Packing list

I think we're trying to decide what to take and here's my list so far:

Clothes:

- T-shirts - 2-3 white undershirts and 2-3 regular t-shirts (hippo, wicked, ?)
- 2 button-up short sleeve shirts
- 1 button-up long sleeve shirt
- tie (?)
- Prana long-sleeve shirt (?)
- 2 pair fast-dry boxers and probably 2-3 others (enough?)
- 2 pairs fast-dry khaki pants (one pair that zips off and can double as swimsuit)
- REI fast-dry shorts (necessary?)
- 1 pair exercise shorts
- 1-2 pairs khakis
- 1 pair jeans
- cloth belt
- 1 pair smart wool socks (can wear as dress socks, too)
- 1 pair actual dress socks
- 3 pair athletic socks
- bandanas
- rain hat
- rain jacket
- Cardinals hat (?)
- Chacos, dressy/casual shoes, and running shoes (?)



Toiletries:
- 2 toothbrushes/2 toothpastes (one for each of us during training)
- 2 pair glasses (one on my face)
- 1 pair rx sunglasses
- 2 deodorant
- razor and probably 8 replacement blades
- bottle of Dr. Bronner's
- Hand sanitizer
- small bottle of anti-bacterial soap
- chewable pepto
- Excederin
- Benedryl cream stuff for bug bites
- Zum Rub (?)
- A month or two of multi-vitamins
- One large pack towel
- Kleenex

Stuff:

- Watch
- Digital camera (Canon a600)
- USB flash drive for backing up pictures
- A few blank CD-r (?)
- battery-powered alarm clock
- Batteries (probably 16 AA lithium batteries for the camera and 16 or so AAA batteries)
- Headlamp
- Multi-tool
- ziplock bags
- 2 Nalgenes
- Sharpies (?)
- Pens/pencils
- combination lock (?)
- sleeping pad (?)
- pillow
- 12" iBook
- Carabiner clip for shoes

Entertainment:
- 2 Haruki Murakami books, One Hundred Years of Solitude, Catch-22
- Living abroad in Nicaragua
- Games: Uno, Skip Bo, and a deck of cards
- Nintendo DS, a few games, and the charger
- Pictures to hang, photo book to share
- iPod & Music DVDs

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Countdown

We will be getting on the plane to go to Washington, D.C. and then Nicaragua in just 19 days--! Paul's done with work Friday, I'm done with work Tuesday, and then we have to squeeze in our yard sale, packing, tying up loose ends (power of attorney, etc.) all those things we want to do "one last time": one last Cardinals game, camping trip, sushi dinner, visit with friends.

Two days after I last posted, we received a letter from the Central America desk reminding us to do all the things we've already done (read the Welcome Book and Volunteer Assignment Description, send passport applications, send resumes and aspiration statements) and then we got the staging packet two days after that. It included our instructions for setting up travel arrangements to get to D.C., our itinerary for staging (we check out of the hotel at 3:30 am the day we leave for Nicaragua!), and lots of other forms to read and fill out before then.

We're really fortunate because the Peace Corps sent an e-mail to all 35 people in our training group because they left some forms out of our invitation packets; one person started a group e-mail so we could all get to know each other a little bit. It's comforting to know that almost everyone is worried about what to pack and not everyone is fluent in Spanish (though several are).

Even though I know we leave in 19 days, it hasn't really sunken in yet. I think after we are done with work, start selling all our stuff, and have to say more goodbyes, it will really feel like it will be time to leave--but by that time, it really will!

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Complaining time...

I think now I will follow my own advice by complaining in hopes that it will speed up the process. We're now at exactly 30 days until we leave, so I'm ready to receive our staging packet! I particularly want to know what is on the packing list the PC provides so that I can start figuring out what I need to bring and what I still need to get.

We got our passport documents sent in to receive our new Peace Corps passports, and we also sent in our Aspiration Statements and updated resumes. Yesterday I received a call from someone at Department of State in charge of passports (I think) who told me that my passport was "accidentally canceled" so I either needed to get my old one reissued or pay $67 to get a new one. I'm not really sure why or how a passport gets canceled on accident; I was sort of confused about the whole thing, so I called someone at SATO Travel and she seemed irritated that the other woman contacted me at all--she called that woman back and told them to reissue my passport, so crisis averted for now, I suppose.

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Nicaragua: It's Official!

Country: Nicaragua
Program: Teaching English as a Foreign Language, Nica 44
Job Title: TEFL Teacher Trainer
Dates of Service: July 13, 2007 - July 13, 2009
Orientation Dates: April 30 - May 2, 2007
Pre-Service Training (near Masaya, Nicaragua): May 2 - July 13, 2007

The day finally arrived as I saw the Fed Ex envelope sitting on our doorstep when I got home this afternoon. After having to sit on my hands in anticipation of Paul getting home so we could open the packet together, we were really happy to see "Nicaragua" on our assignment sheet. It was a little less exciting since we've been pretty sure we were heading to Nicaragua since not long after we were nominated, but we certainly weren't disappointed after focusing on Nicaragua for so long.

I'm a little bit confused about why it says our job title is TEFL Teacher Trainer since our PO said we weren't accepted for that program and would be doing Secondary Ed English Teaching instead, but I suspect that they just have one assignment sheet for all TEFL assignments. Either way, we'll be calling tomorrow to confirm and accept the invitation!

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GOOD NEWS!

So, the lesson I think I should learn is that good things happen to those who complain on this blog. Last Thursday I complained about not having heard anything from our placement officer, and the next day she called. Today I complained about not being approved by the in-country staff for invitations, and not an hour after I did so, I got another e-mail from our PO saying that we've been approved as "171s" or secondary Ed English teachers! She said we should get our invitations in a few days! I immediately called Paul at work and we are thrilled.

My game plan now? I will wait for a few days, become sad that our invitations haven't yet arrived in the mail, post a blog entry to complain, and they will arrive the next day.

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