"But if we learn to think of it as anticipation, as learning, as growing, if we think of the time we spend waiting for the big things of life as an opportunity instead of a passing of time, what wonderful horizons open out!" Anna Neagle
I hope these blogs aren't getting too dull/repetitive. The problem with waiting, is that you tend to wait for a long time without much real activity. The good stuff will be coming soon, though, because I'M ONE WEEK AWAY FROM DEPARTURE!
For all the time where waiting seemed to drag out forever, I'm now amazed that it's FINALLY almost time to go. If I had to pick one word to summarize my experience so far, that word would be growth. Although this process has been far from easy, it has been worth it. A Stephanie Gasior waiting patiently with composure for something huge and rationally handling change? Never thought I'd see the day. But, yet, here I am. I'd say that my bags are packed and I'm totally ready to go, but I haven't even started that yet. Some things never change, and apparently my hatred of packing is one of them. Who's going to be packing down to the last second? This girl. Still, life is good. Maybe even a little beyond that: life is fantastically awesome.
There are so many thoughts going through my mind right now that I am going to end this post right here. My mind is too much of a jumbled mess of excitement for anything else to make sense to anyone who isn't here right now. Thanks to all of you who've shown me so much support throughout this entire process, I am such a lucky girl to have so many incredible friends and family members. This journey has had ups and downs that have competed with the fiercest roller coaster, and you've all helped me to grow in patience, composure, and rationality. As the journey continues from Cameroon, I know that I've got the best cheering section anyone could ever ask for.
I love you all, and I'll see you on the flip side!
"A deadline is negative inspiration. Still, it's better than no inspiration at all." Rita Mae Brown
Two Weeks. Two weeks. Two weeks. Two weeks.The pressure is on. With just two short weeks left of life in the US (at least for this chapter of my life,) I'm remembering just how much I love waiting til the last second to do everything. Problematic? Maybe a bit. Who says you can't master French, finish shopping for necessary supplies, pack up two years worth of stuff, say a million "see you later"s, and still have time left to spend with the family?Apparently, not me. Challenge accepted.
So, having just come back from a refreshing and beautiful trip to Oregon for my cousin's wedding, I am feeling empowered and ready for this next adventure to begin. The hardest part of the wait is over, and now I'm just overcome by adrenaline. Watching everyone move forward with their lives as they start their new jobs, new years of school, or entirely new schools these past few weeks has been exciting, but now it's my turn.
Wait up world, I'm coming--just let me finish out my packing first!
College: Complete.Camp: Complete.Awkward Wait Between Camp and Peace Corps: In Progress. Still.
The wait before leaving in September is awful. Maybe it's just because I've known about my post since the end of May, but I'm going stir-crazy and over-analyzing all of the details that I don't know/won't know until I arrive (or, later, even.) Is it September 21st yet? I wish.
On the plus side, I have accomplished a lot of useful things: booking my flights, visiting friends, working on buying everything, and sorting out the 22 years of my life in my bedroom. It's been lovely actually being at home with the family for more than a day. I am making progress toward being ready, and everyday, Staging comes closer by another day.
What's next? More packing, more cleaning, more buying stuff, a wedding in Oregon, a visit to Allegheny, and more waiting. Lots and lots of waiting.
A month and five days: that's what separates me from beginning my stint as a Youth Development Coordinator in Cameroon. How's it feeling right now? Overwhelming. Exciting. Terrifying. Empowering. That's the thing with this, there are a million unknowns and a million emotions that go along with every little bit of this. And, you know, I'm okay with it. That's the way life is supposed to be, or so I hope.
So, what's the preparation actually like? Just like with the rest of the application process, there are times where there are millions of pieces of paperwork and other times where you hear absolutely nothing. Theoretically all of us are supposed to be spending our time studying French. Luckily, I've managed to borrow a copy of Harry Potter in French from a friend, which makes studying a million times more interesting. Plus, unlike Allegheny, NO ESSAYS! Besides that, there's a lot of packing and shopping. I feel like I am single-handedly backing the recent economic growth (you're welcome!)
September 21 is the big day. All of us in my class of volunteers will be flown out to Philly for staging (Peace Corps orientation, if you will.) We get our millions of vaccines and medications, do a host of crazy team-building activities, and then we all fly out to Yaounde (the nation's capital) and later Bafia together. Training is two and a half months long, once it's over, we'll get matched with a site somewhere in the country and move out to actually start our jobs mid-December. Youth Development is a sector that's totally new to Cameroon, so there are way more unknowns associated with my job than there are for most volunteers. Guess I'm just going to have to get reeeeeeally good at being go-with-the-flow and not all micromanage-y.
So, that's my Peace Corps life right now: full of preparation, unknowns, and lots of excitement. As the time comes closer to leave, there'll be another post. And, more importantly, once I arrive hopefully I'll be able to post often.
Take care!
