WOOOOSAAAHHHHH.

The countdown is now under 90 days until I leave.
These are my feelings as time quickly passes:
HOLY F***.
AFRICA.
Did I turn that in?
Wait do I really need that?
YAYYYY I'M MOVING TO ETHIOPIA!!!

AHHHH I"M MOVING TO F***ing ETHIOPIA!!!
AFRICA!!!!
NANTS INGONYAMA BAGITHI BABA( sang in my best Disney voice)


As you could probably tell I am starting to freak out just a little bit....
Although I am extremely excited and light up whenever I get the chance to tell someone I am going to actually get to live my dream of joining the Peace Corps the relativity of it is also absolutely terrifying.
I am pushing myself so far out of my comfort zone that I cant even begin to register what I will experience emotionally. I have started to make sure I have things I will need which means lists, lists, and more lists. Which means freaking out, more freaking out, and you guessed it more freaking out.

I am just reminding myself to breath.
Calm down.
and when all else fails...

The Ol' Switch -A-Roo.

Last week I received an email from the Peace Corps placement office asking if I would be interested in switching sectors. I was asked to switch from Health to Ag/ Environmental for food security.  Just when I thought I had my future figured out the Peace Corps throws a wrench in.  After a conversation with my best friend and a mild freak out I decided to leave my decision up to the Peace Corps gods. I replied to the email saying that if they wanted to switch me I was up for the challenge. Moments after sending the email I received notice that I would in fact be switched. I will now be working with food security. To be honest I don't really have any idea what exactly I will be doing now but I am okay with this uncertainty. With the Peace Corps you really have to be okay with the fact that you have no idea what the hell is ever going on. I just leave it up to them. And of course my Peace Corps Ag god. 

Oh wait you didn't know that there was a Peace Corps Ag God?

Well you do now. 

I like to picture him in a flannel with cut off sleeves.

To me it says I am prepared to work but also like to be comfortable. 

And so they start...

Yesterday I experienced the first of many goodbyes before I set off for my peace corps journey. I am exactly 3 months away from leaving now but am not sure if I will make it back to Montana before I leave. Saying goodbye is not something I am particularly fond of. I am not someone who knows how to deal with other people's emotions very well. I know this was just the first in a long line of goodbyes before I leave.

I am truly grateful for all the people in my life who care so much about me. I am reminded of this in every step of this journey. 

Why not.

I have decided that I am going to use my service in the Peace Corps to better myself as well as the community that I am in.
I am not going into this experience with any expectations. I have learned over the years that expectations lead to disappointments. So rather than having expectations I am setting myself some goals of things I would like to work on while I am there. I am posting them here to hold myself accountable for them.

From what I have read through miscellaneous blogs I keep seeing over and over again that volunteers have A LOT of free time.  So why not put this time to good use?

Goals:
-Get into the best shape of my life.
-Learn Amharic and Spanish. If I am already learning a second language might as well learn a third right?
-Read as many books as possible. There are so many books that are considered to be classics that I have yet to even touch. I hope to change this.
-Never say no. I want to take this opportunity to experience as many new things as possible. If I say no I am just limiting myself.
-Get as many people in the States involved in my service as possible. This can take shape in many ways from becoming pen pals to having them help me with community projects.
-Determine if grad school is right for me and if it is what area I would like to study.
-Travel to as many new places as possible.
-Experience different cultures within Ethiopia by traveling to see as many other volunteers as possible.
- Keep a journal/blog updated so that when my service is over I can adequately remember everything that happened.