Previously I had said that I would have Pre-Departure Orientation in Washington, DC, but it was actually changed to Los Angeles. That's tomorrow!! WOW! So crazy. I am so ready for this next big adventure in my life, and I want to thank all my wonderful friends for making my last weeks in the US so memorable. I will depart accompanied by a sheaf of thoughtful letters from friends, a stack of 4"x6" photographs, and countless memories that include travel in Europe, dinners out, country line dancing, movie nights, and random goofiness.  And of course my family has been very supportive and I thank them also.

I have no idea what to expect and sometimes the weight of that thought is rather intimidating and hard to bear. But then I take a deep breath and remember that I have overcome challenging situations before and traveled to many countries. I just have to take it one day and especially one moment at a time. Mostly I am just super excited and I just can't wait to see what these two years have in store for me!!!!!

Goodbye USA, and Ni Hao China!!!!!

Welcome to my new blog!

This is where I will document my experiences serving with the Peace Corps in China.  At this point, all I know is that I will be teaching English at the university level in Western China.  I am excited to learn more about what I will be doing!

In the meantime, I wanted to share how people have reacted to hearing that I will be going to China with the Peace Corps.  My announcement has been met with awe, inspiration, surprise, indifference, confusion, and even resentment.  It definitely runs the full gamut!  There are times when complete strangers praise my character and entreat me to keep them posted on my experiences (which is difficult for the times when I do not even know their names), and I have been buoyed spiritually by the thought that many people, even those I have not met, will be inspired by my work for the next two and a half years.  Some express surprise that I, a Spanish major, would be sent somewhere as culturally foreign to me as China.  That is true, but I actually gave my regional preferences as Asia and Eastern Europe because I wanted the full Peace Corps experience of knowing nothing about a country at the start, to becoming fluent and able to navigate vastly different cultural norms.  

There have also been a small number of people who, after hearing my plans, say something along the lines of, “Way to out shine us all!” or “I am not doing anything near as exciting as the Peace Corps.” I was surprised to encounter such a reaction.  This has come mostly from people who do not have any set plans for life after graduation.  Let me just say that I spent the entire spring semester not knowing for sure if I would even be accepted into the Peace Corps: I know people just as qualified as myself who never received an invitation.  That time of not knowing was nerve-wracking for me, and I know that those people will figure something out.  I realize and fully appreciate the fact that not everyone gets to do this, and believe me when I say I will not take it for granted.  I want to salute everyone in whatever path they are pursuing, whether it is working full time, continuing school, or trying to figure out happens next.  There is nothing to be ashamed about in not knowing what to do.  As long as you pursue your passion, there is nothing wrong in that.

I know that there will be many challenges and rewards in the months to come, and I eagerly look forward to each moment because I know that both will allow me to grow.  An important idea for Peace Corps Volunteers, from what I have come to understand through reading blogs and books, is to find the good in every situation, to trust the process, and to embrace the unknown.  I think that adequately sums up my mindset going into the whole experience.  Many things will be done differently from what I am used to, and I will find myself in challenging and uncomfortable situations.  I will remind myself to take a deep breath, find a place of inner peace and focus on it, and above all, to smile.  That approach has definitely helped me in my numerous travel and study abroad experiences, and I know it will help me in this whole new chapter in my life.

I will go to Washington, DC at the end of June for a Pre-Service Orientation, or Staging, and then I will fly out with the other China volunteers.

China, here I come!