I won the Peace Corps Lottery

I made about 30 new friends today - that is to say, all in all I met 29 other people all motivated to spread peace and friendship among our brothers in St. Kitts and Nevis, Antigua and Barbuda, and St. Vincent and the Grenadines.  We are here for staging in Miami, FL, just a day before starting Pre Service Training in St. Lucia.  The group is about 75% female, about 20% middle-aged or older, and every background and reason for joining you can think of.  The most exciting thing is that I am constantly challenged with setting aside my preconceived notions about what the Peace Corps means to someone; for some it's a temporary escape from a boring career, for others its a Bucket List item, for still others it's a career-furthering personal expansion project... I was very pleasantly amazed. 

Sadly, I don't have a whole lot of time to write about all of the events that went on today, as I have a very early morning: 5 AM to be exact.  So I'll try to make this brief.  Over four or five hours, the lot of us got to know each other, what the Peace Corps expects of us, and some logistics for our flight to St. Lucia tomorrow.  The group was very enthusiastic, (for my part, I found myself at a table heavily weighted on extroverts, so I fit right in) and we got lots done in a short amount of time with a very positive tone.  Afterward, many of us went across the street for dinner to a Cuban food restaurant, and we had a very good time commiserating together about the replies we get when we tell people our Peace Corps station is in the Eastern Caribbean - things like "Oh, so sad for you" or "That's not exactly roughing it" or "When can I come visit?"  One of my new friends said she heard an acquaintance say, "St. Lucia? That sounds like a place you go when you've won the lottery..." So we decided that was right: we all won the Peace Corps Lottery, and we're off to spend our winnings serving the good people of the islands for the foreseeable future.

Feel free to post specific questions about staging, it was a very packed event, and I don't think I can relate it all so suddenly and thoroughly.  Also, a few answered prayer requests.  Thanks to everyone that is continuing to pray for me and for God's direction in my life away from the States.

One week before leaving...

... And I'm starting to buckle down here – lots of packing and preparing left to do.  I am confident that I am caught up on any and all activities that take longer than a week to accomplish, so no additional stress there.  But it is a big step into the unknown, so everyone has been understanding of my small degree of nerves.  I'm sure it will increase by the end of the week, but any steps I can take in the meantime to lessen that will be promptly taken.

Thanks to everyone that made it to the going-away party on Saturday, and thanks to everyone that tried but couldn't make it.  It was a blessing to see everyone, and I was grateful for the opportunity to thank each of you in person for your support and contributions in getting me to this point in my life, and for seeing me through the last six months.

Now that I'm at the part where I pack two bags with (almost) everything I need for the next 2 years, I am forced to consider the clothing restrictions for a Peace Corps gig in the EC.  Essentially, one caveat: no touristy clothes.  No shorts, no silk shirts, etc.  In fact, when I am not traveling or in the privacy of my own apartment, I will be expected to dress "Business Casual," i.e. slacks, button-down shirt, dress shoes.  Which itself isn't so bad – I went and picked up a few more cotton shirts the other day and I altered a few older pairs of pants that had shrunk over the years, so I would have a more full wardrobe for service.

As for packing restrictions, I am allowed two checked bags each weighing no more than 50 lbs. and summing to no more than 80 lbs., and of course a carry-on.  I imagine the distribution ultimately looking something like this: 75% clothes and 25% everything else, like sheets, hygiene materials, decorations, chess board...  And a carry-on bag full of whatever doesn't fit in my luggage, like this laptop.  They say to not take anything I am unwilling to lose, but they also encourage bringing a laptop... My buddy suggested a happy medium: bring an external hard drive as well, and periodically transfer a disk image to it.  Sounds like good advice.

Plans Before Staging

*Raise Glass*
Here's to the first post of the rest of my life.

In about a week I'll have my going-away party; I'm looking forward to thanking everyone that has supported me in this trying time, and adding a little closure to my time at home before shipping out on the 23rd.  I took care of talking to SatoTravel and reserving my travel arrangements (arranging my travel reservations?) to Miami earlier this week, so I think I'm all caught up on my list of to-dos before staging.

Staging, for those that do not know, is an evening at a hotel conference room in Miami, FL. where I will join about 29 other first-time volunteers preparing for their own stints in the Caribbean.  I will finalize my official papers, purchase insurance, get any lacking immunizations, and discuss travel and arrangements once we arrive in St. Lucia, where I will undergo training for the following eight weeks.  During that time, I will be living with a host family who works closely with the Peace Corps and has hosted volunteers before.  I can't think of a better way to start ingraining the home culture I will be trying to emulate during my two years in service.

In the meantime, I have plenty of PC publications to familiarize myself with.  To reading!

Also, see prayer requests.