Just BE

In my last post I mentioned I recently had a rejuvenating experience that has left me more prepared for this upcoming adventure that anything since I applied. 

Last weekend began with 4 friends pulling their every effort to try and pack up a Jeep and drive 5 hours to the middle-o'-nowhere Maine for an adventurous weekend. The plan was to Whitewater Raft on Saturday and do a nice nature walk on Sunday! I was so excited to just get away and not be able to do anything in terms of preparation for PC or even for work. Little did I know how much I needed this. Our drive up was long, and slow, as we hit rush hour traffic leaving Boston and made several stops for liquor and beer, food and of course bathroom breaks. Around 9pm we got off the main highway and started driving on a very windy, very dark road in the backwoods of this massive state. It was so quite and there were HUGE bugs splatting on the front windshield of my friends car. Were riding along and all of a sudden we are there. You could here the music and see the fire being burned in front of the outpost where the fun was going to take place! Because my boyfriend, Bill, works there, we got quite the VIP treatment. They knew who I was when we walked in, we got "upgraded" to a tent site by the river, had firewood waiting for us at our site and were able to choose our guide! - Bill of course! We drove to our site and set up camp! sat y the fire roasting marshmallows and having a couple of beers, this was perfect.

The next morning I woke up feeling like I had gotten pumped with fresh oxygen and clorafil! I felt like a new person - the fresh air, sounds of the river flowing and rushing by and the distant smell of firewood cooling itself off. This was the beginning of of what seems to be a long awaited sigh of relief. As we gathered our things and prepared for a day on the river, I couldn't help but just BE. I often set aside time for BEing and meditation but this was different. It was happening unintentionally.

I dressed in all pink for rafting and got my butt in gear! We had a few newbies in our raft and paddled our way through class IV rapids. I loved hearing Bill yelling out the commands - primarily because I could hear how quickly he got the hang of this and how natural he is at it. It made me happy to know that he is right where he is supposed to be. After rafting we got a huge meal that consisted of steak, mashed potatoes, corn, the whole nine yards! It began to pour outside so the four of us played the best board game in the world - you had to act things out, answer trivia, do random tasks and having others guess it, etc. We shared a few pitchers of Summer Ale and laughed all afternoon. I felt like I was on the set of Dirty Dancing where there are activities going on in the main hall and it is down pouring outside. The evening was spent at the bar listening to live music and watching a hollow log being burned - hollow log is a great idea for a large fire! 

Sunday was my favorite. We all took a walk to Moxie falls through a mile(ish) long path that was filled with natural beauty. There was moss everywhere - for those of you who don't know, I LOVE Moss! I think it is the coolest living thing and is proof that life is so interconnected. We got to the falls and that is when it happened - this was when my mind went from just BEing to a level of awareness that only comes around when I am inspired by something bigger than me. We took an unbeaten path to get to the rapids and sit on the rocks by the river. I got in the water and moved myself to the middle of the river to sit on a rock in the middle of a rapid. the four of us were spread out at different parts of the river doing our own thing. I began reflecting on things that are greater than ourselves and how it can be so easy to be shifted away from that. I reminded myself that my existence is but an 1/8th of a second in the history of life and time. The power that being in a place like that has on me is profound and since then I have felt a sense of ease that I may have lost somewhere in between travels of last summer, the application process of Peace Corps, the transition to a new job and the idea that in just a few months the chaos will be over. 

We gathered after our own adventures on the river and chilled on the rocks - I noticed how great it was that we were all okay just doing our own thing while still having an amazing time together - these are the moments to be aware of and how lucky we are to experience them! It's probably helpful to keep in mind that the four of us work in mental health and love to reflect - which is exactly what we did!

Throughout the week I felt a sense of ease and silence that I felt ready to take on any task put in front of me to prepare for Peace Corps - my packing list has been getting checked off quite a bit this week, I have been focused on things I need to do and I can think more clearly and straight than I have in a while. I was talking to Bill and realized that this ease is what I always get when I am able to just BE - I get it when I have the opportunity to meditate at home - that is, when there isn't so much chaos happening. I am looking forward to the down time I will have in the DR  and using a bit of it to implement more of this into my daily routine.

