Who Knows What Happens Next?

I don't have anything particular to write about tonight. I am just in the mood to write -- so I'll write about reading!

I am reading the book "The Story of B". It's sort of a sequel to "Ishmael" (which I also read recently). Both books are by Daniel Quinn.

I am gaining a new perspective of modern cultures as I read these books. Quinn gives a very interesting explanation of how we came to view the world as "ours to shape and control".

He is very good at pointing out aspects of modern culture that are surprisingly obvious to me now, and completely unnoticed by me before.

I wonder where this new perspective will lead me.

Perspective

Well, I'm better today! I bet it's that interesting, healing aspect of writing (that's slowly becoming a friend to me).

Writing is kinda like having someone listen to me that never interrupts, or questions, or gets bored with what I am saying.

Writing helps me understand myself because it causes me to focus my thoughts and then analyze them as I read and re-read what I wrote (to ensure it's ready for "prime time" web publication).

Now, as I sit here typing and thinking and focusing and analyzing, I am not so concerned about being in a more modern setting when I get to where I am going.

When I relax, and listen to myself, I know the experience will be exactly what I make it.

(A pleasant calm comes over me when I remember how much control I have over my own perspective.)

One Given?

A concern has been growing within me as of late: I could be assigned to a gig where I live in a big city speaking English most of the time -- keep in mind, my assigned area in the Peace Corps is currently IT.

(Liz, you didn't cause this - your info just matches with what I have heard from others)

I have been reading about Peace Corps service and emailing with current Peace Corps volunteers about their assignments. So far, I have heard two things in common:

• Everyone's Peace Corps experience is different.
• There are many unexpected challenges before, during, and after service.

One thing that has not been common, but has occurred more than I expected was the number of volunteers who are not in "traditional third-world settings".

It may sound weird, but I am hoping to be assigned to a very third-world type of setting. I have been expecting to go anywhere and do whatever job I was assigned -- I just thought the one given with a Peace Corps assignment would be living in a non-modern, non-US style setting.

7 Months

If everything goes as scheduled, I will be leaving in 7 months. I have a few big things to do yet:

• Do a number of home repairs
• Sell my house
• Sell my car
• Separate myself from a number of other smaller belongings
• Find cheap storage my remaining treasures
• Quit my job
• Find some type of investment for the proceeds of my house
• Make sure my daughters are prepared for the next 2 years

The tricky part is -- I will have to do most of this without knowing I am going for sure.