It's finally real

I made it! After some long, gruelling hours on the plane, we finally made it to Azerbaijan late last night. It was approximately eighteen or so hours of traveling by bus and plane, but it spanned thirty two hours if you were adjusting your watch through all of the time zones. We are now staying at a hotel in Sumgayit for the next couple days before we are taken to our host families. I like to think of it as a nice little transitioning point because after trying to practice my new highly intelligent "Thank You" to the staff serving us supper (after which he smiled and made me repeat after him two more times), I feel glad this won't be my first impression on my host family. So far things are going well though. We had our staging event in Philadelphia, where I checked out the Liberty Bell.
Then we had a day long staging to get to know each other, talk about logistics of departure, and go over some final rules and regulations. Then 60 of us boarded a bus to NYC, took a plane to Frankfurt, took another plane to Baku, and then a bus to Sumgayit. Now we are finally here. I don't think that thought has quite hit me yet, but then again, I might be too tired to comprehend much of anything.

And so it begins...

Tomorrow is the big day. I'm leaving, on a jet plane, to start my Peace Corps journey. I checked (and re-checked) every list, ticket, email, letter, and handbook I have been sent. And heck, on paper, I look ready. In real life, I feel extremely unprepared. Although, as my wise father has said once before, when exactly would I be prepared? Certainly not any more than I am right now. In fact, if I would be leaving any later, I would probably be less prepared because I would have for sure procrastinated multiple things. So tomorrow is the big day. I'll be in Philadelphia for a couple days and then off on my first trip overseas. I should arrive in Baku sometime Friday and then we'll be in Sumqayit for training. According to letters and previous/current volunteers, I should probably have internet approximately once a week to once every other week. So here I go. I'll keep this full of information whenever I can. Thanks for the support everyone!

Bittersweet.

Part of my whole journey of going into the Peace Corps is made possible (by viewers like you) because of the other adventures that are coming to an end in my life. For example, this August was the first time that I didn't start a new year of school since I was about six years old. I will be starting a whole different type of school when I start teaching English in Azerbaijan, but until then, hearing all of my friends and co-workers talk about classes, quizzes, massive accruing debt, and activities, I feel a little sad over missing out on it all. Another big thing in my life coming to an end is my career as a Barista at Starbucks. Like the P.C., getting a job at Sbux was my sister's idea because her friend was the manager. After the first two weeks I probably would have told I wasn't going to last. Three years later, it's going to be one of the hardest things for me to say good bye to. What keeps me coming back to the smell of old syrup, stale coffee, and moldy milk?
1.) The customers. Some are awesome. Some provide me with entertainment on continuous basis. Some make me so made I want to scream (Instead I smile and "politely" tell them I would be happy to do whatever I can to make their visit better).
2.) My co-workers. Laughter, Tears, Getting accepted into college, getting rejected from college, deaths in the family, births, moving away, daily jokes.. really, I feel like I've been through it all.
3.)Applicable life skills. Being able to adequately wash a window (because coffee filters work waaaay better than paper towels). Making a dang good cup of coffee. Not having pizza burn my mouth anymore because I've worn it away with too much hot espresso. Being able to take apart a grinder, coffee machine, dishwasher, receipt machines, fridges, floor drains, freezers, etc (and most importantly, putting htem back together.)
4.) Making really awesome, but only funny to coffee shop workers, jokes. Like Raw Sugar being the popular kid school.
As you can, it is like one big, wonderful dysfunctional family. And while saying good bye is good because I am starting on such a great adventure, it is going to be really difficult.

One Month

I leave town in exactly one month from today. I received an email from the P.C. regarding preferences for living with my host family. The email confirmed that I will for sure be at my staging event on the 23 of September in Philadelphia. One month from today is not all that much time. In fact, it feels like very little. The problem is, the more I check off my multiple to-do lists, the more I can think to add on to them. Along with still trying to make some moola at work, making the most of hanging out with friends and family, and fulfilling prior commitments, my one month fast approaching deadline to get stuff done includes some of the following:
-Get appropriate gear and clothes such as luggage, wool underwear and socks, a headlamp, a good kitchen knife and other various odds and ends (I have to remember I can only have two suitcases, and one carry on, but I also have to be able to haul it all over).
-Make my mother Power of Attorney on my bank accounts
-Set up a time to check out of my apartment. Also, pack, clean, and move out of my apartment.
-Make Travel arrangements to get to Philadelphia
-Close out contracts with my phone, satellite radio, Wells Fargo, and tie up loose ends regarding my student loans
-Change my address and contact information
-Get important documents ready for my parents in case anything should happen while I am gone
-Get life insurance and personal property insurance for traveling
-Upload my Nook with lots of books, take many pictures to have and to show my host family, update my Ipod, and if I can figure it out, burn some movies to my computer.
-Most importantly, Learn some of the language!!! The PC gives 23 lessons online of various key phrases to try and get a grasp on so you can at least say, "Hi, my name is Emily." to your host family. So far I have gotten, "Salam" (Hello) conquered. Eek!***

Also, I have already sent in an updated resume in specific PC format, written an 'aspiration statement' that gets sent to my host country, sent in an application for a passport and visa, and notified work and my apartment of my dates of termination.