Tomorrow I am heading to Walden Pond, only 20 minutes away, for a morning of R&R with a new book and a walk around the pond! I know there are going to be a ton of screaming kids around.. that's okay, it's all part of the experience!

    BEST part about tomorrow - Bill just told me he is going to drive down tomorrow until Tuesday morning 

                                                    This makes me happy :)

Although I have been living in what seems to be "la-la land" to some people, I have been doing this while living amongst chaos. Simultaneously living in the opposite of calm, relaxed and rejuvenated. Stay tuned to find out more.... 

Happy Reading!

packing,decisions and unforeseen mishaps - 54 dias to go!

Sitting here in front of a full functioning fan, I am soaking in the conveniences and amenities that are my life. In just 54 days I will be heading to D.C. for staging ( refer to FAQ)

I just got back from one of the most successful shopping trips I have ever done. My mom called me and asked to meet me at Old Navy - they are having a 40% off everything in the store sale and there was no way I was going to miss this - I could get everything I need for so cheap! This was my first shopping trip for clothes that I have done since I applied to PC last August - I saved quite a good amount of money! I was so excited that I was pulling things off racks and my mom kept saying  " aren't you going to check the size?" It probably looked like I had never been into a clothing store before! It was great! Once at the register, the cashier made a comment about her hopes that I wont have to shop for a year or two because "I would never spend this much on clothes". Mind you, I got 31, give or take 2, items of clothing (including 3 shoes and a bag) for under $300.00 - shout out to my awesome mother who helped me with this!!!  thanks mom!! Driving home I could not wait to unpack my three very large, very white, plastic old navy bags and lay out everything I have! I didn't realize how much this help actually see what I have so I can go straight to my to do list and just start crossing stuff off! So liberating! This is what I have so far and I think it may be it!

And this is what I walk out of my room to every day - it makes me happy and has been continuously piling throughout the weeks - all the clothes I am taking fits in the bottom 3/4 of this basket :)

Now that I had a little shopping adventure, I came down from cloud nine to finish helping my mom - did I mention how great she is? well she is doubly great for helping me with invites. These invites are for a huge send-off party that my family is having for me. It will be in our backyard, BBQ style! Since I was in high school, we have always been having cookouts, parties and casual hangouts in our backyard and deck. It has become an every summer type gig where everyone just gathers here - my friends, my brothers and sisters friend, family friends, etc - I couldn't think of a better way to leave than to gather everyone again for one last hoorah! especially because my parents will no longer be living here when I return in 2014...tear. So, back to the invites - they have been quite the adventure themselves. Initially my mom and I thought, "easy...how hard can this be?" that's where we made the mistake - we assumed this would be no problem - printable invitations! Well, we had the wrong paper, printer setup, ink...you name it, we didn't have it! So we went to Fed-Ex where the very nice gentleman who reminded me of Bill Cosby helped us out! We were good to go and my plan was to get them done ASAP - then an unforeseen, unfortunate event happened > refer to the Female only section below if you really must know >. So finally I got them done tonight! I was running on adrenaline from my crazy, disjointed and impulsive shopping trip! There was no order, good thing my mom is so go with the flow :)

Final Product!!!

 DISCLAIMER - FEMALE PARAGRAPH - don't say I didn't warn you!

Yes. It Really Happened

Yes, mishaps - I have ran into quite a few actually, including a trip to the Emergency Room - lets just say Diva and I have not been the best of friends the past few days. I thought I was doing the best thing, you know being environmentally friendly and all - turns out mother nature doesn't like me very much right now - diva had gotten "lost" and could not be found for 12+ hours >>> to the ER I went.
That in itself was one of the most awkward and halarious experiences - non of the doctors knew what this thing was and had trouble helping me, the only female around was a student so she had to be observed doing ANYTHING in the ER- this meant there was a male attending, a male nurse, and the student all observing what was happening....suffice it to say, I will not be taking Diva with me to the DR.


