The End/The Middle/The Beginning

Wednesday, Sept. 21, was the conclusion of training.  The comfort of being in a community of like-minded friends had to come to an end.  Those 8 1/2 weeks of training were great.  I learned so much and feel better prepared to leave for Africa.  Now I'm in the middle of getting ready to leave for Africa.  I have to figure out what I need to take and then finish up shopping.  How much deoderant will I need to take to last for two years?  I will start packing my suitcases this week.  Hopefully everything will fit in my three suitcases. On Oct. 4 I begin my journey to my new life in Africa.  At least I won't be traveling alone.  The two other girls going to Africa will meet me in Atlanta and we'll travel the rest of the way together.  We will arrive in Senegal on Oct. 5 and begin our new two-year adventure.

Washington, D.C.

Yesterday we made a trip to Washington, D.C.  That may sound like a fun adventure.  It was an adventure but the purpose was not for sight-seeing but to put into practice some of what we have learned at training.  I was in a group with two families (including 8 children).  The buses dropped us off at Union Station.  We then took the Metro to the Florida Street Market.  That was much easier said than done when you are going up and down escalators with four preschoolers and two strollers.  We did manage to engage in conversation with a few internationals and ate at a South African restaurant.  All in all it was a good day but we were quite exhausted by the time we returned to Richmond.

Counting Down

I can't believe that I only have 17 days left of training.  This past week was a little stressful in that we had safety training.  The stress was not in what we were learning, it was the role-plays.  My fear in getting selected to role-play was more a fear that I would freeze or embarrass myself.  I was never selected (thank goodness) but I did gain some great information on how to be safe no matter where I am.
I was able to take in a little college football this weekend.  First of all, I went to see a high school friend in Alexandria and watched the game (War Eagle) with him and his wife.  When I got back to the ILC, I found a bunch of folks watching games in the auditorium.  They hooked up the computer to a projector so we could watch games on the "big screen."  It was really nice to just relax and hang out watching games after going through saftety training week.
One month from today I will be on my way to Africa!