As one door closes, another one opens...

For the last month or two my life has been a balancing act of sorts. Between wrapping things up at my job, preparing and packing for the DR and helping my sister pack to move out, my life has been one juggle after another.

Today was the last day at my job. This is a job I really love and am so grateful to have had – I learned so much about myself and a ton about something I may want to pursue. What I will never forget will be the incredible friendships I made throughout the past year. I had the opportunity to work with some amazing individuals; funny, kind, thought provoking and incredibly supportive. As you can imagine this made my leaving much more difficult than I had anticipated when I began. I was also very lucky to have had an incredible boss who knew exactly how to balance the supportive nature of a supervisor and the eloquent delivery of constructive criticism. It has truly been an honor to work with such amazing people and I will forever be thankful!

As this chapter comes to a close, so does another; a major 15 year-long chapter. Tonight is the last night I will be sleeping in my own bed and have all my furniture in my room. Tomorrow I leave for a 10 day trip to Maine and in the meantime my sister will be taking my bed, my dresser and an ikea bookshelf to her new apartment. After packing up the last of my books on the bookshelf, organizing the clothes I will need for the next 2-3 weeks and making my bed one last time I caught myself with a little smile. It hit me that this is all really happening.

 You might be asking yourself, “geeze  laura, this whole process you have been saying  ‘this is really happening’ what gives?”  Well, the answer is simple – my job has come to a close and most of my things are packed. Instead of splitting my day in half where during the day I was excited about my job here and at night I was excited about Peace Corps I can now move forward and focus completely on something I have been working on for years – Peace Corps.

Now I am off to the woods for 10 days to return and pack for the adventure of a lifetime!

Happy Reading!

in just one month...

I will be stepping off the plane in Santo Domingo with 35 (+/-) other volunteers ready to take on whatever this new adventure brings! With pack and duffle in tow, we will be joining thousands in the call to serve and promote peace and friendships abroad!

I will have spent the day before in D.C. - I booked my flight, which I must say was the realist step in the whole process. I will be leaving Boston at 9:00am on August 21st to arrive in Washington D.C. for 12:30pm staging time. We will spend the day learning and getting oriented to Peace Corps' goals and expectations, getting to know our fellow trainees and I am sure a lot of ice-breakers. From what I hear, after all the scheduled activities we are encouraged to go out together for a "Last Supper" - our last american meal. We will then head back, get only a couple of hours of sleep before checking out of the hotel at 2:00am the following morning. Our flight leaves D.C. at 6:00am for Miami, where we will have a 2 hour layover before boarding to Santo Domingo!!!


I can't believe it is almost here - one month from yesterday I will be saying good-bye to my family, to Bill and to my life here and saying hello to a new life. It has been a dream years in the making - many times I thought I wouldn't get here because life got in the way. For any future PCVs currently in the application process - stick with it - if you have the drive and motivation to to make it happen (even if it means dealing with Restless Applicant Syndrome, appealing whatever decision is made, knowing that Peace Corps would regret not accepting you and all else PC Application) it will happen.

My one month-to-go day started like any other lazy Sunday. Woke up to then lay in bed for an hour Stumbling, finding out how people will be spending their day on Facebook and looking at my room to see which corner, pile or just general un-organized area I will tackle first. With a brief moment of motivation I got up, went downstairs to pour myself a LARGE coffee. My plan was to then go right back up stairs and get started...not so fast - I got distracted and decided to finish a 2.5 hours long movie - Shutter Island (So Good!) Of course right as the movie ended my mom came in and sat down with me, this led to more chatting - which we do A LOT of - but I was determined to do SOMETHING productive with my day. As i begin to make my way upstairs, I hear my father's voice "HELLO..." ANOTHER DISTRACTION - my dad was rolling up the front walkway with his suitcase, returning from his week long trip to Kenya! Prior to his trip he was in Florida for 2 weeks - this means 3 weeks of catching up to do. We talked about his trip, the baby elephants he saw, the beautiful jewelry he brought back for my sister, my mom, and me; this jewelry is made by single women who have no way of supporting themselves or families after being widowed due to AIDS. Immediately I wanted to know more about this and my dad and I continue to talk. I then showed my dad everything I have purchased since he has been gone and he chose to take a comfortable seat on my bed. I began telling him everything that has been going on while he relaxed and listened.

I didn't know where to begin so my dad proceeded to point at a pile of clothes and start asking "taking, throwing or giving" 

This is how I started - after I emptied out the blue dresser and closet

Did anyone ever read Sally's Room ? My mom read it to me quite a few times...I am wondering if there was a point in time when I wanted to be Sally...by the looks of my room sometimes i think it could be true..

Finally, this led to him saying "OKay, I think we should pack your first bag so that we can make sure everything fits, it meets the weight requirement and you can get all this junk off your floor" - YUPPI! I get to start packing!!! I brought my duffle bag in, laid out all the piles of clothing and gear.