Onto happier topics - I FINALLY decided on a laptop and I am in love with it! It weighs two pounds and can do EVERYTHING! This came out of a gift that my brother gave me for my birthday! He began to fill a 500GB external hard drive with movies, Pixar Digital Shorts!, music and photos of all my favorite places so that I can show host-country nationals where I come from. Best brother in the world!
Movies he put on the hard drive
-Center Stage - I love this one - especially at the end when it is all red!
- The Little Mermaid - Classic!
- A Beautiful Life - Powerful movie!
- The Holiday - makes me happy cry! Homesick movie
-What Dreams May Come - makes me sad cry  - I need this sometimes...
- A Secret Garden - how could he not add this...
-The Little Princess - there is no way I would have survived as a child without this!
- Crazy, Stupid Love - GREAT movie!!! - Ryan Gosling, period.
...and a bunch of other ones

I have slowly been crossing things off and it feels great! My hope is to have a lot of this done by the time I finish at my job - I know it seems a bit backwards - why do so much while your working and not wait until you have a few weeks off? well, my plan for some of those weeks is to head up to Maine to spend time with my boyfriend who is currently living in a tent and guiding (whitewater rafting). I also plan on spending time with family - although many would say that we already spend A LOT of time together - it is like culture shock for some people -  but I love it!!!

I will be posting next about an experience I had recently that left me rejuvenated and more ready for this trip than anything yet - yes I know that is a bold statement...stay tuned!


Happy Reading!

FAQ's about life as a PC Volunteer

Throughout this past year, as I shared my future hopes of becoming a Peace Corps Volunteer, not only did I receive look of confusion, remarks questioning my sanity and people sharing their own fears but I got a lot of questions that I have been had to repeat a ton - not that I dont like talking about it (trust me, my family could porbably educate you on everything Peace Corps at this point).

So, I will start with the most FAQ I get....

"why??"
   - For as long as I have known about volunteering abroad I have felt that this is the thing for me. I have always had a passion for helping others. I also love to travel and learn about people's expiriences and other cultures. I have always wanted to go abroad and give what I can to families in need living in third world country poverty. As I entered my career as a counselor here in the US, I realized I wanted to take this global and took the plunge to apply - this was in the midst of completing  my graduate school thesis. Upon completing my initial interview, I didn't feel it. It wasn't right. I felt I did not have enough "life expirience" (priamrily work-related) to handle this. So I withdrew my application for a later date. I proceeded to get a full time job and do the standard post-grad route. Day in and day out I knew there was something missing. I went to Colombia with my family and the day I rewturned, I decided I was ready and went ahead to apply.....So, a long-winded answer to a short question...
I followed my heart, and this is where it took me.


"Where are you going?"
    - I will be heading to the Dominican Republic. It is an nation on the island of Hispaniola - shared with Haiti. They speak spanish there and Christopher Columbus landed on it in 1492, and it became the site of the first permanent european settlement in the Americas. Pretty cool huh?


"How long do you go for?"
- I leave a couple days before August 21st to Washington D.C. for Staging. This is the first time all of the Peace Corps Volunteers in your group. We get oriented to Peace Corps Expectations, fill out last minute paperwork and get vaccinations.
 - Next, August 21st, we head to Santo Domingo - the capital of Dominican Republic. We meet our first host families and begin Pre-Service Training - this is where our group will be intensively trained on cross-cultural issues (Dominican customs, food, and etiquette), safety and security, language training (spanish and haitian creole for those who will be based in haitian heavy sites. We will also have technical trainiig in which we will learn a lot about our job sector. We are together as a while group for the first couple of week and then we move into Community-Based Training with our sector group. This is where we focus the most on technical training. Once we complete training we are sworn in as official Peace Corps Volunteers!!! at that point we find out our site placements and meet our new host families who we will live with the first three months at site while we find somewhere to live!!! we Then begin our service at site for 24 months!
              SO TOTAL = 27 MONTHS!!!


"Where do you live?"
Once I am at my site I will be expected to live at a level equal to the host-country nationals with whom they are working. This level differs between project sites and therefore the pay scale is also varied.
Traditional Dominican housing usually has thatch or corrugated steel roofs, walls of wood or cement block and cement floors.


"Will you have running water?"
The water supply is subject to the same inconsistencies as electricity. Many communities do not have water within the homes and those that do often find that there is no water for days at a time.

