My first post!  Thanks to Mom for putting this blog together.  She has convinced me that it is cool.

Tonight I had a nice experience.  Myself and my friend Molly, who is also a Peace Corps nominee, went to a send-off party thrown by the local Peace Corps alumni group, the West Cascades Peace Corps Association.  We met lots of very nice people including some RPCVs (returned PC volunteers) that had served as early as the Peace Corps’ debut year, 1961.  It was really uplifting to see that all these people had completed their service, had a positive impact, and enjoyed it enough that they were still active in the organization.  I also met someone who had served in Jordan–which is in the region I’ve been assigned to!

There were also a few speakers who gave us some valuable advice, the most important being: Take it slow.  Soak up your time during your service.  Don’t let the process of getting there discourage you.  Avoid being obsessed with your work, eat and drink slowly, and make time to sit down and talk with everyone–co-workers, neighbors, other Volunteers.  GREAT advice.  But anyone who knows the first thing about me knows that while I may be good at Mario Kart, leg wrestling, and baking any type of pie, I am NOT good at taking it slow.  It was made clear to me tonight that as a Volunteer I will either need to learn to stop being preoccupied with deadlines and procedures and future plans, or I will internally combust.  Flexibility.  Patience.  Two of the things most heavily prescribed to me when I was nominated.

Speaking of patience, on Tuesday I will be done with my medical packet, which is roughly the size of one-third of a Harry Potter novel.  I think I am going to throw a party for myself…involving frozen yogurt and a nap.

Tonight was yet another reassurance that I’ve chosen a path that will be an exciting challenge.  But first, graduation!