It’s two days before I leave for
the Peace Corps and I am overwhelmed with emotion. I have feelings of sadness,
excitement, nervousness, and even jealousy of the people around me whose life
will go on without me. But amid the plethora of emotions, I am doing my best to
remain calm and open-minded about my upcoming adventure. I quit my job, moved
in with my mom, and prepared my life the best that I can for the next 27 months.
Although I am certain that nothing I can do will fully prepare me for what I am
about to do, there are a few things that can help me feel as prepared as I can.
Like packing!
The
seemingly most important aspect of this whole process is packing! I’m sure I’ll
look back and realize that I spent entirely too much time worrying about what
to bring, but for now, I will continue to be consumed by it. The first packing
attempt occurred about 2 weeks ago. I gathered all the clothing items that I
thought would be good for a variety of climates and social situations.
Surprisingly everything fit perfectly – with room to spare! Little did I know
at the time, I wasn’t even remotely close to finished. I found more things to
pack. I rearranged, shifted, removed and added so many times that I eventually
became disgusted by my luggage. Just the sight of my bags made me wan to run
for the hills. If I said I became obsessed with what to pack it would be
putting it lightly. There were even a few nights where I had a hard time
falling asleep because my mind was racing with “pack it vs. don’t pack it”
thoughts! Nevertheless, with just one full day left before I leave for
Washington DC, I will get on a plane with what I have packed and I won’t have
to think about packing every again (well at least not for the next 27 months)!
This was my first attempt at packing, things are much heavier now!
Another
thing I have done to help me prepare is spending time with friends and family. It
really means the world to me that I was able to see the people I care about
before I go. I also spent a considerable amount of time preparing by enjoying
foods I know I’ll miss! From Donuts, to chowder, to pizza (you know, the kind
from the place that makes it like no other!) the list of foods I will miss is
endless.
Family
The
things I have mentioned in this post don’t even come close to covering the
crazy amount of stuff running through my mind. The next 27 months will change
my life in many ways, some of which I’m not even aware of yet. And even though
the feelings I’m having are overwhelming, I have never once second-guessed my
decision to go. Joining the Peace Corps is a dream of mine and I can’t believe
that dream is coming true. On Monday I will arrive at staging and begin my
journey, the journey of a lifetime!
