. Like dark chocolate. I am really going to miss my colleagues and the friends I've made at work.

Here's my travel info:
Tampa to Philadelphia- June 6th

Attend Staging (a brief orientation)- June 6th-7th
6/6 2pm-7pm sessions
6/7 7am-10am health clinic (aka shots!)

Take a bus to New York JFK airport- June 7th 10am

Flight leaves JFK and looks like it goes straight to Brussels. Then a stop in Burundi before landing in Kenya late Wednesday night June 8th.

It's basically going to be a 2 hour bus ride, followed by about 19 hours of flying. I'm going to probably arrive exhausted from all the traveling and with a case of eye strain from seeing all the movies I've missed in the past year. But I can't wait to meet everyone at staging. And I can't wait to begin this next adventure.

Packing

So it appears that I've been neglecting my blog as of late. Hard to believe in only 44 days I will be leaving for staging and then off to Kenya. I am experiencing a whole range of emotions right now, mostly excited, but every now and then I get a little freaked out about how little time I have left before I leave. I just started packing and let me tell you that this task will not be easy. I am limited to only 80lbs and looking at my packing list I don't know how I will make it.

Here's what I look like right now:

Snapshots of Service

I am really excited about this: http://pcsnapshotsofservice.blogspot.com/

A journal project among 50 Peace Corps Volunteers in 50 countries of service all heading out during the 50th Anniversary year of the Peace Corps! I mean c'mon how cool is that!?!?
More people are still needed to sign up!!! Go to the website above for more information :)

Things I'll Miss... part 1

Aside from family and friends or intangible things like my privacy and individualism, here's a list of the things I think I'll miss most about the US (part 1):

1)SUSHI!


2)My Cat


3) Trader Joe's. Simply the best store ever.


4)NPR. Sigh. I'm downloading as many of their podcasts as I can before I leave.

Invitation!!

It's been a while since I've updated this blog and I finally have some exciting news! About two weeks ago I was finally medically cleared for service!!! That same afternoon I got a call from my placement officer and had my final interview. I was still reeling from the news of my medical clearance, but apparently I said something right since she said she was going to be sending me an invite for a non-Spanish speaking health program in Central/South America for May.
The next day I get an email from my placement officer saying that there is a problem with my invitation- it was for a health extension program not a health degreed program. She gave me the option of the C/SA program or a health degreed program in Africa leaving in May. I struggled with the options over the Christmas weekend and finally decided on the health degreed program in Africa. So......I got the invitation packet last Wednesday and formally accepted yesterday.

I'm going to Kenya! I leave on May 30, 2011 and will be an HIV/AIDS & Hygiene Educator.

Patience is...