Posh Corps/Beach Corps...

My favorite things abour Swear In Week:


-Getting to sleep in a REAL *QUEEN SIZED* bed with FOUR pillows all to myself for 3 nights

-Having A/C in my hotel room so effective I could snuggle under the blankets

-Having access to hot water for hot showers and hot tea when I got a cold and lost my voice because my body wasn't used to air conditioning

-The Pool

-Having a lot of down time to hang out with my fellow trainees

-Being able to video skype SO MANY of my favorite people and actually *SEE* their beautiful faces!

-The food from Niko's cafe...omg lasagna

-Using an elevator to move my stuff

-Getting all dressed up, doing my hair and makeup and nails (for maybe the last time in 2 years)

-Having a conversation with the US Ambassador

-Taking pictures of the Panama skyline with lots of snazzy, brand new Volunteers

-SUSHI

-Beer that is not Atlas, Panama, or Balboa

-The Cultural activity in my host community right before we left

-Baking homemade chocolate chip cookies in an oven that may have been farenheit or celsius, we are still not sure, without any measuring cups

-Eating homemade chocolate chip cookies

-Laying on a floor covered in mattresses with 6 of my best friends watching Cobra on the TV because it was actually in English

-Speaking in English

-Pizza, pizza, and pizza. With Veggies.

-Greek salads. With Veggies. I miss veggies all the time.

-Hotel breakfast...omelettes made to order.

-Getting 'good luck, we miss you, may God be with you in your work and travels' text from my Santa Rita host family the morning of Swear In

-Getting a manual on Embera alphabet, grammar, and vocabulary

-Being the 'kids in the back of the room' during our post tests for Spanish and Tech skills and causing as much trouble as possible without actually getting INTO trouble

-Humming American songs in the back of the room during our info sessions on the 4th of July

-Getting woken up from my sleep at 10pm on the 4th of July to a chorus of 40-some Trainees wailing the US national anthem at the top of their lungs at the pool 4 floors down outside my window. Because it was an American hotel, I think it was generally well received!

-Climbing on the rocks on the beach

-Body surfing

-Frisbee on the beach

-Napping in a purple hammock

-Flushing a toilet and using soap EVERY TIME I went to the bathroom

-Pete and Soraya's swear in speeches

-Leo gave us a 'pre game pep talk' and the first piece out advice out of his mouth was 'Raise the Stakes'. I immediately had goosebumps. Thanks, Jason.

-Watching some of the other trainees who couldn't speak any Spanish when we got here introduce themselves into a microphone, in Spanish, in front of everyone at the ceremony

-Standing together with 43 of my good friends taking an oath to serve the people of Panama and the Peace Corps for the next 2 years. My goosebumps had goosebumps.

-Calling myself an official Peace Corps Volunteer for the first time

-Getting hugs and warm wishes from my new fellow Volunteers as we did my least favorite thing about Swear In Week- scattered to the winds all over Panama


Tonight, I sleep on a mattress in a hotel room with internet, a toilet, and cold showers for the last time for...a long time. Tomorrow morning I make the last leg of my trip back home. My new home. This morning when I left the beach, I was so not ready to go back to the life in the campo, but somewhere along the 5.5 hour bus ride with Danielle and Ben (who was sitting on a 5 gal bucket for a seat, I might add) that changed, and I got re-energized for life in my community. Just in time. Because ready or not, here we go!


Published with Blogger-droid v2.0.4

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

$omething They Forgot to Mention...

Getting ready to go on this adventure is expensive. I mean, we're not talking college tuition or buying a house expensive. Just recent-college-grad-living-paycheck-to-paycheck expensive. Sure, PC will give a living allowance and a regular 'salary' once I am sworn in, and during training we'll have some 'pocket money', but for this part, the between time from accepting the invitation to getting on that plane has its costs. First, I need stuff. I am a theatre technician and run around all day in paint covered jeans and tank tops. Neither are going to be good choices for Honduras as they are not professional enough for the situation nor appropriate for the weather. (Jeans in that kind of humidity? Gross.) So some new wardrobe pieces are essential. Also, last Christmas my laptop died, and I bought a stellar new one. An expensive, fast processing, great graphics card, 17" screen laptop that is wonderful for AutoCAD, Photoshop, Dreamweaver, and my design wo...
Read more

"...Go instead where there is no path and leave a trail."

After an excruciatingly long and arduous 9 hour bus trip, I was finally able to open my letter. I will be going to HONDURAS and I start orientation on FEB 22nd. I will be in training in Honduras then until May 12th when I move out to my site and then will finish my contract with the PC on May 12th 2014. My job title is 'Environment and Water Extensionist' meaning that I work with other government agencies and private voluntary organizations like Engineers Without Borders to:  1. To design and provide technical support for the rehabilitation, construction, or expansion of rural water and sanitation systems. 2. To provide training of rural community water associations and system operators. 3. To deliver environmental and sanitation education to community groups. There's another 20-some pages describing what all of that means, but I'll spare you those details. Right now I have a ton of things to read and an acceptance letter to write to officially accept my ...
Read more

Panama's Lessons: Volcán Barú

Image
Panama...or Middle Earth? For 3 years, I listened to other Volunteers talk about their journeys: from miserable, soul-crushing freezing rainstorms to life-changing sunrises. Every climber had a morsel of advice, a nugget of wisdom, and well wishes for their successors. They discussed the best gear, snacks, and hiking styles. In an amiable one-upping contest, they detailed the challenges they faced and overcame. Some played it off as an afternoon stroll; others dramatized it into a battle of life or death on the steeps of Mount Doom. Everyone was glad they did it, but most admitted they would never do it again. Not for a second did I believe I could be one of those people. When I was first told about this volcano upon my arrival to Panama, I was content to admire its beauty from afar. The first time I saw the volcano myself, a stark peak disappearing into the cloudy sky, I was anything but motivated or intrigued. It was formidable and unfriendly. It was neither something I ...
Read more