It is hard to believe, but the day is almost here. We have been waiting so long for this to happen. We started our Peace Corps application in August of 2010. We had our interview in October, and then got our nomination in December of 2010. At that time we were scheduled to go in August of 2011. As we were going through our very lengthy medical clearance, we got a notice that we would be delayed until January of 2012 due to budget cutbacks. So, 16 months after we started the process, we are finally on the verge of actually going. We are very excited about starting our Peace Corps training, but of course we are nervous too about leaving everything we know behind and starting anew. It would be helpful if we knew where in Panama we will be spending our two years, but we have to wait another six weeks or so to find out. The climate can vary quite a bit from one part of Panama to another, but we are pretty sure that hot and humid will be the case.
We are pretty much all packed. We are leaving valuables behind, including our wedding rings. We will get cheap replacements to wear while we are there. We are taking electronics: one laptop, two kindles loaded with books, two smartphones (which will work down there), and a camera. We will be keeping them in ziploc bags while they are not in use. We even have rechargeable dessicant packs which contain silica gel to put inside the bags. Evidently the heat and humidity can be pretty hard on electronic devices. They are also hard on leather goods - mold forms quickly. We are not taking much leather - just some shoes.
Monday afternoon we fly to Miami. We have a half day of training on Tuesday, and then we are on the plane to Panama Wednesday morning. We can't wait to go!
Bon voyage!!!
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