My Bags are Packed and I'm Ready to Go!

I am currently at the JFK Airport about to board my flight to Cameroon via Brussels!

To rewind a little bit...

On Tuesday the 14th, I flew to Philadelphia for my staging (orientation) event. I, and the other west coast area trainees, had to come in a night early because day of flights wouldn't have arrived in time. I had a great night out with some fellow early arrivers including a DELICIOUS Philly Cheesesteak sandwhich (as can only be expected).

Our staging began on Wednesday where we all became official trainees, learned more about what to expect and also what is expected of us as volunteers. But most importantly, we (all 50 of us) had the chance to meet each other. Yes, I said 50 of us! Our training group is made up of about half health trainees - like myself - and half agriculture/forestry trainees.

This morning we checked out of our hotel at 6:30 AM and went to go get yellow fever vaccines. After the vaccines, we boarded a bus that took us to the JFK airport. We arrived nice & early because having such a large group (and a lot of luggage) takes some time to get checked-in & through security.

Now I am anxiously waiting to board my flight! I have definitely transitioned back in to being overwhelming inspired & excited after all of the hard goodbyes. I have also started reading Three Cups of Tea (thanks Mom!) which has completely reaffirmed why I am joining the Peace Corps in the first place.

So what is next?

We'll arrive in Yaounde, Cameroon at precisely 4:35 PM tomorrow. Peace Corps Cameroon staff will meet us at the airport and take us back to a hotel in the Yaounde that we will be staying at for 4-5 nights while we finish up orientation, receive more vaccinations, and take our initial French language assessment. Early next week we will head to Bafia - a city a couple hours North of Yaounde - for our 11-week, intensive Pre-Service Training. It is here that we'll live with separate host families and meet at the Peace Corps training site for language, culture & technical training.

I'm not sure when I will have a chance to post next, but more will come when I am able!

Goodbyes are the Worst

Simply put, the worst. I know this nauseous, pit-in-my-stomach feeling will soon pass, but for at least awhile, a bit of sadness has overtaken my feelings of excitement. It is times like this that I wish I could be content with never leaving home, because each time I leave, it seems to get harder. It ends up being that the same people that I travel great lengths to meet or see in the first place, are the same people that it pains me to say goodbye to. However, I know these feelings are not only a required part of my departure for the Peace Corps, but a healthy reflection of how much my friends and family mean to me. For those of you worried that I will never return – be assured that I will. I will be gone for quite awhile, there is no denying that, but I know that this experience will enrich my life in ways unimaginable. It is all of your support that gave me the courage to not only join the Peace Corps, but will help me through the challenges I am bound to encounter.

Goodbye Party

Yesterday, my parents hosted a goodbye party for my in Olympia. It was a beautiful day and I was able to spend a little time with my family before I leave for Cameroon. We made Cameroonian style food to give everyone a little taste of what I'll be eating and experiencing over the next two years which included:

- Fu-fu (of course!): The staple dish of West Africa. I made fu-fu from plantains but you can also use cassava, corn, couscous and other starches/root veggies. I was a bit worried at first because it has the weirdest texture... kind of like gooey mashed potatoes in a dough-like ball, but I actually quite liked it!

- Beef stew which was to accompany the fu-fu

- Chicken skewers with spicy peanut sauce

- Corn on the cob

- Sweet potato biscuits: my Aunt found a DELICIOUS recipe for these dessert-like biscuits that are also eaten elsewhere in Africa - except Cameroon's version is unique as it includes lime zest & coconut.

- Shrimp!! (Cameroon is the land of shrimp after all)

- Lots of salads & fresh fruit

- German beer & South African wine

And most importantly, GREAT company. Thank you everyone for coming - I will miss you all and can't wait to share my adventures with you as they unfold!

I Left My Heart in San Francisco

Where do I go two weeks before I am heading to Cameroon and should be frantically packing? San Francisco. Devin had to apply for a visa at the French Consulate to be a language assistant in France this upcoming year, so I decided to take the opportunity to see another part of the U.S. before I leave for 2 years.

I was pretty blown away by the city and maybe the best thing that we stumbled upon was San Francisco's (and the United State's) first AIDS Memorial Park. It was both very moving and inspiring to walk through the garden's that were built by many volunteers to pay tribute to and remember those affected by HIV/AIDS.

About .60% of our population is infected with HIV/AIDS compared to 5.10% of the population in Cameroon (CIA World Factbook, 2007). Although Cameroon's HIV/AIDS prevalence rates are on the lower end compared to other Sub-Saharan African nations such as South Africa, Swaziland, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho, Zimbabwe & Zambia (whose prevalence rates all exceed 15% of their respective populations), I know that HIV/AIDS prevention work will most likely be incorporated into my work as a health volunteer.

http://www.aidsmemorial.org/getting-to-the-grove

Three Weeks to Go & The Packing Starts!

In almost exactly three weeks, I will be signing in at my Peace Corps staging event in Philadelphia! I have begun the packing process and have stocked up on enough toiletries to at least last me the first six months to a year. Of course with my limited packing space, I am having to prioritize what makes the cut and what I can do without. So what is it that I want to bring enough of more than anything? Dove soap. Dove soap makes me feel at home because I grew up using it, and that feeling of home might turn out to be really nice while I'm very possibly taking bucket baths.

Heading Home Before I Leave Again

I'm at the Burlington, VT airport and am heading home after a great vacation on the East Coast with Devin. Last Sunday was Nadya's wedding (my best friend from childhood) and it was absolutely wonderful. I was able to both enjoy Vermont (we stayed in a beautiful cabin in the woods) as well as all of the wedding festivities leading up to the big day. Devin's favorite part (and very possibly mine as well) was the pig roast for the rehearsal dinner!

After the wedding, Devin and I headed up to Quebec. We stayed two nights in Quebec City at a charming little B&B and one night in Montreal. Both cities were much fun and we both enjoyed sprucing up on our French before we head off to the French-speaking world (he is going to France around the same time I am heading to Cameroon).

On the Peace Corps front, I received my flight!!! I will be leaving on September 14th at 8:30 AM for Philadelphia where my group's 2-day staging will occur (think orientation + a lot of shots). Both receiving my flight details as well as suffering quite the tears after saying goodbye to my best friend has made me realize how near my departure really is.

The Closing of a Great Chapter

This week has been quite eventful:

1) On Sunday night I picked Devin up from the airport (he just returned from a 6-week trip to Kenya)
2) I had my last day of work on Wednesday - I am now officially unemployed
3) I packed up my life in Bellingham and said goodbye to the city that has been home for the last 6 years

As excited as I am for my upcoming adventure, closing this chapter of my life in preparation was harder than I had originally thought. And as often as I move around, I tend to also get attached to the places and people I meet along the way, thus making it harder to leave. The goodbyes never tend to get easier, but they always end up being worth it once I get to my next destination.

I'm back in Olympia - my other home - and will be heading to Vermont on Monday for Nadya's wedding. I'm excited for some quality time with family and friends before I board the plane to Cameroon in less than 6 weeks!