One Month To Go – Time well spent (Part I)

In one month, I will be officially in Benin participating in PST (Pre-Service Training – the Peace Corps apparently loves acronyms). Emails have started flooding in from different PC offices with information about the staging and training processes and the realness of my situation is starting to finally hit me. Here are some of the things going through my head at the moment.

Summer Expectations vs. Reality

I thought that I was going to spend the summer traveling to visit friends, maybe try and learn to sail or scuba dive or something crazy. Basically, I wanted to enjoy what would probably be my last relaxing summer until retirement.

Although I visited some friends and will visit some more, I didn’t do anything as wild as I’d wanted. I spent the bulk of the summer with the three youngest of my siblings. They are all in high school now and this has been the first opportunity for me to spend quality time with them since I, myself was in high school and they were noogie-height.

Frisbee,

barbeques,

swimming,

hiking,

board games,

card games,

made-up games,

softball,

weird insightful conversations, the list goes on. Basically, we played all summer long.

I was also able to spend a couple days on the Appalachian Trail, go fishing with my Uncle up in the Northeast Kingdom of Vermont (right around the corner from Bubble F*ck Nowhere, USA. Honestly, it might be in Canada, who knows . . . ).

 

Fresh Brook Trout

 

All in all, I did not get as much alone time as I had anticipated, nor did I learn any new skills as I had hoped. However, I don’t think I could have dreamed of a better way to spend my summer than with my family. Distance can make you forget how wonderful having a close family is. This time with them was more important than any of the things that I thought I wanted or needed to do this summer.

My uncle and I at camp in the Northeast Kingdom

 

One Month To Go – Preparation (Part II)

I love traveling, but packing is truly a royal pain in the ass. Some circumstances make packing even worse . . .

-Packing for a long duration trip (eg. the Peace Corps)

-Packing for the unexpected (eg. the Peace Corps)

-Having a long time to pack where you can second guess your packing choices (eg. the Peace Corps)

. . . I think you get the point. Fortunately, there are numerous sources for sample packing lists including the one furnished by the Peace Corps, PCV’s blogs as well as speaking directly with current volunteers (they are quite a outgoing, helpful group). The sum wisdom of these sources can be boiled down into three crucial tips.

1. Clothing is not as important as you think! – Business Casual seems to be as formal as anyone ever will expect from a volunteer. You can get local clothing in your country that is cheaper and, more importantly, culturally appropriate and relevant. The PC emphasizes that Cultural Integration is paramount to a volunteer’s success, so dressing like the locals is a solid start. Maybe bring some quick dry clothing like this.

2. “Pack light” does not mean, leave free space empty! – Every current volunteer that I have spoken with has told me that my initially idea to bring as little as possible, was ridiculous. As a volunteer, you will be moving to another country for two whole years. Things you bring will wear out. And shipping anything at all is more expensive than the free 100lbs of checked baggage and your carry on luggage. Don’t waist free space, volunteers don’t get paid enough to afford that luxury.

And the most important according to virtually every volunteer with whom, I’ve spoken . . .

3. FILL ANY EXTRA SPACE WITH FOOD! – You can get almost anything, anywhere in this globalized world. Unfortunately, a taste of home is evidently still hard to find. Herbs, spices, and non-perishables are all good things to bring. Protein and vitamins are also in short supply in many developing nation’s diets. So, dump the extra clothing and pack every nook and cranny with Nutella, Frank’s Red Hot, Protein powder and jerky.

Food (excluding condiments, protein, & vitamins)