Saturday, June 27, 2009
Swaziland Computers
I wrote a huge update blog and it wont open on this older computer!!! I am safe, happy, and out of time! I love you all tons! More to come later... hopefully. :-)
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Washington DC
Hey Everyone!
It is now 9am in a nice Washington DC hotel! We are leaving for the airport in a couple hours for the 17 hour 40 minute trip to Jo'Burg South Africa. One fuel up in Senegal is on the docket, but other than that it is my movie catch-up and fun airplane food time! :-)
Yesterday was certainly a full day. My bags were finally packed late the night before (thanks to Shelby) and yet I was still running around the morning of. Everything weighs a ton (ok- maybe only 40 lbs. x 2bags) but I am weak! Plus the shoulder strap broke on one of my duffel bags, so I am going to have to become the Hulk to get this stuff around. :-P No worries though. Mom escorted me to the airport at 5:30am and the adventure began!
We have 33 people in my Swaziland group all going over for the health initiative. I think there are about 6-7 married couples and a wide range of ages. Everyone I have met so far seems awesome, unique, and absolutely thrilled to be in the Peace Corps. I have no doubt that we will really bond over the next couple of years. Our orientation here at the hotel was the same as any job orientation... long... icebreakers... mission/vision statements... group projects. We did not learn much more about our specific site, only the global PC policies and health/safety information.
About 8 of us accepted the invitation of our Medical Officer (who lives around the corner) to find a restaurant for us. The PC gave us a debit card which we were able to pull $140 off for all expenses between now and our arrival in a couple days to Swaziland. My last meal (other than the coffee I am drinking now by the pool :-P) was Mushroom/Eggplant sandwich with fries. Mmmmm. Oh, and it had feta cheese on it. Haha. After that it was in bed for me to catch some "z"s.
So now you have been as updated as possible. I am more and more thrilled to get to know these people and even more excited to get to my post! My aspirations for this experience (which we did a session on yesterday) solidified my conviction that this is where God wants me to be right now in my life. Thank you all for supporting me in this life changing opportunity! I love you all so very very much, and without you I would not be able to do this. Your thoughts, prayers, support, and letters will keep me going even during rough times. Thank you.
So now I should go re-pack the few things I could find in Shelby's Tetris game of a packing job! :-P Huge hugs to all, and I hope we speak soon!
Your Soon in Transit, Peace Corps Trainee,
Darryn
P.S. To all of you who were awesome and took me out to my favorite restaurants before I left, you plumped me up for my adventure! Thinking that the African diet would no doubt slim me back up I did not even consider it. The rumor circulating last night was that, "men usually lose weight and women gain weight"!!!!!! We conjectured that this had to do with the larger amount of carbs (corn porridge) eaten over there and the gender differences in digesting said carbs. Keep your fingers crossed that this isn't true!! Hahaha. :-) Just thought you would find this just as interesting as I did!
It is now 9am in a nice Washington DC hotel! We are leaving for the airport in a couple hours for the 17 hour 40 minute trip to Jo'Burg South Africa. One fuel up in Senegal is on the docket, but other than that it is my movie catch-up and fun airplane food time! :-)
Yesterday was certainly a full day. My bags were finally packed late the night before (thanks to Shelby) and yet I was still running around the morning of. Everything weighs a ton (ok- maybe only 40 lbs. x 2bags) but I am weak! Plus the shoulder strap broke on one of my duffel bags, so I am going to have to become the Hulk to get this stuff around. :-P No worries though. Mom escorted me to the airport at 5:30am and the adventure began!
We have 33 people in my Swaziland group all going over for the health initiative. I think there are about 6-7 married couples and a wide range of ages. Everyone I have met so far seems awesome, unique, and absolutely thrilled to be in the Peace Corps. I have no doubt that we will really bond over the next couple of years. Our orientation here at the hotel was the same as any job orientation... long... icebreakers... mission/vision statements... group projects. We did not learn much more about our specific site, only the global PC policies and health/safety information.
