Orientation in DC.

Well, Dear Readers, I am taking valuable time away from bonding with my fellow Peace Corps trainees to send you an update from Peace Corps Staging in Washington, DC. It has only been 1 day, yet I already feel like I have gone through so much. It occurred to me yesterday that I must be more nervous than I originally anticipated, when I freaked out around 8:00am, convinced that my bags were too heavy and that I was going to have to leave them behind (the Peace Corps has a policy that you can check no more than 80 lbs. of baggage on your flight). Nothing gets your adrenaline going like re-packing for your entire trip, 15 minutes before you have to catch the bus to the airport. Even so, I don't think the reality of my situation really struck me until I was in a room with 32 other prospective volunteers, going through workshops about the various types of available malaria medications (the most effective of which apparently induces nightmares and psychotic episodes in the user). I then suddenly realized just how thorough a life change this experience will be, and how right now I really have no idea what I'm going to be doing, or whether I have the maturity and instincts to handle this overturning of everything I know about how to eat, speak, interact, and in generally simply exist. Rationally, of course, I had already known all this for months; it didn't really hit me emotionally, however, until I was in that room with everyone else going over to Burkina. So, yes, I did panic for a short period yesterday afternoon.

This morning, after a full night's rest, things are going much better. My sarcasm has thus far only gotten the better of me once or twice... such as when we were asked to name any famous Peace Corps alumni we knew of, and I brought up the author of Confessions of an Economic Hit Man. I have (shockingly) remembered the names and faces of nearly all my fellow 32 trainees, and thus far everyone seems to be getting along... always a positive beginning. The group seems evenly split between teachers and participants in my program (Girls' Education and Empowerment). Tomorrow evening, we will be flying out to West Africa, with a lay-over in Paris, where we will spend the rest of the summer in-country, undergoing intensive training for both linguistics and our respective assignments.

There's a great deal more I would love to share, but I must grab a bite to eat before we're all rounded back up for another several hours of lectures and group discussions. Thanks for all the well-wishes! I will write again as soon as humanly possible... probably after we've landed in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso's capital city), as there are supposedly internet cafes all over the place there.