So much to process

We have finished our third day of training here in St.Lucia. The days are long and filled with a lot of information. Yesterday we covered policies, i.e. rules and regulations. Two things they take very seriously are drug use and riding on motorcycles. We also covered health issues. STD's are apparently rampant in the Eastern Caribbean, and according to the Medical Officer, condoms should be kept in the fridge for freshness. Our final session was on Safety & Security, which was actually very helpful. Simone from the PC staff discussed local flirtation practices and how to effectively and polite rebuff unwanted advances. She was very honest and candid about it all and I really appreciated it. The whole staff has been great, as well as the other trainees.
In fact everyone here at the St.Lucian retreat center have been so nice, helpful, and fun. I have really been enjoying the company of all the fellow trainees. It is going to be a minor heart break when 1/2 of them go off to St.Vincents. Even through the heat, and constraints of the center, everyone remains upbeat and pleasant, and we have all been getting along so well.
Today we finally got a much needed break from the center. This place is beautiful, but it is also VERY secluded. After breakfast though, we finally visted the city to do some training at the regional office. We'll also did some exploring, had a drink at a local pub, and finally got to see the sea up close!



St.Lucian sunset

Ladies up in the pub

My scavenger hunt team (-Kelly)






St.Lucian Art

St.Lucian market vendors


48 Years of Peace Corps service in the Eastern Caribbean


Our back yard

The dining hall

View of the bay



Our giant bonzai

St.Lucia

The view from our room at the training center in St.Lucia. We spent
most of the day traveling and just finished a delicious dinner. I'm
exhausted. Going to shower up and catch up on some sleep.

Stevie Wonder plane

I heard Stevie Wonder in the airport this morning, and of course it
reminded me home. It made me feel all warm and excited. We leave for
the island of St.Lucia this morning and even though they have us at
the airport at an unGodly hour of the morning, I am ecstatic to be
here. I still can't believe my good fortune. Sure I'm nervous and
anxious, but mostly just in awe of this whole experience. I've had a
chance to get to know a little bit more about my fellow trainees and
talking with them about this process has made me feel alot better
about my application experience. I waited over a year and half before
getting my invitation and asignment. These past 18 months have beena
big question mark for me, and that has been really stressful. I felt
like I couldn't move forward with life and didn't know what I was
doing with myself. At times, in fact most of the time, I really
doubted myself. I feared that the reason my application was taking so
long was ME. As it turns out, it was really the Peace Corps, all of
the other trainees seemed to have A very similar experience. Knowing
this gives me an extra boost of confidence. So now I'm just waiting to
finally board this plane and get to the islands!

Sent from my iPhone

Less then one week

I really am down to the final days here in Southern California. I have been waiting for this for so long, and now I can't believe it's finally happening. Getting ready to say goodbye has been very hard for me. I think my nervousness is finally beginning to out weigh my excitement, but that's normal, right? I have to say thank you to my Mom, sisters, and best friend Jaime. They have been so helpful and supportive this past week. All of them helping, in their own way, to make sure that I am prepared and ready to board that plane on Sunday.
I'm looking forward, with mixed emotions, to the final going away party this Saturday. It will be a great to spend time with all the family and my friends right before I go. I am going to miss everyone so much.

So Long So Cal pt.1

I have 23 days left before I leave to the Caribbean for two years. I definitely plan on milking my goodbyes for as long as I can. We kicked it off last night by turning our weekly bike ride, WTF Wednesdays, into So Long So Cal Pt.1 A bunch of friends came out to the Press for drinks, merriment, and good company. It was really great, and even though I ended up in tears, they were good tears. Solid, I love these people, I am going to miss Claremont tears. I moved around a lot while finishing school, and Claremont is the one place that has really felt like home to me. I have met so many amazing people who I know will be in my life forever. I am really going to miss this place and all these crazy people that I LOVE SO MUCH!! Thank you all for being there with me last night!! Here are some snapshots of the madness. They're all out of order, but I think you'll still get a feel for the evening.










Photos:
1. WTF Wed weekly meet spot
2. Izzy & Ratsamy
3. Classic Rodney
4. <3 OG ALL FRIENDS <3
5. Salud!
6. My WTF Co-Founders, Kirk & Dan
7. Mojo Jojo!!
8. Izzy & Me
9. Aye que Lisa
10. Lisa, Diana, & Alisa
11. Nick & Kirk-G Town Represent!
12. Alisa & Dean (Iz & Ratsamy in the back)
13. WTF Riders
14. WTF Drinkers (our motto is Bike, Drink, Enjoy!)
15. Luke & I wear cool shirts

New details, new excitements!

Today I had a brief interview with Mavis Huggins, the Associate Peace Corps Director for the islands of St. Kitts & Nevis, along with two other PC trainers. The ladies have asked to speak with all of us who will be departing soon to serve in the Eastern Caribbean. They want to gain some insight on our experience and our ambitions for PC service. It was a brief conversation, but it went really well, and added yet another surge to my growing excitement. We discussed some of the youth development work that I have done here in the U.S., including tutoring and mentoring. Mavis wanted to know what projects I was hoping to involve myself in while in St.Kitts. Luckily, I have been reading a lot of other blogs and doing plenty of research on the islands. Two ideas that I have come up with are a literacy program for primary students. Reading has always been one of my favorite hobbies, even as a kid, and I am excited about sharing this passion with the students on St.Kitts. I think a strong interest in reading is something that all students can benefit from. Another project that I have been considering is a Girls Group. I haven't really worked out the details yet, but basically I want to work with a group of girls to help improve their self-confidence, body image, activity level, etc. In many developing countries, women are still viewed and treated as second class citizens. Changing the way girls seem themselves and their potential, can impact the way that their community perceives them as well.Mavis and the other trainers gave me some great feedback on my ideas, and commented that my ambitions will serve the community well. What a great feeling to be so well received right off the bat!
They also provided me with some encouraging updates on my communication options on St.Kitts. Apparently Internet is readily available in most homes, so keeping up with the blog and emails should be pretty easy. She also recommended leaving my US cell phone at home, and purchasing an inexpensive prepaid phone while on the island. So chances are, I'll even be able to make regular phone calls back home!
We ended the conversation by discussing my accommodations. August 25th-30th will be spent on the island of St.Lucia for some initial training. On August 31st I will be relocated to the island of St.Kitts, where I will spend 6 weeks with a Kittian host family. They will open their home to me, and "adopt" like I was one of their own. With my host family, I will have an opportunity to learn about Kittian life & culture, and they will have the privilege (responsibility?) of introducing me to my neighborhood. After the 6 week period, I will be sworn in as an official Peace Corps Volunteer and set out to an apartment on my own!

IT'S ALL HAPPENING!!

I received my staging information today. I can't even begin to describe how excited I am. My Peace Corps application process has been lengthy, to say the least, and so many times I feared that I wouldn't have the opportunity to serve. But this makes it real, SO VERY REAL!! My ticket has been confirmed. I will be leaving for Miami on Sunday the 23rd. I believe I spend 2-3 days at Orientation with the other EC PCV (Eastern Caribbean Peace Corps Volunteers), then off to St. Lucia for training, and then eventually to my assignment on St.Kitts & Nevis!!
In all honesty, I cried today when I received my email. I feel so blessed and so thankful to have this opportunity, God has truly answered my prayers. Not everyone has the blessing & good fortune to fulfill a life long dream. I am also thankful for all the friends and family members who have been supportive of my dream, and wouldn't allow me to doubt myself (especially you, Jaime Lyn!).
This is an amazing day. I think it's time to pop that bottle of chateauneuf du pape I have been saving!