Wahoo! It's all actually happening! So, after a hiccup last week that involved lost visa forms, a midday dash to kinko's, and overnight fedexing forms to DC, all appears to be well and good!

Got my staging info in the email this morning, talked to the travel agent shortly after, booked plane tickets to staging in Philadelphia! Huzzah! Here's what that's going to look like:

June 2nd--I leave from Sac at 6:30 am. Sorry Amanda! Arrive in Philly via Atlanta at 5:30ish. Spend the night, probably hook up with other early arrivers for dinner and such.

June 3rd--Free morning, apparently the hotel is right next to the Liberty Bell and other such Americana, so plan to do that. At 1:30l, it begins! We spend all afternoon through the evening getting forms filled out, getting to know each other, talking about safety, and getting ready to GO!

June 4th--Shots in the morning, bus to JFK in NYC to leave. NY to Brussels, then it's

June 5th--Brussels to Yaounde. Yeah, that's in Cameroon!

So I have just 4 weeks left in Davis, and just over a month in the US. Yes, this is actually happening!

PS: No strep here! Or swine flu....silliness, really.

Wow, time is flying by! We skipped the trip to Yosemite last weekend--Amanda and I were both stressed and run down for different reasons, but wound up going to REI to start finishing off all the buying things necessary! Don't want to talk about money right now, argh!

And yes, it is looking like 5 weeks from today, Tuesday. That's cause, as I've worked it out, there's just no way for me to make it to Philly (which is where someone on FB said it's going to be), on Wednesday by whatever time I need to be there if I fly that day. East Coast=3 hours in the future, plus it's like a 5 hour flight, IF it's direct. So that's 8 hours right there. Add in time to get to and from the airport, and the likelihood that it won't be a direct flight....and I'm PRAYING I get to leave Tuesday, just so I'm not a zombie!

So, right now, I'm accepting treatment/prayer/happy thoughts on my throat no longer acting up. Tomorrow will be a result of a strep culture, which the doc thinks will be negative. You may remember another time recently when I had a nasty sore throat and a negative strep test. Anybody with opinions on what psychologically/emotionally/spiritually I might be creating sore throats from, I'm happy to hear your ideas! In any case, this time, I'm nipping it in the bud, and will be taking 2 days off work to heal. More if necessary. (Will not be necessary).

If you're reading, wanna leave me a comment to make me feel important? Oh, and if you haven't RSVPed to my party, please do that too! Facebook, email, or leave a comment. And if you're a maybe on FB, please be decisive. It will help my stress level. Thanks, and loves!

I have a gift registry on REI. Go here: http://www.rei.com/giftregistry , enter my name, and there I am.

Warning: I registered for underwear. Weird? Yes. Necessary? Absolutely.

I hate feeling like I'm begging, and know that I'm not. ZERO obligation to buy me something--really, seriously. But, if you're so inclined, who am I to stand in your way!

And actually, if you made me a mix cd, or a mix thumb drive of songs I can have (and then give back your thumb drive), that would be totally awesome too!

On Wednesday the 22nd, it'll be six weeks and counting!

Ok, so I love everyone. Seriously. But I'm starting to feel like I need to have some things tattooed on my forehead, cause my voice is wearing out from saying the same things all the time. So here are the answers to your questions.

Where/When/How long are you going?

Cameroon--that's just under the horn of Africa. I'll leaving on June 3rd. It's a little over 2 years, June 2009-July 2011.

But wait, that's crazy!

Yeah, I know! And awesome!

What will you be doing there?

I'll be teaching middle/high school level science.

What language do they speak?

80% of the country is French, 20% is English. I'm working on my French with Rosetta Stone, plus I did 4 years in High School. I'm hoping this will work out!

What/where is the training?

On June 3rd, I'll fly to most likely Philadelphia, where I'll meet my training group, get the basics of health and safety, and my shots. We leave from there on June 6th for Cameroon! Then, I'll spend my first 10 weeks in Bangangte, in the Southwest, doing intensive foreign language training, cultural and technical training. I'll be living with a Cameroonian Family for that time.

Where will you be eventually placed?

They don't tell you that until about halfway through training--they want to see how you do first, especially in language.

What's the weather like?

Variable across the country--it's desert in the northeast, mountains and cooler in the northwest, beach on the west, tropical in the south, grassland in the middle. Cameroon is sometimes called "Africa in miniature"--it has all of the biomes in Africa present in the country.

