Flew from SFO to Philadelphia yesterday for today’s staging event. In an hour, I will meet for the first time my new colleagues – roughly 30 of us from around the country split between two teams: Community Economic Development (CED) folks and Healthcare people.
We’ll spent the next 9 weeks together, traveling and undertaking our Pre-Service Training (PST: language, cross-cultural, medical & safety and technical).
The last few days of flurry (or weeks or months?) have been spent refining our packing lists and facing the reality of just what “100 lbs in two bags” involves. And just what’s involved in putting a life “on hold” for more than 2 years. Perhaps doing this in my mid-20s would have been easier; at my age, there was a lot more involved. That’s all behind us now.
I also took the opportunity to reach out to many friends from my past. To those of you I was able to see or speak with: it was great to catch up! For those of you I missed, I’m sorry it didn’t work out – but we can always meet in Africa!
Final meetings, chats, goodbyes and tears at home are now done. Two years of learning and growth await us. The excitement I felt several months ago has returned.
We have been forewarned that our “ability to connect” may be hindered over the next few weeks, so posts to this blog, emails, texts, phone calls, Skype & FaceTime chats may be few and far between. I apologize in advance but encourage you to enter your email address in the column to the right so that you’ll be notified by email of my future posts.
I’m so excited for you Chris and am looking forward to following your next 2 years here!!
I wish you all the best and look forward to your posts. I’m sure you’ll be very busy and the 2 years will go by quickly.
Can’t wait to plan a trip to visit!!
I’m coming around and getting more and more excited for you!
Looking forward to reading your posts!