Hot fun in the summertime

Yesterday my family throw a small party for me and I was very touched. My brother held it at his home and they served a couple of Moroccan dish and if the food taste as good as what I ate yesterday then I will be a happy man living far from home. It was one of those beautiful summer afternoons in New England... with great food, a few cold drinks and hardy laughed with loved ones.

The main topic for discussion was how sick will I get and how many cases of "wipes" I can stuff into the allotted 80 lbs of luggage. The general idea was to forget taking clothes and just bring "arse" wipes, everything else will have to wait. There was much laughter, a few tears, some photo and a wonderful toast... and of course a cake if you stayed long enough to grab a piece.

I have been blessed with a supportive, loving family and many dear, wonderful friends. The count down is on... minus 13 days. The house is painted (almost) work is winding down (not soon enough) packing has commenced (no wipes...yet) and I am on edge and a little agitated as I fight to get everything in order and my life put in a neat package here and ready myself for a new life across the ocean.

In šāʾ Allāh (إن شاء الله)

Making many lists, checking them... endlessly

Today was a busy day... I received an email from the Moroccan Desk containing four attachments to read, had a dumpster dropped off at my home, cleaned out my bureaus and closet and made a list and will be checking it a thousand times. In between all of that I am wrapping up my last week working and training two people.

The email was nice to get because as everyone who has gone through getting an invitation can state firmly... the peace corps really needs to communicate better, but since the invite I find they have stepped up their game. The email came with the following attachments and links to two short surveys.
Desk Letter – a welcome from the Morocco Desk
Letter from Country Director David Lillie – a welcome from your new Country Director!
Letter to Family and Friends – a letter of reference to be distributed to family and friends
Bridge to PST – information regarding your Pre-Service Training

All very interesting, but the Bridge to PST was the most informative... I will post about that later.

Back to my lists... today was clothes day, going through every stitch of clothing I have and made three piles; stuff that should have been discarded years ago, clothing that I will not be taking but will want/need when I return, and the largest pile is of course clothing to pack. Now the "to pack" pile is broken down into two piles (yes I maybe over thinking this)... one pile is clothes I know for sure will be coming with me underwear, socks, gloves... and the other pile is on the wait and see list that will get pared down over the next 10 days. It would be so much easier if I knew where in Morocco I was going to finally be living, but of course that is not to be known for at least a few months after I arrive in Morocco. So it is a battle of long-sleeves versus short-sleeves and from what I have been reading the long-sleeves have the upper hand or arm...

For the most part things are moving along, even during my moments of panic and I have had a few, as each day peels off the calendar and think "there is no way i can get it all done..." I take a step back and think... relax it will all fall in place. Maybe I am delusional and foolish but I do think I will be ready and have a few days to spare to go over my lists again... Inshallah.

Four Years... seems like yesteday

Today is the fourth anniversary of my darling wife Carolyn's death... it seems like yesterday we lived through that horrible day and the aftermath of it all. When I sit back in the quiet of the evening tonight and let my mind drift off and relive our life together and think of the last four of living with out her I find it beyond belief that FOUR years have traveled by...

People have said we were robbed and life has given me a raw deal... but I think to myself... Maybe, but I was blessed to have had a wonderful and powerful love and to have it returned and wish that everyone could have what we had even for a moment... we had it for 30 years and yes I am greedy and wanted 30 more... but that was not to be.

Miss you more than these or any words can describe... and time does heal the wounds, yet the sadness never leaves it just fades into the background.
X

Christ! Seven years of college down the drain. Might as well join the f#$@ Peace Corps.

Remember that line from Bluto (Belushi) in Animal House... well I have kept my applying, nomination and finally getting invited to a very small group of close friends and my family for many reasons, but mainly because the Peace Corps tells you over and over that until you get the invitation nothing is for certain. So I found I was much more comfortable playing this close to my vest and not have to answer over and over what's happening with the Peace Corps? It has been 18 months and during that time I must have said out loud at least hundred times... "What is happening with the Peace Corps?"

