August 5th was my going away party and it was a huge success. People came in from all over to bid their farewells and the atmosphere stayed upbeat! Good food was enjoyed by all and the more competitive types broke into some bocce and croquet (read:bloodsport).
August 6th I flew down to Miami to visit my brother and have one more go at the nightlife. Continuing on with my modus operandi of being underdressed and ill prepared I had to rewear a polo shirt and borrow shoes from my brother’s buddy. Once again the Miami week was well worth the traveling. I don’t think I will ever feel like I have spent enough time with my older brother, and once Peace Corps is through I will fix that. Miami in itself has a great deal to offer in addition to family; the culture, cuisine, and nightlife are hard to pass up. Suffice to say between brazillian resturants, bubba burgers, and aguardiente my intestinal tracks got all the practice they’ll need for Nicaragua. I will need to spend the remaining time home running and eating yogurt (live culturezzzz). Have a great day everyone and word to your mothers.
My departure date for D.C. draws near, and I am left to think about the final challenge before service begins, my stuff. The Peace Corps gives very specific constraints dealing with mass and volume so volunteers dont bring a Uhaul-worth of shit with them to service. Here you can see my pile so far. It was organized, but since I am constantly using or changing things that go into the pile, it is slightly unsightly. My roomate left with 61 lbs in 2 bags for Benin, Africa which will be the weight to beat.
I can feel the interpersonal pressure that many volunteers mention in their journals. There is a feeling of strain because there are so many people I would love to see before I go, but realistically I know I won’t see half of them. I would venture to think it is a similar feeling that all people share after finishing school. The only difference is with graduation there is a gradual fading away, instead of a rigid date.
I’m not trying to sound depressing, because I’m not depressed. I’m excited as hell about the Peace Corps, but the time I have to wait just gives me weeks to ponder the uncertainties.
When August comes around, I suppose I’ll be leaving for Nicaragua. Due to massive deforestation I will be serving as an Environmental Education Promoter. I’ll do my best to let you all know what the deal is down there, but I’ll probably forget to post. Alec will be angry. Either way, please post questions as they come to you and I will do the same with answers as they come to me. Posting questions will help preserve my sanity since it would be interesting to discuss international environmental issues with someone, and thereby have something else to occupy my mind. Have a nice day.
Some useful background information:
Wikipedia – Nicaragua
CIA Factbook – Nicaragua
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