Once I got rid of 1928490849 THINGS, tossed 1904201 pieces of clothing into my sister's room (so she could go through it before I give it away - we always share clothes - we have an unspoken agreement and somewhat of a system down - love it!) I was able to strategically pack my first bag. I had no idea if it would be the right size, if I had too much, too little...no frame of reference. So my dad helped me figure out what I would need the first 2 weeks and pack the rest - which we did! I was thinking this would be a trial run but by the looks of it, there is no need to unpack it! it weighs 45.7 lbs (4.3 below limit) !

I spent the next couple of hours packing up stuff in my room, getting rid of old nick-nacks and bagging up the rest of the clothes to be donated. almost 15 years worth of STUFF fit into only a few large boxes, 3 medium sized ones, a shoe box, and some smaller containers

What I will have when I get back - so much artwork I LOVE IT!

The result:
Almost everything is packed (except for a week's worth of work clothes, camping stuff - I'll be in ME for 8-10 days-, some hang out clothes and a party dress..just in case!

A VERY VERY clean, organized room - this is usually what it looks like, kind of, but without all my art, photography and posters up.

Ta-da

A packed duffle - the blue one

Everything laid out is all I have left which is going in my backpacking backpack (orange) - it isn't much at all which makes me quite happy!

After months, weeks, days, hours and sleepless nights writing out packing lists, going online to find tips, e-mailing back and forth with a few future PCV's and a lot of trial and error, I finally have it down!

I will be adding my final packing list as a separate page (tab) for future PCV's to use. During my time in the DR I will update it to mark the necessities and what note to bring - something I would have loved to reference the past few months!

As I slowly cross off everything on my to-do list I have been feeling the excitement and nervousness settle in...but NOTHING beat the excitement of packing up my first luggage! YUPPI!!

Happy Reading!!!!

Let it be - jump with two feet in

The checklist is getting longer & longer the closer I get to August 21st. I am thinking of last minute things I may have to do, adding some to the list, procrastinating on most, and stressing over all. Most items are out of my control which is driving me a little crazy because all I want to do is cross things off. You may be thinking, why are you only putting "some" of the things on your to-do list? Well, if I put them all on there I know I will get stressed about having to accomplish them all way to soon. By keeping some off the list, I can add them as my list slowly disappears. I don't know, I am a visual person, this is what works!

         Staying too on-top of things has never prooven to let people me live with spontaneity and passion.

        My vagabondish-wanderlusty-adventurous self has been built on a series of spontaneous decision making. Many of which I can't capture on camera considering the very nature of spontaneity, but here are a few I could catch!

This is me - you will usually find me near water, adventuring, ready for  anything - this is how it begins...

Do something that scares you. And do it again!

Sometimes you just gotta jump in with both feet

Do whatever you can to reach where you want to be.

As far as things I have done!
- I finally booked my flight to D.C. We weren't able to until we got information about where and when to be there by, which was last Wednesday. Although it was a huge relief, it was also the first time the reality of this adventure shined its pearly whites...
- I committed to a buying some fun, chunky, cheap jewelry. This was definitely a primary procrastination point. I was unsure of what to buy or take. For those of you who don't know me, I am obsessed with fun earrings, bracelets and rings! So I took myself to Forever 21 and got some fun stuff!
- Decided which two luggage pieces I will be taking. a 65 Liter Backpack and a medium sized rolling duffle.
- Made a final packing list and purchased/decided/put together almost all the clothes, gear and electronics I am taking.

I have grown rather fond of the constant need to do something for Peace Corps - whether it was waiting to get finger-printed in month 1 of application, to sitting in countless waiting rooms for shots and vaccines for medical clearance, followed by anxiously waiting for the placement office. Now, everything I must do is towards knowing that I am finally leaving. However, now I am waiting for insurance companies to send me a statement, an IRA fund to give me account number, the date to come when I can finally start insuring the personal property I will be taking with me, and waiting for the heat to die down so that I can actually begin packing. I know, I know...."get used to it Laura"!  -  I'm trying!!

I can't imagine not having to run through lists in my mind, constantly feeling like I have forgotten about something, explaining why my packing list has what it has on it multiple times/week and various other daily rants and complicated trains of thought that run in my head!

I do know that I plan to be fully in the moment for every step of the way starting with boarding the plane at Boston Logan Airport at 8:30 A.M. on August 21st. Knowing me, I will probably leave thinking I forgot about some super-duper important document. However, as I will say and repeat again, being too on top of things doesn't allow for a life full of spontaneous moments and filled with passion for whatever you are doing in the moment. So I will do what I can before I leave and let life take over the rest. C'est la vie!

Don't worry about doing it with class. As long as you take a chance, you will be happy.

  If you have been reading this and have not yet noticed my re-vamped page your not observant.                                                                                                         
                                                           PAY MORE ATTENTION!


  I was inspired by a gorgeous picture I found of a hidden treasure in the DR and absolutely had to share. I also realized that I don't feel I have shared the passion I have for this kind of work. From that came 3 simple words that I try to live by every day - hence the new blog title!



Happy Reading!!!!

