Starbucks

I hate this place (Starbucks that is, DC so far is a pretty cool city for the little that I've seen of it), but only as a general rule.  It is just too convenient and I am forced to use it's internet services for the lack thereof in my hotel.

I am currently awaiting the orientation meeting, completing last minute things - paying credit card bills, procuring property insurance, updating the ol' blog, etc.

I shared a room last night with fellow PCT Josh.  We have a lot in common so I'm stoked about that.  He plays soccer, already knows Spanish, is very well traveled, likes the same movies/documentaries, and we've already started the information sharing from our external HDs.  He will be working in Youth Development, and we plan to piggy back each others' projects and look for ways to work together.

Part of me hopes we get placements near each other, but I'm trying to not hope for anything to avoid expectations that may very well be shattered.  At any rate, I am either excited or nervous.  It's getting hard to discern the two these days.

Questions...

My time in Spain has come to an end.  Fortunately I have been able to come home and enjoy quality time with friends and family (including giving my mom one hell of a scare on the fourth of July).  My stint home has been short, just under two months, but I feel blessed to have this home to come back to after my travels.  This makes it all the more difficult to pack up and march on yet again.

I won't start in on a bunch of self-righteous malarky about the Peace Corps, but it is something I have been interested in since I learned of it in college.  I think my country needs some good ambassadors working for it, and I hope I'm up for the job.  I have a wide spectrum of emotions fluttering about in this noggin of mine of the road that lay ahead, and just as many questions.  Do I have what it takes?  Will I even help?  Will I get lonely?  Have a dog?  Get malaria?  Dengue?  Crap in a hole in the ground?  Spawn illegitimate children?  Just to name a few...  

11 days till departure.

Welcome

Welcome and thank you for embarking on this adventure with me. I have been invited to serve as a Peace Corps volunteer in the Dominican Republic in the area of Community Economic Development. Through this blog I will keep you abreast of all situations, happenings and what-have-you's I encounter. I will do my best to keep this updated and interesting for friends, family, or any random onlookers to enjoy.

This is my second attempt at a blog. The one I attempted while in Spain kind of got away from me.  Guess my heart just wasn't in it, or maybe I was...um...working too much. I looked into Wordpress.org to start a blog, you know, because they have more templates and design options for my excessive need to express myself, but as it turns out you need a very basic level of know-how in website creation, which I am now painfully aware that I sorely lack.  Luckily Google makes it easy enough for a monkey to accomplish.

I have been contemplating just how much detailed personal disclosure of my life on this trip is appropriate and I have concluded that full, unabridged, uncensored, horrible, awful, shocking, disgusting, radical truthfulness is the best way to go (otherwise it wouldn't be interesting at all would it?)  So tag along and experience all the adventures and hijinks I may find myself in on this 27 month ride - I will try to keep it as accurate, humorous and ridiculous as possible.