But with my departure date looming over the horizon, I let "slip" on Facebook that I was joining the Peace Corps... well I might just as well taken out an ad on TV, because within 24 hours I was getting emails and calls ranging from are you insane, wish I was going with you, to what a great thing you are doing. Most wanted to know why, how come and how long... Since there is not a simple or concise answer to the why question, I will use the famous line from the movie after Delta House gets expelled from college... "Christ! Seven years of college down the drain. Might as well join the fucking Peace Corps."

Actually I chose the Peace Corps after much thought and research and believe that at this stage of my life I have the freedom to do whatever I choose... and I have chosen to try to bring a better understand of what we are as Americans to another part of the world and learn about another culture and maybe, just maybe make some one's life a little better or easier. So that along with Bluto's WTF... is as good as any reason.

assalamu alaikum

Eighty Pounds...

The Peace Corps only allows a person two piece of check-in luggage (80lbs max) for 27 months of service. So today being a "tax-free" Sunday I grabbed my list and headed out to the store and pick up a few things that I may need in Morocco. First was the trek to Best Buy (or the house-of-worship as my brother would say) to pick up a portable hard drive and a few other trinkets. Also while there I purchased a laptop for my parents so I can contact them from overseas... Shhhh I haven't given it to them yet as I was setting it up today. Also I should mention that it was a joint purchase among my siblings.

Next it was on to LL Bean to get a duffel bag and a backpack. I spent more time looking over backpacks than I did buying a laptop... I guess that tells you were my comfort zone is. So now armed with two pieces I can begin the process of trying to figure out what to bring and what to leave behind. I have read much about Morocco and it climate and depending on where I end up stationed, I could be in the Atlas Mountains where the winters are harsh or near the coast or desert and never need more the a hoodie and a bathing suit.

I have been following a few blogs from PCVer in Morocco and I gotten a few tips on what I will need and want to bring and what I can get there or have sent later. Normally I pack hours before a trip, but this is more than a trip and I think I will need the full month to get it down to "Eighty Pounds". Stay tuned for more updates on my list to find out what makes the cut and what stays behind.

assalamu alaikum

Is it always sunny in Philadelphia?

On Tuesday I received my Peace Corps staging email explaining my next steps toward heading to Morocco in September, but before I board that flight I will be heading to Philadelphia for my staging events on the 13th of September. Then after a very busy orientation day and night I will leave these fair shore for Casablanca, Morocco. Casablanca... conjures up visions of Humphrey Bogart sitting in a darkened room drowning his sorrows in a glass of bourbon and asking Sam to play it again. But I know this is not the Morocco I will encounter, quite honestly I am not sure what I will encounter when I land and most certainly I have no idea what the next 27 months will bring.

Still, I am another step closer to my journey to Morocco, as each day closes and the next one appears I find I have completed another task, battled mentally the idea of moving to another culture and away from all I know and everyone I love and yet at times I have felt the warm glow of knowing this is what I want to do and it feels right.

Peace Corps Invitation... ACCEPTED!

After almost 18 months and many moments of "are they kidding me..." I received a phone call which consisted of a 35 minute question and answer session about my desires, fears and expectations of what the next 27 months would be like in the Peace Corps... at the end of the call I was extended an invitation to join in the Small Business Development Program in Morocco.

The packet arrived two days later with the instructions to read thoroughly and inform the Peace Corps within 10 days of my acceptance or to decline. I took a week to read everything and to talk to my family and closest friends about what had been up to now a possibility was now on the brink of reality... I sent my acceptance in without reservation and with total commitment.

Now almost two weeks since I've accepted, I have been in a whirlwind of activity as I completed all the PC requirements in the first 10 days, informed the companies I do business with of my pending departure and ready my home life to be without me for the next two plus years. My departure date is set for September 13 and the time is whipping by. There is so much to do and I am not sure I can get everything I want done before I leave... but as long as the major things are wrapped up tight I can leave with a clear mind.