"Do you think you'll have electricity?"
Although most communities have electricity, some do not; in any case power outages are common throughout the country in both urban and rural areas


"Will you have a toilet? A hole in the ground? a latrine?"
Just like electricity, it depends. Most of what I have seen and heard, is that there are outhouses for the sites in the campo. This is a question that I can answer once I am there.


"What are you taking?"
Well, I have been thinking a lot about this. We are only allowed 80 pounds of luggage. I bet your thinking "how do you fit 2.5 years of your life into 80 pounds?" Well, I can't. I will be taking only the necessities. I will however, be accepting packages once I am downthere - with food and other surprises!!!


"What are your work hours like?"
In accordance with worldwide Peace Corps policies, Volunteers are literally on duty 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. As such, the "normal" division between professional and private time does not exist. Volunteers are likely to have work activities during weekends and evenings depending on when beneficiaries and project partners are free to meet. Volunteers are also expected to spend most weekends in their host communities to ensure cultural integration and language acquisition.


"Will you be able to have vacation time?"
Volunteers  earn two vacation days per full month of service (excluding training), or 24 days per year. Vacation provides Volunteers time for travel within the country or elsewhere to increase understanding of that area and have time away from the job for rest and relaxation.
Because Volunteers/Trainees are on duty seven days a week, all types of Volunteer/Trainee vacation leave are computed in terms of calendar rather than work days. For example, a PCV going on vacation for a week must use seven days of annual leave and not five days.
Volunteers/Trainees are expected to stay at their sites on weekends.
In addition to the 24 days of annual leave, all Volunteers/Trainees are entitled to take all official Dominican holidays.


"Can I come visit?!?!"
Visitors from home are encouraged to visit and welcome so long as their presence does not distract or prevent the Volunteer from accomplishing project goals and day-to-day tasks.
During training and the first three months of service, Volunteers/Trainees may not take vacation or receive visitors. Nor may they take vacation or receive visitors during the final three months of service.
   DISCLAIMER: if you are coming to visit, prepare to reserve a large bed and hot water for hot showers at a lush and luxurious all-inclusive on the eastern coast of the DR !!!


"Aren't you scared about your safety?"
Volunteers serve in a variety of communities throughout the Dominican Republic, including urban, semi-urban, rural, and remote areas. Health and safety risks are an inherent part of Volunteer service. Living and traveling in an unfamiliar environment, having a limited understanding of local language and culture, and being perceived as wealthy are some of the factors that can put Volunteers/Trainees at risk. Many Volunteers/Trainees experience varying degrees of unwanted attention and harassment. Some have experienced petty thefts, burglaries, and a variety of illnesses.
Although initially intimidating, the great majority of Volunteers come to feel very safe, welcome, and comfortable living, traveling, and working in the Dominican Republic.
To aid this transition, Peace Corps Dominican Republic has established procedures, policies, and extensive training to help Volunteers/Trainees reduce their risks and enhance their safety and security. Through broad training, all new Volunteers will know what strategies must be adopted in maintaining safe and healthy lifestyles. Throughout all phases of training and service, all Volunteers/Trainees are supported by Peace Corps Dominican Republic medical, safety and security staff that work to consistently notify and protect Volunteers/Trainees from any threats to their safety including national strikes, poor transportation routes, hurricanes, and health threats.


"How are you going to get around the country?"
Public transportation in the Dominican Republic is quite extensive although of a rougher and slower variety than that available in more developed countries. Regular and affordable service is provided by a variety of buses/minibuses/public taxis between most major cities and large towns. In more rural parts of the country, a variety of pick-up trucks and motorcycle taxis are usually available for transport to even the most isolated communities. Within the principal cities such as Santo Domingo and Santiago, a variety of public buses and public taxis make interurban transport quite easy.
We will be provided with training on public transportation shortly after arrival in country.


"What kinds of foods do they typically eat in the DR?"
The staples of the Dominican diet are beans, rice, chicken, pork, plantains, and tropical fruits. The most common dish is the bandera - a mixture of rice, red beans, and a side of chicken or pork. Tropical fruits are available in abundance and include papaya, pineapple, coconut, mango, and lemon among others. A variety of vegetables including onions, avocadoes, cucumbers, carrots, cabbage, lettuce and potatoes are also readily available.
Dominicans tend to eat a small breakfast of bread or a local form of oatmeal served with coffee, hot chocolate or tea. Lunch is the principal, largest meal and usually includes a serving of meat, starch, vegetable, and fruit. Dinner is served late in the evening by American standards and typically consists of plantains, fruit, and meat. With the abundance of tropical fruits, fresh juices and smoothies are enjoyed throughout the day.

