The time has come for me to ship out to Zambia. There were many times that I thought that this day would never get here. Now that it is right around the corner, I am so nervous/afraid that I wish I had a few more days. I know that this is going to be a great experience, but I cannot help thinking about how scared I am. Part of me wants to stay here at home where I know the language, have a routine, friends, a life. It is comfortable here. The other part of me cannot contain how excited I am for this adventure! God only knows what it will be like over there. What it is that I will get to see, do, experience. It is a time for change and here I come!

The last weeks are finally here. Only three weeks left until I leave. I have to say that I am growing more nervous with each passing day. I know nothing will stop me from getting on that plane, but that is not stopping my nerves from going into overdrive. 

What have I been doing with my time? Right now I have been making my way across the state to say goodbye to as many people as I can. It is a bitter sweet moment. I have never felt so loved from all my friends and family, but it is difficult knowing that this is the last time I will see most of them for the next 27 months. It is amazing that even with all the support I have, it is still so hard saying goodbye.

 I have begun the nightmares where I have forgotten my paperwork, or missed my plane, etc. I think my dreams are telling me that I need to get a move on with packing. No matter how organized I have tried to be, it will still most likely end up with me running around like a chicken with its head cut off. It is going to be a crazy few weeks!

Today I received my staging (orientation) materials for the Peace Corps. I was quite surprised since I was expecting it to arrive in the mail not through email. None the less, I am excited and nervous about my future adventure to Zambia. With the arrival of my staging materials and already booking my flight to D.C. for staging, reality is setting in. I still have to pack and continue to shop for more items that I need.

My departure is still a month away, but there is still plenty to do. The main thing is packing. We can only have two checked bags and have an 80 lbs limit total. I had two cars full just for college and I was only 6 hours away from home. The fun/challenging part of packing is trying to rationalize to myself the stuff I want to bring, but isn't necessary.

Things I need to buy:

Good rain coat

Rain boots

2 yr supply of cotton underwear and socks

Skirts/shorts

Swiss army knife

Solar powered charger for camera, ipod, and computer

This doesn’t seem like much, but it feels like a lot. I know there are a few other things that I will pick up along the way that might not be mentioned in my list.

This is all for now! Have a great day!