Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Time

When I found out that I wasn't leaving for Zambia until February, I didn't know if I felt good about that or not. I had been expecting January the whole time, but now I am really happy that I have a little bit more time. It has been well over a year since I've been able to just sit back and relax from everything, and since then, I've constantly run on a lack of sleep. Yesterday, I went on a field trip with my fifth and sixth graders to a Junior Achievement mini economy type thing, and it was fun and everything, but I felt absolutely worn out afterwards. I was supposed to go to work afterwards, but instead I went back home intending to just lay down for a few minutes. Yeah...that few minutes turned into a couple hours. I had my phone next to me and it rang a couple times, but I didn't hear it.

So...so far my plan after December 14th is to relax for the rest of December. Get as much sleep as I can. January, I plan to do a little traveling. I have a few friends in England who I'd like to see before I head to Zambia. Then February, I think I'll stay around home to be with family and friends who are near me. Right now, it kind of sounds like a long time, but I'm sure it will go by really fast.

Monday, November 19, 2007

there ya go!

I have the whole week off for Thanksgiving, and I don't think there is anything else I could use right now. I am absolutely burned out from this whole student teaching thing, and it'll be nice to have a little recovery before I have to get back to it next week. Tomorrow is a field trip that my kids are going on, and even though I'm going, I get to take a step back and just enjoy it. It's this Junior Achievement mini economy type thing, and the place we're going to is set up like a small town and the kids get to run it. The field trip sounds like a lot of fun, but the curriculum we went through just to be able to go was such a chore. Anyway, I'm looking forward to going and just having a little bit of fun with my kids.

Since I have the whole week off, I knew that I had to get my Peace Corps passport and visa all straightened out. I really did not think that it would take so much time and energy today. I got started on it by going to CVS to get pictures taken and that all went really easily. All the paperwork had to be done too, and it would have gone by really quickly if it weren't for the fact that I kept checking and double checking I was doing everything right. I got to the post office at about 3 and there was a really long line. When I get up to the desk, the woman obviously was not listening to me, or she was avoiding listening to me when I told her that it was a different process that had to be done. When ever I tried to say something she would interrupt me by saying, "We don't do that here!" I just wanted to tell her to stop and listen to me. I was pretty irritated at that woman. She finally got someone else and he called somewhere, and obviously he did not understand how to deal with it because he told me I had to go to the downtown Indianapolis post office to be able to get it done. He was nice about it which I was thankful for.

So I left there and sped away with my gas tank well below empty and no more than 20 minutes to get to the desk of the downtown post office to get it all straightened out. I was obviously pretty anxious about both of these. There was another long line at this post office, but I decided to fight through it and even if I didn't make it to the desk by 4, I could at least ask them if they knew how to do it for the next day. I made it through the line a little after 4, but the woman still helped me out. I was really happy about that, and she knew the whole Peace Corps passport process. That eased my mind a little until she told me my photos would not work. I went ahead and got pictures taken there so I could just get it over with, but it kind of worried me about the pictures I'd use for my visa. I then stuffed the passport envelope into the FedEx envelope which was a little too small, so I'm hoping all the paperwork isn't all crinkled or anything. After all that, I went and asked a few friends how they felt about the whole picture situation. They said they wouldn't worry about it, so I went ahead and sent it in. I'm a little uneasy about it still, but I think it'll all work out.

When I got to work, one of my bosses said she was going to arrange a fundraiser for me and one of my friends who also works at Kaleidoscope before we leave for Africa. At the beginning, right after both of us were nominated, Yusuf wasn't going to be leaving until March. Not long ago, Peace Corps told him that he was leaving on February 10. Now he got his Invitation on Friday and he's leaving for Niger on January 8th for AgroForestry. That's a bit of a difference, but he's excited, and I'm definitely excited for him too. Oh...the fundraiser. So I guess she is going to be inviting all of the funders of Kaleidoscope as well as personal friends of ours to come in one evening in two weeks to help support us. This will definitely be a big help for both of us. Even a little bit of support will help.

So I'm now all set. Just like all the other paperwork I've had to do for Peace Corps, it feels like a big weight lifted from my shoulders now that I have my passport and visa in. Just 93 days left until staging!

Sunday, November 11, 2007

Is it time yet?

Ok, so it's hard for me to focus on what is going on right now at times when I have Zambia to look farward to. I have so much to do before the middle of December, but all I really want to do is just relax and take in everything slowly. I can't remember the last time I was able to take a deep breath and relax.

Come December 14th I will be officially finished with college. Sure college has been a good experience, but it is definitely time to move on. What I wouldn't give to be done with student teaching right now. I like the kids individually, but when they're all together, they're a total handful. Earlier last week, a kid chucked an eraser at me while I was teaching. Just one week before Thanksgiving break and then three after that. That sounds possible to accomplish.

For the first time this weekend, I felt like I could actually tell people about what I'll be doing with Peace Corps. I got my invitation several weeks ago, but I didn't feel until now like I could say what I would be doing. I got a link to the Zambia welcome book after I sent in my aspiration statement and resume, so that might have helped a little. It feels good though to be able to say what I'll be doing for two years after not even knowing where I'd be going for so long, and having people constantly asking me if I knew yet.

So that's all I'm thinking now. Is it time yet? I'm ready to bring on the adventure!