Packing Precision

Welcome to the final countdown. After talking about this for what feels like years, it's suddenly time to go. And I don't know how I feel about it. My emotions vacillate wildly from one extreme to another. Whether I'm crying at a bar (or wedding), sitting alone in my room crippled by anxiety while staring blankly at a mound of clothes and two empty bags, or dancing wildly around the room in sheer excitement...it's safe to say that I'm in a glass cage of emotion. I'm Ron Burgondy?

So in lieu of waxing philosophical, I've decided to dedicate this post to something hopefully more useful to future PC volunteers or anyone else interested in what goes into packing for two years.

Image one: the things I think I want to take to Peru.











Image two: the empty bags I'm taking to Peru.









The challenge: get everything from image 1 into image 2 (plus a few odds and ends not pictured). Further complicating the matter is the fact that I have no idea where in the country I will actually be living. Peru's climate varies widely from region to region -- the Andean highlands are quite cold and wet while the coastal desert is well, dry and hot. I'm hoping for a coastal placement, but there are no guarantees so I need to be prepared for two distinct climates. I've opted for the basics, tank tops, t-shirts, lightweight sweaters, that I can layer depending on temperature. But you'll notice from the first picture that I've also opted to forgo color for the next two years. I guess I'm going for the mix 'n match fashion statement. Also add to the mix all the toiletries, shoes, books, electronics I want to take with me, and well, you can see my predicament. Lots of stuff, limited space.

But as I've gone through my stuff and eliminated the excess and condensed it all to the smallest possible surface area (ziploc bags are a lifesaver!), I've actually started to enjoy it. There's something to be said for living off only what you need and/or can carry. Oddly enough in all my preparation and thinking about Peace Corps, the idea of living a simpler life never really came to mind. Sure I've been thinking about living a different kind of life, exploring a new culture and language, seeing things from a new perspective, but I hadn't focused on the beauty of letting go of material possessions. At the end of the day, my experience is not going to be defined by whether I bring two pairs of jeans or three. The things I'm bringing are just that, things. What matters more is the attitude I carry with me -- an open mind, a sense of humor and lots of patience (well, I'm working on that last one).

So without further adieu, I present to you the final product. I did it! So that's that, now all that's left is getting there. See you on the flip side!

DC Departure

Suddenly this whole Peace Corps thing seems decidedly real. One round of goodbyes already behind me, a 9.5 hour drive with EVERYTHING I own packed into a tear-stained Budget truck...these make the act of leaving feel less like an act and more like a real decision, an actual occurrence. It was much harder and sadder than I'd expected to say goodbye to my job, to DC and, of course, to the many wonderful people I met over the last two years (argh, I was in DC for less time than I will be in Peru). But I guess it's a good thing to be sad about goodbyes, at least I know my time there was meaningful.

I'm back in SC, living at my parent's and unemployed. Awesome. I am definitely enjoying home-cooked meals, clean laundry and an abundance of free time to sit on the beach, read, and sort through the whirl of thoughts/emotions. I can't believe it's less than a month until I am headed for Peru. While leaving DC seems very real, actually going to Peru is still somewhat of a mystery. Where will I be living? What will I be doing? What will my host family be like? What will the other volunteers be like? And most importantly, what the hell do I pack? Luckily I have approximately 30 days with few other plans than to pack, relax and enjoy all my NC/SC family and friends. And continue my Peruvian daydreams...

Placement: Peru

Hello, soon-to-be faithful readers!

After seemingly endless months of waiting, many painful shots and countless forms completed, I finally received my Peace Corps placement a few weeks ago. Peru, here I come!

I leave in June to begin my two years of service as a small business volunteer. It's taken such a long time to get to this point, to make everything official and confirmed, that it still doesn't seem real. This journey remains a huge unknown, an exciting adventure looming in the near(!) future. One that I am eagerly anticipating and anxiously awaiting. These next couple months are sure to fly by as I wrap up my time in DC, load up the U-Haul and begin my trek southward with a few-week layover in Charleston. I'm already sad to think about goodbyes I'll have to start saying so soon, and I listen wistfully as friends plan summer getaways and parties, knowing I will be far from those familiar traditions. When I think about my summer, butterflies swarm my stomach, and a slide-show of images (snow-capped peaks, crashing waves, a whirl of Spanish, me in all my new-found hippie glory, guinea pigs) plays across the back of my mind. I don't know where these images come from as I really have NO idea what my actual life will look like. I think they're a romanticized version of all I've seen and read of both Peruvian and Peace Corps life. All I know is that instead of long weekends at a Carolina beach, I'll be celebrating summer (or winter, as the case may be) Peruvian style, with new friends in new places. And I can't wait! Excitement overwhelms any and all other emotions -- even those nagging 'what ifs' that rouse me from sleep in the middle of the night. My grand adventure awaits and I can only begin to imagine the amazing people, places and experiences that are just around the corner.

Viva el Peru!

*Disclaimer: don't judge this first installment too harshly. My fluorescent-lit office feels a long way from an Andean village and Outlook reminders distract me from my Peruvian daydreams...soon enough, soon enough.