Two weeks

Looks like I'm down to two weeks now. I'm completely focused on taking care of business, packing, and saying goodbye. Saying goodbye might be the hardest part of the whole business. I keep asking my friends and family where they think they will be in two years. In part, I want to know that people will still be here when I return. The reality is that people and situations are constantly changing, whether or not I am here to witness the changes taking place. Of course, change can be more obvious and stark when you come back with a stranger's eyes.

But I will have changed too. Just as I have changed significantly in this last year, and the year before and so on. We all move forward, predictably, or unpredictably. So what is "goodbye"? Goodbye is saying "this is the end of this chapter in our lives, we are all moving forward and changing. Perhaps we will say 'hello' again, in person, in a not so distant--but different--future."

Alright, alright, back to packing.

Thank you Goodwill!

What a relief to finally have purchased my luggage! Now I can visualize exactly what I have to work with.

So...How did Mary Poppins do it?

--

I've already gotten a couple messages from those who are departing for Morocco in September. How exciting, I can't wait to meet all of you. Please, if you're reading this, and you're leaving in September, or if you are already serving in Morocco, give me a heads up!

--

Now, off to my art exhibit reception. Time is just flying by!

Ticket booked!

24 days from now I'll be getting on a plane to the orientation event, and then on to Morocco. I booked my flight yesterday.

Currently, my belongings are in complete disarray as I am trying to manage getting back from vacation and trying to start gathering the few select items I'll be taking with me. Packing seems daunting right now, but my goal is to work on that before the last minute. So, here's to hoping the deluge now will lead to less hectic days closer to my departure.

I've gotten more information, papers, booklets and forms via mail and email over the last few days (my staging packet did come while I was gone!) from the Peace Corps Morocco desk. So far I will say that I feel they have been very good about giving information, while not to the extent that it overwhelms and causes panic. Of course, we shall see how prepared I feel once I am in training and service, but it seems like they are trying their best to walk you through everything.

To the right of the blog entries I've added a slideshow of my Flickr account, which right now is showing photos I've taken thus far. Shortly, they should include photos from Morocco. Stay tuned.

In the mean time...

Just another update. Hopefully, when I'm in country I'll have more to say.
For now, I have been busy getting ready for a solo art show, which opens on Friday, as well as preparing for a 9-day trip to the North-west coast. I'll be in Seattle, WA, Vancouver, BC, and Portland OR next week. Once I return I'll be able to put my attentions more fully towards PC Morocco.

In the mean time, the PC has been finding more paperwork for us to fill out. I've been trying to squeeze in answers to survey questions between all this running about. I expect the "staging packet" with further orientation and travel information to arrive in the mail in the next couple of weeks (likely while I'm out of town).

I can't believe how quickly the time is passing--and how much I need to do (and people I need to see) before I leave!

Application Status Update

"Peace Corps has updated your Application Status account. "

I have gotten this email message twice in the last two days. I check my email first thing in the morning, and yesterday this email gave me a start. I couldn't imagine what had been updated considering I had already cleared everything and accepted my invitation. My frantic mind quickly went into high gear anticipating a hold on my status, or some other unforeseen problem, but nothing appeared changed. I don't regularly log into my account considering the general lull in information from the PC, so a minute change could have taken place that I am not aware of.

When it happened again this morning, I was much less surprised. I could clearly see nothing had changed in my "Application Status" from the day before. I wonder if this message is being sent in error? Or perhaps I am missing something? Maybe it is a silly thing to be concerned about, but in the past an "Application Status Update" email from the PC most often heralded a significant change.

In other news I bought a beautiful Swiss Army pocketknife a couple days ago and realized my long-lost-girlscout-like fascination with these things. I hope it comes in as handy as it looks!

Two Months

Two months from today I'll begin my journey! After the initial excitement of getting the invitation and sending in a revised resume and aspirations statement to the country desk, things have quieted down somewhat on the Peace Corps end. More waiting, but waiting is something I am getting more and more accustomed to.

I am thinking about what I need to get done before I go. Besides getting ready for my solo painting show, I am trying to practice Arabic from the audio files available through Peace Corps, and thinking about what to pack. Thank you to those who suggested books (and I'm still interested in your thoughts, dear reader). I am also looking to buy a laptop and two pairs of glasses (I normally wear contacts, which is discouraged in the PC).

Anything essential I should consider bringing? If you are a current or returned PCV from Morocco I would greatly appreciate your advice. Of course, any good advice from anyone is appreciated.

If you were to leave home for 27 months...

and you could only take one (or two) books with you, what would you bring?

It is my understanding that I will likely encounter reading material overseas, but what is the book you would really want to make sure you had? Is it an old favorite, that you could reread over and over? Perhaps, it's a book that's been on your shelf for years and you haven't had the time to tackle it? Or maybe something really dense that would require careful study and rereading?

I'm curious to know your personal response, but I am also looking for suggestions. Or, if you have/are serving, what book did you bring or discover that kept you going?