This will be a short blog because I am too busy with packing and organizing my life for pre-departure to write for days! 27 days until we leave for Philadelphia for GUY 23 to start our staging. We leave Philly Feb. 15 to fly out of JFK to Guyana! As the time approaches, and this time it is really really close, I feel so many different things. But I am sure of one thing...I can't wait to be in Guyana. I started packing last night and all my clothes weigh 40 lbs of the 80 lb. weight limit!! That is soooo great but my packing strategy was to pack all my clothes in one bag and all my "stuff" in another. Looking at how overstuffed this bag is it may pan out a little bit differently. Either way, with my 2 large duffel bags and my pretty bag newly ordered hiking backpack I should have plenty of room for all of my stuff to get over there comfortably.
On a more depressing note, a 20/20 special aired recently covering the topic of rape in the Peace Corps. It has raised some concerns but with the insanely great support of PC staff and current volunteers I think most of us "newbies" have been reassured that we will be ok. We will be trained and trained again on how to take care of ourselves in unusual situations and how to be less risky. With the support we are already getting here at home I could only imagine what will happen once we are in country. From everyone I have talked to Guyana's landscape is beautiful and its people are welcoming. Our journey starts in 4 weeks and after that our lives will never be the same. Can't wait to meet current volunteers, GUY 23ers and especially the Guyanese people!!!
Let the countdown begin...again!
