Staging

I only have a few minutes to update so pardon the inevitable bad grammar.

It was a really long day! After a three hour drive to Philadelphia, a little sight seeing (the Liberty Bell and the outside of Independence Hall), and a Philly Cheese Steak it was time to officially say goodbye to Mom and Pops. When they left I checked in (to the Peace Corps--took an hour!!!), met some volunteers, and officially moved in status from invitee to trainee. This was followed by four long hours of orientation. It was nice to finally meet some people who have been going through this incredibly lengthy and tedious process. I am anxious to see what friendships form! The night concluded with dinner and drinks on the town.

As I type, I am avoiding sleep because in two hours we have to be checked out of the hotel and on a bus to JFK; we depart at 10:40 AM tomorrow! Hooray--I am super excited! Everyone I have interacted with thus far has been nice, though, I am a little overwhelmed by the volunteer 'over-the-top' thought out mentality. To clue you in: several volunteers are saran wrapping their backpacks to avoid being robbed. Creative?

This quote was given to us during staging, "You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, if I have lived through this challenge, I can take the next thing that comes along." (Eleanor Roosevelt) Appropriate?

Side note: I learned Chris Matthews is a returned Peace Corps Volunteer.