10 weeks to go, and Packing like a Banshee!

So...I love packing. I love home-making. I love nesting. I love organizing. The Container Store gets me as excited as a little kid gets excited about Toys-R-Us. So naturally, I'm already packing for Mali and have been for the past month! I can't contain my excitement. I joined a Facebook group for my training group and nearly everyone is there! I heard from the Mali Country Desk that about 40 people will be in my training group, and 43 are in the Facebook group already :) We're all chatting about packing, what to bring, what not to bring, what the best brands are for certain things, and luckily a few current PCVs in Mali have joined the group and are giving great advice on packing. Once again, we can only bring 80lbs with us. But people in Mali assure us packing-crazies that we can get almost anything we need in Mali and that we can have packages shipped to us from family/friends. Regardless, I've compiled some exciting stuff so far, like a great canvas/leather LLBean backpack (thanks to a wonderful PC-supporter of mine), a solar latern that converts to a water bottle, a sleeping pad, a hammock, linen clothing, a bug repelling sleeping bag/liner, organic bug spray (which I'll probably want more of in-country), and much more. But there are still a few key things on my packing list that I need to accumulate before October 28 (when staging begins in Philadelphia). Here's my updated list:

http://www.google.com/shoppinglist?a=SWL&fol=tracylynn.george@gmail.com:1392594346155629872

If you're interested in communicating with me via snail mail, I'd absolutely love that! Care packages as well as letters with pictures (laminated for best preservation) would be delightful, as current PCVs say there's nothing like getting something sent from family/friends that smells like home :) Like clothes washed in Downy or something :) Once I'm in Mali at PST (pre-service training) I'll most likely post a blog about things I'm just DYING for or things I've forgotten. But right now, I KNOW I'll be craving anything Halloweeny and Christmasy (all of you who know me well know I get super giddy about these two holidays and anything that smells like these two holidays, such as pumpkin and gingerbread). So bring on the pumpkin smelling candles and antibacterial gels (Bath & Body Works!) and don't forget to include POTTERYBARN CATALOGS!! :D ...I just love Fall so much. It gives me a warm happy feeling that I'd hate to be totally without until Fall 2014!!!

As of now my priority buys are a bug hut, which comes HIGHLY recommended by current PCVs as many of them have them and use often for sleeping outside (when your hut is just too darn hot inside), for traveling, and for sleepovers with fellow PCV buddies, and a shortwave radio to stay connected with international news, etc. Another item that comes highly recommended by PCVs (maybe recommended more than ANYTHING) is Crystal Light and other drink flavoring powders. In Mali we'll have to filter our water and treat it with iodine tablets, etc. This apparently makes water taste kinda gross, so PCVs love anything that is portable/non-perishable that makes drinking water (one of the few things to drink) more pleasurable. As well as dry soup mixes...that'd be just lovely. So bring on the Emergen-C and fun Crystal Lite flavors...specifically PURE flavors!

On a different note, a couple of the things that people say is most difficult about PC service is (1) being alone/feeling isolated and (2) the change of pace from American life to African life. Honestly, these are two of the biggest reasons I've been looking forward to serving in the Peace Corps. I really like spending time alone and working on projects from the ground up, and I'm really looking forward to what life-outside-of-American-speed will do for me (physically, emotionally, mentally, spiritually).

One thing I have to make a priority of doing is writing letters to my Senator (Sherrod Brown) and his lovely team for helping me get my loan deferred. I can never forget when I met him he said "We'll get you there...and when you're there, write me a letter and tell me how much it means to you to be there." And write him a letter I shall!!

Currently Facebook chatting with an awesome invitee I'll be serving with... She started the Facebook group and is fantastic.

I'll update you all soon!

love love love and peace,

tracy

p.s. I just really love this picture, credit to Chris Nguyen :)