Thankfully I take after my mother and am good at making lists...

***This list is not exhaustive

Bağışlayın

I googled the word for "I'm sorry" in Azeri language and came up with "Bağışlayın." I feel like this is one of the first phrases I should learn for instances like my last post when I said I was going to Azerjaiban instead of Azerbaijan. I'm sure I will have a lot of these blunders... much worse than some misplaced consonants. And no one around to comment on them. Probably just confused, angry, amused, among other, kind of looks. I'm starting to get really excited about this whole thing. It feels good to finally have set plans, but definitely overwhelming to get to that point. All of the blogs online say to quit buying stuff to bring over with you. Most of the equipment/clothes you will need can be bought over in Azerbaijan, at a much cheaper cost than in the states. However, I keep thinking about things I would like to get: A backpack, a watch, universal adapter. I just bought a new computer after mine crashed last month, and updated my pairs of glasses. Cha Ching. For trying to minimize my life into two suitcases for two years, I sure manage to spend a lot of money. But I also have realized how much stuff I carry around that just doesn't matter a whole lot (like half my closet I haven't worn in a year and will throw away a quarter of the other half). Also, besides my kitchen table, I'm pretty sure I will be able to pack up my belongings I want to keep in approximately four boxes. The rest will be thrown away, donated to the Dakota Boy's Ranch, tried to pawn off on friends, etc. But four boxes? It's almost exhilarating.
This weekend I went kayaking at my parents lake spot. My dad said he was looking up facts about Azerbaijan, and found that the capital city, Baku, is considered one of the top 10 nightlife cities in the world. Maybe it won't be so mud hut/rural village as I thought.

Azerjaiban

I received the welcome packet in the mail yesterday informing me of...everything. Where I would be going, when I would leave, how to fill out a visa, how to get personal property insurance, etc. I am being placed in Azerjaiban. A country located between Russian and Iran bordering the Caspian Sea. A country I have never heard of and can barely pronounce. A country that is not recognized by spell check. A country relative to the size of the state of Maine. And I will be leaving in six weeks. The booklet said that my "staging" will be September 23, 2010, so I would assume I would probably depart from Fargo on the 22nd. Which is also one of my best friend's birthdays. Nice gift from me, huh? In the past 24 hours, I have learned much more about this little country than I ever thought possible. I've started the process of figuring out what to do with my apartment and car and such. And it has definitely started to hit me. I always feel a little bit torn when I read all of the information the Peace Corps puts out. They make it seem so...easy, normal, average. Then I talk to friends and family and it seems so scary, overwhelming, foreign (no pun intended). I think it will be good. The language will be hard but not impossible, and I have high hopes for the local cuisine. I will be placed in a more rural setting, but that does not mean it is unsanitary or that I won't shave my legs for two years (thankfully for both you and me). Communication back to America will vary but won't be impossible. And even though my mother is not thrilled about my living so close to Iran for two years, I think geographically it's going to be a good fit. Also, the suggested packing list includes long underwear and being from North Dakota, this almost comforts me a little bit.

Your Application Status has been updated

I was medically cleared for the Peace Corps! I got the call last week from the lady at the Office of Medical Services saying they needed just one more form in order to medically qualify me and place me in the program I was applying for. Five hours later...placed. SO Exciting! The Office of Placement called to say I just had to fax my final school transcript and they would send out the letter "inviting" me to my country of service. So within the next week I will know the exact date of my departure and exact country I will be Teaching English as a Second Language. I have read on a lot of other blogs that the packet a volunteer receives in the mail can be overwhelming. It contains all the legal information required to leave our country and enter another (passports, visas, etc), and information on the country itself (climate conditions, culture, language). Even reading all of the information on the Peace Corps website can be a lot of information. I got the coveted email I had been waiting so long for "Your Application Status has been updated."

Peace Corps sent you an invitation kit on August 9, 2010. Within 10 days of receiving your kit, please call us regarding your decision to accept or decline our invitation. If we do not hear from you within this period, the assignment may be offered to another applicant.

Now I really check the mail a lot. It has become more of a final plan in my life. Instead of saying, I'm trying to get into the Peace Corps, I can now say, I'm waiting to leave for the Peace Corps. Now this means I have approximately a month and a half to get my life in order. I already made a list of "contracts" I have to take care of: Student Loans, car, apartment, bank accounts, satellite radio, and work. I'm sure the list is longer, but my mind is on overload trying to think of all the things I'll have to do to get ready. And the mixed feelings have also started.. happy, sad, relieved, anxious, nervous all bundled into one brain. Uffda.