Something I found....
An example of what my day will look like during training

• 8:00 - 9:00 am: Team-building exercise
• 9:15 - 10:15: Presentation of project plans and goals with Assistant Peace Corps Directors
• 10:30 - 12:00: Spanish language class
• Lunch: Optional round-table lunch session with current volunteer about Cultural Identity and Racism
• 1:00 - 2:30: Spanish language class
• 2:45 - 4:30: Educational session on geography, climate, and economy of the different regions of the Dominican Republic

ooooo Yeah.... my least favorite question...

"What are you and Bill going to do?"
 For those of you who know our relationship, you know it has never been conventional. He has supported me throughout this whole process and I will thank him for that forever. We have decided to grow independantly and know that when we come back together in 27 months, we will be bringing a whole new set of expiriences. As for how we are going to make it work... We have decided to create a list of books to read together and discuss weekly. this will allow us to have something in common, no matter how far we grow apart. We will also be skyping when possible, teaching each other new things and, mn y favorite...telling each other riddles once/week, trying to figure it out, and then coming back to each other to discuss!!!


Because I feel like I have been preparing for this for sooo long, I cannot remember what some specific questions are/have been. Please leave questions in the comment section if your curious about anything. I may not have an answer but I will most likely tell you follow my blog on my journey and read for the answer!!!

Happy Reading!

things...

As the excitement and whirlwind of information is beginning to settle I have now been able to step back and look at what I need to do. HOLY SHIT there is SOOO MUCH!

I wrote out the statements I needed, applied for my visa, applied for the Peace Corps specific passport and about 190709147 other things I had to do. NOW comes the fun part - cross checking packing lists and making sure I have everything I need.

While parousing the DR specific packing lists I came across the "female" section....and got me thinking about things I have been suppressing.

I will definitely be taking Woman's Moon yogi tea for those days where all I will want to do is curl up with pints of ice cream, lots of pasta, sushi and tear-jerking movies. I will have movies available on my little external hard-dirve but the deliciousness that is ben & jerry's phish food ice cream will be months, maybe years away. I am hoping that Tea will suffice...maybe it's just wishful thinking.

They suggest loading up on F.H.P's (for those of you who have no idea what I am referring to - Feminine Hygiene Products) still nothing? TAMPONS!!.. yup ladies and gents I have chosen to go the conventional route and not opt to take what would probably make the most sense - the diva cup (if absolutely necessary, look it up...) Apparently FHPs are very expensive in the DR which I could imagine leads to a lot of unsanitary conditions leading to infections and poor maternal health during pregnancy - could this be a potential project?!?! BAZINGA!

Headlamps - My boyfriend has bought me my start-up packing stuff including a Petzl Headlamp. This will definitely come in handy for the nights where I am suffering from some awful, unable to pronounce fever/bug/parasite and will be running to the latrine on the hour every hour, needing both hands to find my way there.

Tupperware - they suggest this so that the aforementioned scenario doesn't happen as often. Putting your food in the containers will not allow creatures to steal the food I have been saving weeks for!!!

            Yay RubberMaid!


As my birthday nears and my family asks me what I could use for my trip so they have an easier time figuring out a birthday gift I have been increasingly overwhelmed with every feeling under the sun.

Excitement for this new adventure and purchasing gear for two months (love gear, its so fun)

Terrified and petrified for the post-honeymoon stage of my trip - for dengue fever - for cholera - for having to reject male friends from entering my home (if you do it is expected that you sleep with them)...and more

Confused about what to bring

Existential questions of all sorts - booth Peace Corps related AND quester life crisis stuff

....and it goes on....

Any who, just wanted to share the weekly and daily shenanigans that are  my thoughts....

Happy Reading!

This is one of my photos - It is quite telling of how i feel my brain is working right now....