only one w-word until the a-word

That's what Colt is saying. Every time he brings up our impending uber-separation I either burst into tears or declare loudly that I don't want to talk about it. He pointed out this morning that we should probably talk about it sometime other than in the airport next Wednesday. Well, perhaps.

Packing update: I officially own or have access to everything that I will be taking with me to Africaland. It is all pretty much gathered in my old room at my mom's house, scattered among the 10 totes of other stuff I own that I will be leaving with her. I have 1 big duffel bag and a smaller one with a pretty nice black canvas backpack to carry everything in. I've also used up almost all of my mom's ziplock bags by storing all my toiletries in them. I searched high and low for solar powered rechargeable batteries, but could not find them. And then I realized that I'm not really bringing anything that requires battery power. Sometimes, the blondness is tres apparent.

As I type this, I am slowly working on uploading all of my summer photos to facebook. Thesd pics include trips to Kansas City, Chicago, Oklahoma, and Texas. Most of them are definitely from my Chicago vacation/med school visit (like half from the gay pride parade!) and looking through them makes me increasingly sure that I am going to apply to Northwestern and the University of Chicago. Both campuses were awesome and I definitely fell in love with the Lincoln Park neighborhood. Molly's Cupcakes FTW! Anyway, it will be fun to visit the city again next fall when I come back to interview (assuming I even make it to the interview stage of the application process!).

The summer has been primarily lazy as far as french preparation goes. I've been incredibly lax with my studies post graduation. I guess at some point I just realized that I was going to be in a pretty low level group to start off with and it wasn't going to be particularly beneficial for me to study all summer to get up one level, after which it will be more difficult to improve. So I've been slowly moving through Harry Potter et l'ecole de sorciers, but I don't think I'm much past chapter 2 at this point. I think I can handle being one of the poorest french speakers of the group. C'est la vie.

I'm getting ready to go on a Pirates of the Caribbean binge as part of my American pop culture overload of summer 2010. Other binges have included mashed potatoes, corresponding tattoos, vegan hotdogs, little league baseball games, sunburns, and spending too much money on mediocre Italian cuisine. My facebook album, Quest: Party in the USA, is an attempt to keep track of these last few weeks of America. The fourth was fun and included a very American doubles game of ultra-competitive table tennis and semi-naked trampoline fireworks viewing. I created this delicious cookie cake that was decorated with an anatomically correct flag made of mixed berry. Yum!

Ah, Colt. Preparing for our goodbye is not something I am even remotely ready for. He is taking me to the airport and I haven't decided if I'll be so shell shocked from the immensity of the separation or if I'll flood the place with my tears. I know that I am going to be a big ball of stress about the whole thing soon. I made him promise to show some emotion sometime this week and not just always be the strong one. He has off from work all but two of the next 7 days, so hopefully we'll get in all the cuddling of two years into this week. Ugh, just thinking about him all lonely makes me sad. Next!

I'm having a lovely going away/graduation party on Friday. I am making a drink concoction called summer beer that I discovered at a friend's 21st birthday party earlier in the summer. It's light beer with vodka and lemonade. I'm pretty stoked about it. I'm also going to make funfetti cupcakes which will be good practice for our wedding reception since we'll be doing the cupcakes ourselves.

On that wonderful note, this summer I also have planned a lot of the wedding details since I won't really be around to do it in the next two years. It seems maybe a bit over the top, but I literally have a schedule of the ceremony and we've picked out the locations for it and the reception. We have a budget and have selected colors and songs and pretty much everything except reserving locations and vendors...because it's like waaay ridiculously too early for that haha. I tried on dresses, too and found styles that I think will match the look I'm going for. My plan is to actually buy the dress and make a lot of the set in stone plans when I am back in the states next fall for med school interviews. It's fun to actually think about this stuff finally!

One other thing I've slacked off with this summer is running. I think I probably went running a grand total of 10 times or something embarrassing like that. I really miss it and so does my body. I've basically gained back all my marathon training weight which is wicked lame! I'm bringing my Asics with me to Benin, so as soon as I can, I am going to find a running routine. I think I forget sometimes how much a quick jog can clear my head and calm me down. In fact, that sounds pretty good right now; maybe I'll get in a couple runs before next Wednesday.

Well, I doubt I'll be posting until Philadelphia staging. My flight is 7am on the 14th and orientation activities start at noon at the hotel in Philly. We'll all meet up and learn about safety and culture shock for two days and then late at night on the 15th we head out for Benin by way of Paris.

I think there's definitely some part of me that doesn't actually believe that it's happening. I mean, I applied over a year ago on a renewed whim and here I am just days away from leaving. It's pretty trippy and I'm sure it's just going to get increasingly mind blowing.

Keep it classy,

E

A quick hello from a summer afternoon

I am sitting here next to C while he sleeps and I am finally ready to really process this whole Peace Corps thing. I've spent the last two weeks digesting graduation and finding some sort of semblance of a summer routine here at the apartment. I finally put up my pictures from the last semester at Swells and for me that was very cathartic. End chapter.

And now I have 34 days until I leave for staging in Philadelphia. I have several plans for things I want to do before I leave and several things I need to get completed in order to be ready. On the unpleasant side is the task of figuring out loan deferments, packing up all my belongings into 8 totes to be stored with my mom, and saying good-byes to family and friends. On the pleasant/exciting side is packing, buying a netbook, spending a lot of time with C and family, cooking ridiculous amounts of deliciously fattening food and not caring about my weight, running, and just hanging out and not worrying about anything. I've also been going to a lot of movies and spending my money like it's going out of style.

