Chickpeas, whiplash and Washington DC

Well, the flight from Providence to Washington DC is hardly anything to talk about, as it was a mere 1.5 hours. I didn't expect to be able to update the blog so soon, but I'm sitting at the writting desk barely able to keep my eyes open after the longish meal at some Indian restaurant with out training group and using free internet at my laptop.

Staging officially began at 2pm and ran until 7pm. I won't bore myself with the details, but I will say that everyone I talked to seems really fascinating and friendly. The very first thing we did was play this "scavenger hunt" type game where we had to find a volunteer that fit the description on our sheet of "accomplishments" (ex: She has worked with at-risk children in Sri Lanka for 6 months). It was a good way to get talking to complete strangers!

Our training group is composed of both Youth Development and Municipal Development, 2 married couples, heaps more girls than guys and heaps more Muni volunteers than YD volunteers. Our luggage consists of: two hiking packs, two small rolling suitcases, two messenger bags and two hand-carrying bags (both which are full of food stuffs). There is one girl who lives in Sydney, Australia, but is originally from Colorado.

I met one vegetarian and two others who had given up vegetarianism to join Peace Corps.

It's going to be really interesting to be able to look back on first impressions and see how we've all evolved as people by the end of two years. I wonder how all of this that we are about to experience will change us as individuals and us as a couple.

I must admit I'm not nervous or anxious at all. My biggest source of anxiety was coming from wondering what everyone would be like. Everyone seems lovely. Australia suddenly seems worlds away. Upon hearing that we've been living in Australia everyone asks how we found ourselves there. All I could muster up was a "fabulous".

I might not be nervous or anxious now, but I wonder what I will be thinking once we actually land in San Salvador and are piled on to a bus headed for 27 months of L.I.F.E. in a developing country where malaria medication will be taken with my breakfast, people believe in their religion and gender roles like it's their job and I won't be able to count on the "multiculturality" of the general population to blend in.

Hmmm. We'll see what I have to say when I take my first bucket bath.