About 8 of us accepted the invitation of our Medical Officer (who lives around the corner) to find a restaurant for us. The PC gave us a debit card which we were able to pull $140 off for all expenses between now and our arrival in a couple days to Swaziland. My last meal (other than the coffee I am drinking now by the pool :-P) was Mushroom/Eggplant sandwich with fries. Mmmmm. Oh, and it had feta cheese on it. Haha. After that it was in bed for me to catch some "z"s.
So now you have been as updated as possible. I am more and more thrilled to get to know these people and even more excited to get to my post! My aspirations for this experience (which we did a session on yesterday) solidified my conviction that this is where God wants me to be right now in my life. Thank you all for supporting me in this life changing opportunity! I love you all so very very much, and without you I would not be able to do this. Your thoughts, prayers, support, and letters will keep me going even during rough times. Thank you.
So now I should go re-pack the few things I could find in Shelby's Tetris game of a packing job! :-P Huge hugs to all, and I hope we speak soon!
Your Soon in Transit, Peace Corps Trainee,
Darryn
P.S. To all of you who were awesome and took me out to my favorite restaurants before I left, you plumped me up for my adventure! Thinking that the African diet would no doubt slim me back up I did not even consider it. The rumor circulating last night was that, "men usually lose weight and women gain weight"!!!!!! We conjectured that this had to do with the larger amount of carbs (corn porridge) eaten over there and the gender differences in digesting said carbs. Keep your fingers crossed that this isn't true!! Hahaha. :-) Just thought you would find this just as interesting as I did!
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Becoming a Blogger!
This is officially the first time I have EVER blogged... cool. :-) I have only six days left in the country and there are a few truths I am realizing are very important:
1. My friends are the bestest in the whole wide world and I will miss them tons (I mean, "see you tomorrow" -aka DENIAL)!
2. I really hate packing with our without limits and lists.
3. Fingers are crossed that I will get cheese over there.... oh please oh please oh please... :-P
4. There never seems to be enough time to prepare - even though I applied over a year ago!
As promised here is my mailing address for the next couple of months:
Darryn Crocker, PCV
PO Box 2797
Mbabane H100, Swaziland
AFRICA
It takes 2-4 weeks on average to get things to and from me. I LOVE letters!!!! Even more so then e-mails and phone calls so PLEASE write. :-) I will be very very busy for the first couple of months and am told that it will be hard to update blogs, respond to e-mails, etc., but by early Sept. I will be moved into my new community and will get more of a communication routine down. So do not worry if you do not get your I (HEART) Swaziland postcard for a while. :-P
Thank you again everyone for the thoughts, PRAYERS, and bon voyage bash! I am so blessed to have you all in my life, whether I am in the country or not!! Huge hugs to all. XXXX
1. My friends are the bestest in the whole wide world and I will miss them tons (I mean, "see you tomorrow" -aka DENIAL)!
2. I really hate packing with our without limits and lists.
3. Fingers are crossed that I will get cheese over there.... oh please oh please oh please... :-P
4. There never seems to be enough time to prepare - even though I applied over a year ago!
As promised here is my mailing address for the next couple of months:
Darryn Crocker, PCV
PO Box 2797
Mbabane H100, Swaziland
AFRICA
It takes 2-4 weeks on average to get things to and from me. I LOVE letters!!!! Even more so then e-mails and phone calls so PLEASE write. :-) I will be very very busy for the first couple of months and am told that it will be hard to update blogs, respond to e-mails, etc., but by early Sept. I will be moved into my new community and will get more of a communication routine down. So do not worry if you do not get your I (HEART) Swaziland postcard for a while. :-P
Thank you again everyone for the thoughts, PRAYERS, and bon voyage bash! I am so blessed to have you all in my life, whether I am in the country or not!! Huge hugs to all. XXXX
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