Support and Acceptance

As I grow closer to graduation, the reality that I am leaving the country soon is truly beginning to set it. I'm still experiencing a mixture of excitement and horror, as I constantly flip between wanting to fast forward and jump right in, and frantically wondering why I've made this crazy, life-changing decision.

This past Friday I attended a Bon Voyage Party hosted by my recruiter for local RCPV's (Returned Peace Corps Volunteers) and future PCV's (like me!). I wasn't sure how it was going to go, so I brought my friend James for support and spent my birthday talking with strangers.

But once we got there, I realized I was not so different from the other people in that room. I found the evening very encouraging and comforting. I enjoyed hearing the stories of RCPV's both young and old, who served (sometimes for multiple terms) all over the globe. And as it turns out, everyone feels the panic and terror that currently consumes me, which was definitely a relief.

I didn't meet anyone traveling with me in June, but I met several other young people about to embark on their own journeys in the next few months, and we were able to connect over our mutual excitement and anxieties. I did meet one RCPV named Ryan, who served in the Dominican Republic, who has a friend who served in Micronesia. So I will be emailing Ryan shortly to get in contact with his friend. I also met an older couple who were PCV's elsewhere in the Pacific, but ended up living in Micronesia for some time. Anna, the wife, gave me her email and wants to get together sometime soon. I am very excited to sit down and talk with her! There is nothing better than first-hand advice.

I have sort of been avoiding reading through my packet in its entirety. I read the assignment and completed the necessary forms, but not much else. I suppose it's some form of denial. But as time flies by, I realize that I need to hop to it if I'm going to avoid feeling stressed and overwhelmed later when I realize I'm leaving in a few weeks and haven't thought about packing or learned about the climate or...

So this morning, I finally downloaded my welcome packet from the Peace Corps website (47 pages in all), took it to Pro Copy and had it printed and bound. Now I can actually read through it and begin the process of preparing myself for my service.

And it's good. I feel less alone and less overwhelmed. After talking to that room full of strangers, having each one congratulate me over and over again, I realized that I'm going to be okay. I had a great talk with James on our drive home Friday night. I told him that I'm worried people will loose interest in keeping up with me once I'm abroad and I'll come back without any friends. He pretty much laughed in my face, and assured me that would not be the case. In fact, as we discovered that Micronesia runs on the US mail system, James asked me if I was ready for the huge amount of mail I would be receiving on a regular basis.

Yes, it's scary, but there are so many people who will be supporting me.  They may not be physically with me, but they will always care about me. 

Thanks for being some of those people!

--Christy