Ramadan Mubarak

Ramadan starts tomorrow/today =)
Tomorrow is my last day here. I think I'm going to end up unpacking and repacking my big suitcase all over again tomorrow night.
I'm really curious about everything. I'm really excited about having a host family, and hope that my being Muslim and fasting won't cause any issues. But from what I've heard, I'm not worried.
I can't believe it's finally here. I started my Peace Corps application back in the winter of 2007/2008. Everyone keeps asking me if I'm ready. I'm 'ready' for something new. But how can you be prepared for the pseudo-unknown? Until I get on that plane, or actually maybe not until I'm on the island, is it really going to hit me.
Last night we had a farewell bonfire sort of thing. It was really nice of everyone to come out so far and it really meant a lot to me. So to any of my friends who came out last night and who are reading this, thank you SO much =) It didn't feel like a farewell though, and I'm glad for that. I wanted it to just be a bunch of friends hanging out and that's exactly what it was. Goodbye's are kind of depressing if you ask me.

My new city

hehe, this is where I'll be!!! I can't wait... in case you can't tell I'm SUPER excited =)

The Federation of Saint Kitts and Nevis (also known as the Federation of Saint Christopher and Nevis) located in the Leeward Islands, is a federal two-island nation in the West Indies. It is the smallest sovereign nation in the Americas, in both area and population.

The capital city and headquarters of government for the federated state is Basseterre on the larger island of Saint Kitts. The smaller state of Nevis lies about 2 miles southeast of Saint Kitts, across a shallow channel called "The Narrows".

Saint Kitts and Nevis were amongst the first islands in the Caribbean to be settled by Europeans. Saint Kitts was home to the first British and French colonies in the Caribbean.

Saint Kitts was named "Liamuiga" by the Kalinago Indians who inhabited the island. This name, roughly translated in English means "fertile land," a testimony to the island's rich volcanic soil and high productivity. Nevis' pre-Columbian name was "Oualie", which translates to "land of beautiful waters", presumably referred to the island's many freshwater springs and hot volcanic springs.

One down, one to go

I really started freaking out today. Sophie said that I looked like I had climbed out of a suitcase myself. That's because I started packing today. The random pile under my bed has been growing steadily, to the point where it wasn't just under my bed anymore... everything was poking out all over the place. So I took all of it downstairs to the room with my suitcases, along with all my medical supplies, and as many clothes as I could (that I know I will be wearing there, but won't wear in the next couple of weeks). There was also another pile already in the suitcase room from the PC shopping I've been doing with mommy. Then I sat there and started hyperventilating over how much there was and how I'd never get it all to fit.

And then mommy came to my rescue. I think I'm a pretty decent packer from all the years of having watched her, but I will never pack the way she does. She somehow fit pratically everything into my smaller suitcase (which still isn't THAT small haha, but come on, I'm leaving for over two years!) My larger one is still practically empty and I know that will be filled primarily with clothes. And clothes I can handle.

Anyway, point being, I was going a little crazy when I had no idea where to start with the packing. But I'm feeling really really calm now knowing that I will be able to take everything I want (I think, please don't let me be jinxing myself!) and I'm feeling less stressed knowing that I have a whole suitcase packed already! I hate being late, I hate being stressed for time... so I'm glad I started this process slowly and won't be freaking out last minute. It seems really early to already have packed a whole suitcase, but I like to be prepared. I feel at peace.

A little of this, a little of that

I took Nala (my cat) to her new home the other day =( but I still keep hearing the jingle of her bell around the house. I'm relieved that I found her a good home, I know Nadia is going to love her and take great care of her. But I'm still sad. It was just another one of those things that made me stop and realize, holy crap.

I had my conference call with the Eastern Caribbean directors the other day too. This was so that they could start figuring out where they can place us according to the needs on the island. They seemed to love the fact that I had international experience and the fact that I've been reading other people's blogs and doing research and am prepared but at the same time very open to the fact that anything is possible. I'm not setting myself up to have particular expectations because I just don't know. They asked me if I had any ideas about secondary projects or anything, and I told them that I was under the impression that it was better not to go in with any concrete plans because we were supposed to go there and figure out what the community needed and act accordingly. Mavis seemed to love that...

