And Now, a New End Date

When I learned of my new confirmed departure date, I asked whether the end date had changed and when it would be – it’s January 9, 2010 (1/9/10 is a pretty cool date). So that means that I’ll experience the holiday season there, as well as another birthday overseas. I had some ideas about post-COS travel – I figured I’d at least travel through the holidays, but now I’ll be working through the holidays – so now I’ll think about it some more. Maybe not too much more (after all, plan-as-I-go worked well this past winter!) but maybe at least enough to buy a travel book or two. I do think that wherever I go, I’ll stop in Los Angeles on the way back and take Amtrak across the country; that seems romantic.

Over this past weekend I started buying toiletries – I am trying to strike a balance between assuming I can get everything I need and buying starter supplies of things I can’t live without; then if I can’t find more, I can have them sent. Things I can’t live without – well, on the way to Morocco it was Colgate Great Regular Flavor, but due to sugary-tea-overbrushing I am now a Sensodyne user (so I can live without Colgate after all). As time wore on, it was Q-Tips (no other swab will do) and Secret Unscented. I bought those this weekend, along with some Hefty zipper bags. I may buy eye drops and eyelid scrubs (recommended by the eye doctor who I saw in New York when I got here) – in a six-(or more?) month supply. Those shouldn’t take up much room (inshallah). When I thought I was leaving in a week I’d planned on a trial packing this weekend (to see if, for example, I would have to send the travel book or two rather than pack them, or if there was room for running shoes) but now I’ll wait until it gets closer. I still know my suitcase pretty well.

Also over the weekend, there was a big More Peace Corps rally in Washington. The National Peace Corps Association was looking for testimony and I wrote about my status, saying that Peace Corps Response could be a bigger program with a bigger budget. They said they might read my testimony at the rally. I also made up some business cards and change-of-address labels. Contact me if you'd like my mailing address if you don’t get a postcard from me by mid-July.

And I just heard that I am medically cleared! Hoorah! That’s a big hurdle over! I also heard that I will be flying from JFK to Tokyo and then on to Manila. Two other PRCVs will have the same itinerary.