I need to create a comprehensive packing list here in the next few days I think so that I can plan my luggage and make sure I have everything I want and need to bring with me. I'm planning on having a lot of clothes made in country, so what I am really interested in is cooking supplies, comfort items, and toiletries.

Well, I don't actually have much else to report. My paperwork is all completed and I'm just waiting to hear from placement about the specific details on staging. Until then, it's relax and procrastinate! Just kidding...sort of =D

E

Peace Corps Benin July 2010 facebook group!

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=2104310&ref=profile#!/group.php?gid=122200677808199&ref=mf

I created one!

If anyone knows of any other Benin invitees for July, please have them join the group so we can start getting to know one another before staging!

I also linked my blog to the Benin page instead of the applicant page which feels super legitimizing haha.

Not much more to update. My aspiration statement was not that spectacular as I am in massive finals mode right now and definitely not capable of thinking deeply about my future. But, I had to write it since it was due. C'est la vie.

I got friended on fb by a current Benin volunteer who is also a Wellesley grad--small world!
Getting excited,

Elaina

Check marks and the end of an era

So I've got all my check marks now!
I woke up this morning and had an email informing me to check my online status. Complete!

I accepted the invitation on Wednesday.

I have sooo much paperwork to fill out. I think I would actually enjoy it in a strange, masochistic way if I didn't have so much other work to be doing. I have 8 things to do before I can graduate--papers, finishing assignments, and finals--and this Peace Corps mass of forms just does not make my life easier right now.

On the bright side, I am now finished with all classes that I will ever have as an undergraduate at this fabulous institution. I've never been one for institutional pride, but I'm really going to miss this place, this experience. I'm not really ready to hash out my feelings about graduating, yet, but when I do it's going to make me cry lol.

I just need to get my stuff completed, get my passport situation figured out, meet with loan people, etc about deferments, figure out packing and shipping everything back to the Midwest for summer, and then relax for at least a week or two before I start worrying about getting everything packed and finalized for July 14th.

At least my senioritis is sort of under control. I don't really WANT to be doing any of my work, but I realize that it is necessary...I'm also realizing that a lot of these assignments and studying sessions are the last ones I'll ever be doing here. This stress is the last stress like this I'll be having. It may be weird, or corny, or whatever, but in a way, that actually makes me feel a little sad.

I'm at the point where I can really only emotionally focus on one big thing in my life and right now that is graduation. As ready as I've been for months and months to be out of here, the fact that it's just around the corner now is very bittersweet. I know it's time for me to be finished, but part of me is not sure I'll be ready for leaving this experience, these friends, this place.

I can't believe graduation is only 3 weeks away.
I'll be back to talk more PC in a couple weeks, once I have everything under control and i can emotionally handle Africa!

Elaina

Going to........BENIN!

BENIN!


I so called it!

I am so happy right now! Top choice ftw!

I am leaving for staging July 14th, training in Porto Novo until September 17th and then it's life as a community health advisor!

I am soooo stoked!

I'll be back later with more information!

E

Tool kit update!

Logged in this morning to find this gem! There's not a lot of information there, just a few things about travel and staging that is relevant. But they don't tell anything about the country of service, haha. I can't wait until I get my huge blue pack!

E

Eeny Meeny Miny Mo

Ok I can't help it. I've created a pro/con list for each country to help me work through my thoughts before I actually have to absorb the placement. I know it probably seems a bit neurotic, but it helps me. And it also serves as procrastination since I've gotten all caught up on all the television shows I watch!

Benin

pros: Jungles, the typical African atmosphere with humidity and heat! I've read a lot about Benin and feel a connection with the country already from spending hours imagining myself in the place of many PCV bloggers. West African culture is something I don't want to miss. Beaches. Higher standards of living than the others. Very democratically stable comparatively.

cons: Humidity sucks. Could be primarily speaking a super specific local language that may not be useful after the peace corps.

Mali

pros: Deserts and dry heat. West African culture ftw! Cool rock climbing locations. A lot of sweet history. Wicked music festival in the desert each year. Maybe I'd get placed in the village of the RPCV who wrote Mango Rains?

cons: No beaches, very landlocked. Lower standard of living than Benin/ is one of the top two most difficult programs for PC volunteers to serve in, I've heard.

Niger

pros: West Africa, desert. Cool Muslim influences. And still on the main land. Fulfulde is a cool sounding language, too.

cons: hot and dry. Very poor country and very politically unstable. PCVs have had to evacuate in the past.

Madagascar

pros: Madagascar is way cool. People know about it and think it's awesome. Malagasy is pretty sweet sounding. The "8th continent" has a lot of unique biodiversity and NICE weather. This is pretty much the only one of my options where the weather won't suck/be ridiculously hot all the time, but is still Africa. And super close to Tanzania where the amazing Lauren will be serving!

cons: Is it really Africa, though? It's not on the mainland which is a MAJOR bummer. There was a lot of political instability last year and the PC program was suspended for some time and only just re-opened up. There are only 11 volunteers there right now! I also really don't want to listen to people singing "I like to move it move it" constantly before I go.

So there's that! Murphy's law says that my placement will be Madagascar but we'll see. I'd be super happy no matter where I end up but I'll be honest up front that I would prefer the mainland. But if that's not in the cards for me, I'll make the most of it. Lemonade and all that.

E