All the volunteers I'm in contact with (both on the island already and those leaving in a couple of weeks with me) are going to be working on Youth Development. I haven't found any blogs or anything of people who are going to be working with Institutional NGO development. So I'm pretty sure my work is going to be pretty different from the kind of thing I've been reading... but I'm actually really excited about that.

I was going through the travel section at Barnes and Noble today, through all the books on the Caribbean (I know most of it isn't useful because it's geared towards tourists, but still), and a bunch of the islands have their own books. St. Lucia, St. Vincent & the Grenadines, Antigua... but not St. Kitts & Nevis. Oddly enough, I'm kind of happy for the fact. It makes me feel like it's not this huge tourist island and they DO need my help there.

Oh, and I also just discovered that there's a medical school on St. Kitts. I know that med schools are big out in the Caribbean, I just thought St. Kitts was too small to have one and I'd never heard of it before.

I know there's still quite a bit to go. First theres pre-staging, then the short time in St. Lucia, then training and a host family before actually swearing in as a volunteer. But still...

It's really happening

I spoke too soon. Today we got our staging email's =) And I booked my ticket.

Sunday, August 23rd
American Airlines 2195
SNA to Dallas at 10.40 am
Arrive in Dallas at 3.48 pm

American Airlines 520
Dallas to Miami Intl at 5.00 pm
Arrive in Miami at 8.48 pm

Tuesday, August 25th
American Airlines 2297
Miami International to St. Lucia at 10.35 am
Arrive St. Lucia at 2.00 pm

From Dallas onwards I'll be on the same flight as Tiffany (she's going to be serving in St. Kitts with me!) Hopefully I'll get to meet her before leaving too. And either tomorrow afternoon or Wednesday I have a conference call with Mavis Huggins, the Associate Peace Corps Director in St. Kitts and Nevis. I know there's still so much I want to know but I don't know what to ask!

Countdown begins...

It's the 24th. Exactly one month before I leave. And I STILL don't know where orientation is. How sad is it that at the grocery store I decided not to buy a bigger bag of flour and sugar because I said to myself: "I'm leaving soon, I won't be able to use it all". I stop myself from buying fun ingredients because I have a pantry full of stuff I should use.
Sophie sent me a guest list for the annual iftar she has. She asked if I wanted her to have it before or after I leave, since I only have a couple of iftar's before I leave. I think I only have 2-3. As much as I want to be here for the iftar, I want Sophie to be able to have it the way she wants, with the people she wants. And she doesn't want the people I want to see before I leave. So I'd rather she just have the iftar her way after I leave.
I can't believe I'm actually leaving...

Family Cruise

We just got back from our week long family cruise in Alaska. It was awesome. It is so gorgeous over there. But even if it wasn't, it wouldn't have mattered. Because my favorite parts of the trip weren't the glaciers, or the hybrid husky, the beautiful hikes or the gold panning. It was the memories we made together. And the time spent. Even though I kept losing, I had more fun playing hearts and rumikuub and catch phrase with the most important people in my life than I did doing anything else.

My family =)

Yea so we're a little crazy. And just to prove that we really were there...

Me and Abu-man finally got to have our coffee talk. I really love our coffee talks. I didn't always. They used to seem more like lectures to me. Abu telling me what was wrong with me. But I think as I've grown as a person and as our relationship has grown and we've gotten closer, that's changed. Now it's more like going to have coffee with a friend and talking about life. It's a discussion instead of a one sided conversation.

Through this conversation and similar emails and discussions with close friends, I think I've let go of the mentality of dwelling over what I'll be missing out on over here and can concentrate on what I'm going to gain through the Peace Corps instead. The reason I am doing this in the first place. The obvious reason being because I want to help and make a difference. But also because I want what every RPCV I've ever spoken to has. That glow in their face when they talk about their experience. The stories, memories, friends. The conviction with which they say they wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. I truly believe (and hope) that is going to be the case for me.

Right now, I'm ready to leave. I'm ready to start a new phase in my life. I want to move on. And I can't wait =)