Storage unit full? Check. Unrecyclable/unloved items taken to transfer station? Check. Piles of paperwork dealt with? Check. Freaking out? Check.
Running around today dealing with last-minute stuff (need 2 more skirts, 2 more long-sleeved shirts, and batteries, clean the apartment, do a test pack) so that I can spend worry-less time with my favorite person tomorrow.
Thank goodness for lists. Lists are unsung heroes. My list is my personal external hard drive.
Stuff and people I think I will miss dearly (and kind of already am):
Fast internet
Good coffee
My east Capital Hill neighborhood
Walking alone at night
Trader Joe's
My sister
My favorite person
My amazing friends
My awesome parents
Sailing in Puget Sound
Seattle transportation system
I'm posting this so that I can return to it a few months from now and see what I forgot to add. I'm sure 'communicating in English' will be up there. I haven't been practicing Azerbaijani as much as I should have been...curious to see how much that bites me in the butt.
On Monday night I will meet the first of my PC comrades. Fun!
Oh yeah, the FAQ! Here are the questions I've been asked:
Where are you going?
Azerbaijan. It's a former Soviet republic located on the Caspian sea sandwiched between Russia and Iran, also bordered by Armenia and Georgia.
What? Why?
I'll be teaching English as a member of the Peace Corps. I am pursuing this challenge because the human lifespan is remarkably short.
What language will you speak?
Azerbaijani.
How long will you be there?
27 months.
Can you come back to the US whenever you want?
I'll accrue 2 vacation days per month after training ends in early December. I can visit the U.S. if I wish (and if I have the funds) but I'm looking forward to visiting Turkey and the Ukraine. Unfortunately Iran is not a wise travel destination at the moment otherwise I'd go.
Can I visit you?
YES! And please do. Anytime between January 2009 and August 2011 works for me!
Can I send you stuff?
YES! And please do. Flat items are welcome between now and early December. Sounds like it takes 3-4 weeks for items to arrive.
PCT Jennifer Gouine
Peace Corps Azerbaijan
Sumgayit şəhərı
Azerbaycan pr. 15
Mərkəzı poçt
AZERBAIJAN
Will you miss me?
YES!
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2 comments:
You are so awesome, do you know that? You're really striking out on an adventure and all that stuff will be waiting for you in two years when you get back.
In two years, you'll miss the hell out of your "new home" and friends you'll meet!! Promise.
Add to your list: Personal space. There's nothing quite like the Stateside tendency to leave you the hell alone when you want it.
My parents sometimes send me bags of Peet's coffee and a Rolling Stone magazine. I'll read every letter of that thing from from to back.
Good luck, have fun, and keep up the blog. If you pass through Korea, lemme know. :)
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