Days until Peace Corps Staging: 42
What?! It seems like just yesterday when I began my Peace Corps application. In fact, it was almost a year ago when I had made the decision to apply. A little over a year later I am leaving the country to some far away land called the Dominican Republic. In all reality, it's not that far away, just below Florida. But in my mind, it might as well be China.
In all reality, I had no idea how many days were left until I looked today. I try not to keep track of the days, because that makes them go all the much faster. In less than a month, I will be traveling with two of my friends to Guatemala for a little over a week a mini-vacation before I leave.
Currently, I am struggling being present with the people around me now. Since leaving my job at Wells Fargo in the beginning of January, I had the best intentions to get together with as many family and friends and to focus my attention on these relationships. And I have been doing a lot of that. But at the same time, I find myself spending hours and hours reading current blogs of Peace Corps Volunteers in the DR--doing this in hopes of trying to put myself in their shoes. I have also spent numerous hours online, figuring out what to pack, things I still need to buy, what type of bags to bring, shoes to wear...etc.
It really hit me today, as I was re-writing my packing list for the third time, that no matter how much I try to prepare, it is not going to be what I expect. As much as I am trying not to have expectations about my time in the DR, I have been subconsciously making a very long list of expectations based on the blogs I have been reading. So I have decided I am done reading blogs. I have read enough to know what to bring and if all else fails, I'm sure I can find it in the DR--it's not the middle of nowhere.
I am taking a step back from blogs, packing lists and expectations to really focus on what is right in front of me--my family and friends.
Here's to being,
LJ
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