Constant Chaos at the Castellos.

New Years - Me, Bill, sister, her BF, brother, his GF

       2012 started out the same as every other year. Waking up from a food coma, lying in bed scrolling through half blurry pictures of last night’s festivities and wondering how you’re going to spend the first day of the year. I typically end the first day riddled with confusion of resolutions, goals and things I wanted to accomplish by 2013. At the time I had no idea what lay ahead with Peace Corps, I had just started a new job, and my relationship was going strong. As any previous turn of the year, companies were blasting advertisements of things to come by December 2012. New iphones, gadgets, e-readers, laptops, etc. are being sold and advertised everywhere. Just another time of the year for American consumerism to show its face once again, only a week after one of the biggest shopping holidays. While all this white noise if happening, my older brother, who I have been very close with since we both realized that just because we are siblings we don’t HAVE to fight, he decided it was time for him to move out and in with his girlfriend. Thus begins the chaos that I have been living in and preparing for Peace Corps with.

     He and his girlfriend found a really nice place in a town nearby and spent about a month preparing to move – this meant a lot of distractions, packing, stuff everywhere, excitement and some sadness ; this is the first of our family beginning to grow apart (in a normal, healthy way).  My brother continuously packed up his car, and had several trips to make – and then there were four.

My Sister and Me at Fenway

My Sister and Me 

     At this time, my sister started looking for an apartment in the city to live with her friends. They were looking for an apartment to move into in September. This was quite the process and ultimately found something for August 1^st.  Despite the overwhelming sense of the unknown on my part with Peace Corps, I was really excited for both my siblings to be making steps forward towards more independence and living the life of young professionals in a young, vibrant city.

The city she will now call home.

     Around this time was when I was finding out about when and where I would be spending the next 27 months of my life. I can imagine my parents’ reactions to the whirlwind of 2012 thus far. I found out that I would be leaving about 3 weeks after my little sister moves out and before my parents would start fixing up the house to put it up for sale…WAIT, WHAT?!?!

Just the Begining

     Yes, if all this change isn’t enough, in April my parents’ tenants in our house in Florida told us they would be moving to NY in June. This was the perfect opportunity for my parents to not re-rent it and open it up for the family to head down there when we could. Before I knew it, my mom was at Home Depot purchasing more boxes than I could count and sorting through old dishes, clothes, appliances, and 10948198 other necessities for an empty house. As days and weeks flew off the calendar, our house was the definition of chaos we are ALL preparing to move and spend time together at the same time. Everywhere you turn there are boxes. A moving truck finally came this past Monday to take about 35 boxes and 10 (give or take) huge pieces of furniture down to Florida. This is actually happening – All before June even started.

My Family taking a swim, and Trocolis (my dad invented this cocktail) at our house in Florida!

Bill's Home until October

      As we packed up, my boyfriend, Bill, was packing up to make a huge move up to Maine where he would be living in a tent for 6 months for his new job. We have been together for so long as both realized this would be a good transition and good practice for what is to come with my Peace Corps service. Helping him pack and throwing him a going away party were all thrown in the mix there as well. He left just two days before I found out my departure date – he really wanted to be there for that so I took a video of me opening the BBP!!

     For some time it was hard to believe this was all happening. Too much change in too little time. Who knew that as we rung in the new year with appetizers and cocktails at a popular downtown bar, that all this was coming!

      We have all been spending time together, mostly bonding over packing lists, furniture and give away items and at times I try to escape to my brothers apartment to just chill. For now I will continue to find peace in organizing my things, running, meditation and getting excited for adventures in the DR!!


                                       I'll take this opportunity to share other 2012 adventures!


                                                                ICELAND - February 2012!!!

 Bill and I wanted to cross something off our bucket lists prior to possible separating for 2 years so we decided  to explore the glaciers of Iceland. We hiked up a glacier (first thing on my bucket list), witnessed and awed at the Northern Lights (first thing on Bill's bucket list), swam in the blue lagoon, road tripped it to find beautiful waterfalls and landscapes, witnessed the geyser's, and found an inactive volcano to climb!!

After a swim in the Blue Lagoon

Me in the Blue Lagoon - incredible experience

I don't feel this requires any explanation...

Getting our Glacier Hike on!!!

Capital City - Reykjavik

               MEXICO!! April 2012

Exploring Tulum

Bill and I took a trip to Mexico to learn about the Mayan ruins inThe Mayan Riviera. We stayed at a small hotel in Playa del Carmen. We Took tours of Tulum - Mayan ruins on the water and Coba - the only ruins in the jungle in Mexico and the highest pyramid you can climb of the ruins. We took the ferry to Cozumel where we rented an moped and rode the perimeter of the island stopping at beaches and taking our time exploring! thanks to bill for being coordinated enough to maneuver it for both of us!

Tulum - Ruins on the Carribean Water

Climbed the tallest Mayan Pyramid in Coba

MoPed in Cozumel, Mexico

One of many stops on our ride around the island of Cozumel

Happy Reading!!!!

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!