Oh My!

Training has been a whirlwind of information. So far we've learned several ways to get diarrhea, how to use assessment tools, Kriol slang, and about a million other things. This week we are in the PC office from 7:30a-5p doing training everyday. On Friday we will move into a host family's home somewhere in Belize for the next 8 weeks. We will continue to train in the field and will travel back to the PC office every Friday.

One of the most helpful parts of training is talking to current Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) about their experience. There advice usually centers around patience and flexibility. PCVs celebrate SMALL victories and must live day to day.

I can't wait to test out some of the things we've learned in our new community!

Hello!

Hi Everyone!

Thanks for reading this blog. I am currently in the Peace Corps office in Belmopon where we have access to internet and air conditioning! In order to capture my story and share it with you, I need to journal as much as I can and then upload it when I get a chance.

Therefore, you might notice several entries at once. Sorry about that, but we only have access to the internet sporadically.

Danny and I truly love it here and we are excited to start our full week of training tomorrow. It is an amazing anmount of information to learn in such a short period of time, but we need it all to be successful for the next two years.

We love and miss all of our family and friends. Thanks for your support. Adios!

First Day of Training- 3/26

Yesterday was our first full day of training and I must say that I fully enjoyed it. By the end of the day I was pretty tired, but the actual training was very interactive and interesting. We learned about the core vs technical competencies, the five components of training, and the best part was the overview of the schedule for the next three months. It still blows my mind to compare this experience to abroad and think that my entire time in Thailand or India was only about 4 months. That is basically how long the training period is for PC. Study abroad shaped my life in just a few months. I am excited to see what kind of impact the PC will have!

Yesterday we were asked about our motivations for committing to the Peace Corps and how we will persevere when times get tough. It’s funny how hard it is to pinpoint my motivation for joining the PC. I honestly don’t think there is one simple answer to that. It truly feels like my whole life has been gradually building up to it. Perhaps one of the guiding factors is my early exposure to community service. Even participating in 4-H and Girl Scouts gave me an appreciation for service learning.  I also had the opportunity to travel at a young age (17) and I think I caught the infamous ‘travel bug’. Whatever the reason, I am so happy that my life story will include an adventure like the PC.

Today we are going to a coastal town for ‘culture day’. I am excited to have real local food and see the dancing and drum making demonstrations.  Last night we had Chinese food for dinner because almost all the restaurants around the PC office and our hotel are Chinese! I can’t complain though because I LOVE Chinese food. It’s just not what you expect when you go to Belize. Tomorrow we will have some down time and I look forward to exploring Belmopan. There is a road that is a 2.5 mile loop that I can’t wait to run.

We also got cell phones yesterday. It cost US $190 for two cell phones, two SIM cards, and a bunch of minutes and texts. I learned that most people text in Belize because it is less expensive that calling. It is a little reassuring to have a cell phone before we go to our Community Based Training (CBT) site. All of the sites are fairly close to the PC office, but it is nice to know they can contact us easily anytime on our cell in case anything happens. I also like to be able to call Danny if we ever get separated.

Alright, I’m going to read now. I’m reading the White Man’s Burden-Why the West’s Efforts to Aid the Rest Have Done So Much Ill and So Little Good. So far, the book is excellent. I got it from the PC library. They have a whole lending library of books that other Peace Corps Volunteers have left over the years. Also, I accidently set me alarm an hour early and woke up at 5am instead of 6am. OOPS!

First Day in Belmopan

3/24 First Day in Belmopan

Today was exciting and exhausting. We checked out of our hotel in Dallas at 7:30am and went to the airport. There are 38 people in our group so we had to leave early to make sure everyone made it to the gate in time for our flight to Belize. We departed a little after 1pm and landed gently in Belize. The view of Belize from the sky is amazing. It was everything I imagined it to be complete with lush tropical forests with rivers snaking through the trees. When the doors to the plane opened a wave of humidity lofted  by, but nothing too serious. We waited in line to pass through customs and then we were greeted by a cheering group of Peace Corps staff and other PCVs. Seeing the Peace Corps banner outside of the airport was like a dream come true. I can’t believe I am here and that this dream is now my reality.

Everyone in our training group is so incredibly friendly and intelligent. I think the vast majority have graduate degrees. Tonight we spent time with other PCVs watching college basketball and drinking the ceremonial first Belikin beer. Tomorrow we will go to the Peace Corps office for our first full day of training. I’m so excited!!

all packed up

I've never seen such an amazing sight. Yesterday morning several trucks and a trailer pulled up to our house and before I knew it our entire apartment was packed up and heading south on I-5. I don't know what we would have done without the help of our family. Everyone has been so generous with their time, trucks, back muscles, and they even fed us pizza!

Danny and I will be staying with family for the next couple of days until we fly out of Seattle at 6am on Wednesday morning. I think it's safe to say that the whole Peace Corps experience is finally starting to feel real. When I saw my empty apartment it finally sunk in.

Saying Goodbye

For the past week we have been getting ready to go by packing up and saying our goodbyes. Today I said goodbye to my dad, step mother, and step brother. That was hard, but I feel like the next 27 months are going to fly by.

We packed our bags and I was pleasently surprised to learn that my heaviest bag is only 35 pounds. I'm taking one big backpack and a carry on size bag along with my purse. It was hard to decide what to pack, but luckily there is so much information and advice online to help.

So, this week we will focus on packing up the rest of the house and saying a few more goodbyes. Overall, we are completely excited to get on that plane. We fly into Dallas, TX for one day of orientation and then head to Belize. There are 38 people in our group. I can't wait to meet them!

We will try very hard to keep this blog updated for everyone! Thank you for keeping in touch!