What about food?

Well, I won't be holding fast to my vegetarianism--to make things easier on me there. They have a variety of grains, lots of couscous, and lots of fish apparently. And some interesting bushmeat--armadillo, porcupine, monkey....I probably won't eat monkey.

Please ask me any other questions, I'm actually happy to answer! And I'll probably add to this post as things come up, so check back!

Seems like all the cool kids in Peace Corps post the timeline of how things worked. And I'm all about bandwagons.

Juneish: Riding my bike home from work, decided to join the Peace Corps, started filling out application. No, seriously.

Julyish: Distracted by moving, don't like writing essays, application languishes.

Early August: Created and did a workshop at Summer Seminar that got me over the hump. Submitted app!

Late August: Interview in Oakland. Nominated the next day! Huzzah. Nomination is the recruiter's recommendation that you go forward. Mine was to Science Teaching in Africa, departing June 2009.

September-October: Doctor/Dentist appts. out the wazoo. No seriously, there was gynecology involved. Submitted all medical paperwork at the end of October.

December 24th: Medically cleared for service! Best Christmas present this year! Ok Mom, maybe the pig was a little bit better.

January 15th: Phone conversation with my placement officer--the person IN CHARGE of where, when, and if I go! Basically a recap and update on things covered in the interview--how does your family feel (my dad hates africa, but loves me anyway), how's your relationship (non-existent), how will you cope (fudgeansweridunnobutiwill).

January16-February 7th: Obsessive compulsive mail-checking for invitation.

February 7th: Online status updates to "Invited." I squee, Amanda cries, Lou and Megan love and hate me at the same time.

February 7th-February 12th: Obsessive compulsive mail checking accelerates, and includes Amanda texting me the status from home when I'm not home to check it as soon as it arrives. Mailman is lucky I never actually saw her coming up the driveway, as I'd likely have tackled her.

February 12th: Cell phone battery dies at work, meaning that Amanda's text message of "Cameroon, June 3rd" doesn't get to me. Hahahahaha.

February 13th: Accepted invitation as "Science Teacher", leaving for staging June 3rd, 2009.

February-June: Insane preparation

June 3rd: Surrender.

June 3rd-6th: Staging in Philly or DC (seems like the last several groups of trainees for Cameroon have gone via Philly, but who knows?)

June 6th 2009-July 1st 2011: Residing in Cameroon!

So there we have it. Just under a year from the first inspiration to the departure. Holy crap, this is actually happening.

*Not an extensive list*

Things I have acquired:

Duffel bag

Backpack

Laptop and assorted accessories

3 Skirts

1 pair of pants

3 Shirts

Rain jacket

Sleeping bag

timbuk2 bag (love!)

Teva running shoes

Merrell sandals (dressy)

Merrell flats (dressy)

Things I already owned:

Daypack

Merrell hiking boots (theme?)

Keens

Tevas (theme?)

North Face flip flops

Camera

Assorted clothing

Things I still need:

Leatherman tool

sleeping pad/thermarest type thing

camping towel

assorted other clothing (more nice shirts, nice capris, another pair of pants?, assorted high-tech underwear?)

no more shoes!

Electricity converters/adapters

Printed out photos of people I LOVE a lot (which is probably you, by the looks of things)

Prescription sunglasses and a repair kit

luggage locks/security thingies

a crap-ton of passport photos

a watch

fun stuff--travel games, posters, etc

assorted kitchen stuff

umbrella

And who knows what else???

Ok, so I'm about three months out, and the insanity has officially begun. Here's my schedule until I leave:

March 6-8: Redding--Snowboarding, family time

March 14-18: Road trip with Dad and Bro

March 20-21: Girl Scout Camp-in (work)

March 26-28: SF trip with Amanda, Georgia, and assorted other family

April 3-5: Redding--Lindsay's shower, assorted family, church?

April 12: Amanda's birthday!

April 18: Picnic Day!

April 24-26: Yosemite Camping Trip

May 8-10: WEF, plus Mother's day, and people visiting Davis

May 15-17: Advisor Training

May 22-26ish: Redding--Lindsay's wedding, last family visit, old High School visit

May 30th: GOING AWAY BLOW-OUT PARTY CRAZY!

June 3rd: Leave for staging in Philly or DC (TBD).

SO--if you want to see me before I go....make sure to work around this! And I want to see you before I go! Especially at my party!