Then and Now

So, before I left for Morocco did I do what I am doing now to prepare? Well, yes and no. Both then and now I read everything that Peace Corps sent – country-specific Welcome Book, Handbook, paperwork. For Morocco there were also.mp3 language lessons to listen to – not the case this time. Then, I also bought a short-term subscription to Rosetta Stone French so that I could have a grounding there too – here, I bought a Tagalog phrase book, but I haven’t looked at it yet. Then, I packed for two years, not six months, and for varying weather conditions, not just 80 degrees and humid, so that was more involved. Then, I also had my entire closet from which to choose! Now, I have my summertime Morocco clothes and will supplement them with a couple of extra blouses and with two lightweight casual suits that I took from the storage unit and otherwise would have donated to charity. Then, I formalized power of attorney and other arrangements for all of my financial stuff - all of that is still in place, so there are just a few phone calls to make now – and I’ll make those after I have my plane ticket. Then, I didn't search for much other info about the country or culture because I figured I would have three months of training! And I had bought several Morocco books that I brought with me. Now, I have been searching more because I won’t have as much training, because I already had a Southeast Asia book, and because I am not going to get as many tour books – just Culture Shock and Lonely Planet. Then, I didn't write as much before I left because I had never blogged before and hadn’t gotten into the rhythm of it the way I have now. Then, moving out of the Chicago apartment I had lived in for nineteen years took a lot of energy. Now, going through the storage space this spring was liberating and not nearly as traumatic – and I haven’t accumulated a lot here that has to be put away (though there are a few boxes’ worth, somehow). Then, I had a lot of farewells – this time, I feel I’ve just said hello to people and am turning right around! This echoes a recent comment I left on travelsintheoffseason.blogspot.com – I mentioned that while the Big Trip was the key celebration of a previous milestone birthday, as it was this time, I also augmented that last one by having mini-get-togethers with friends around the country. While I did see a lot of people this time on the Drive Across America, I feel I didn’t have the same level of birthday celebration, so I want to spend more time with friends and may therefore have to extend the milestone beyond this year! I do know that then I did what I could to enjoy the summer before I left – with my departure delayed, I am getting a chance to do that now as well!

P.S. Remembered another big difference – the computer! The Morocco Welcome Book said that it’s dusty and there’s no support so they recommended against bringing a computer. I didn’t have a laptop so it wasn’t a matter of leaving it home. Well, it didn’t take me long to realize a computer was a necessity for Small Business Development (if not for all of Peace Corps in the internet age!) – by the end of PST (Pre-Service Training) I had one. Instead of dust in the Philippines there’s humidity, so the Philippines Welcome Book has warnings about bringing them as well, but there is no doubt I am bringing mine!