I Made it!

Just a quick note to let you know I made it to Staging! The experience has been great thus far and I'll be able to finally breath when I land in Georgia. The first three days are a recovery period and then our host families pick us up. I'm enjoying these luxury toilets while I can because where I'm going...well let's just say that the headlamp is going to serve a purpose.

Anxiously Awaiting

I don't know if its just me or if this is common amongst other Peace Corps Volunteers, but I feel totally at ease with the prospect of going to Georgia. I'm not filled with apprehension...other than the food factor. I'm just at ease and am looking forward to my time there.

So here's the rundown my friends:
Tuesday 8am I fly to Philly for PC orientation aka Staging
Thursday 650pm We fly out of JFK
Friday 8am (time adjusted) Arrive in Vienna and take advantage of the 13.5 hr layover to explore the city
Saturday 350am I fly into Tbilisi, Georgia---I don't even get to see the country as I fly in!!

Then spend the weekend recovering from jetlag before being split up into training groups and staying with our host families in various locations around the country.

The Communication factor:
I'm taking the laptop and at some point I will have net access- probably only in the cities/towns with internet cafes. Email me! I may not get frequent access, but I will not be entirely cutoff. I would love to hear about what's going on with you, latest news/gossip, whatever is on your mind, etc.

Regarding snail mail, my address will be:

Maritza Carmona, PCT
c/o Peace Corps
P.O. Box 66
Tbilisi, 0102
GEORGIA

Well friends, I will try to update from Philly to let you guys know how things are going, and I will update whenever possible from Georgia.

Origins

It's amazing what can occur in a year's time. Last summer, I found myself at a crossroads debating what my future after graduation would be. Was I going to go immediately to graduate school- if so what/where would I study? Was I going to forego grad school and get a full-time job- again with the what/where? In July, I began to look seriously into the Peace Corps program, but a two year commitment was a little heavy for me to digest. Despite the initial hesitancy, months went by and the idea continued to grow on me. In the fall I met with a recruiter and continued looking into PC resources and online groups. Finally in December, I decided to apply. In January, I had my interview, and by April I received medical clearance. Now my adventure is about to begin as I leave next week for Georgia. I will be part of the PC Educational program, and will work as a TEFL instructor in secondary schools.

As I anxiously await for 13 June to arrive, I can't help but feel that this is just one in a series of great adventures that await me! I've already semi-passed my first test, by managing to reduce the belongings I'm taking into two bags!