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.

Namibia?

Some exciting news! I received an email today from a Peace Corps volunteer in Namibia, Liz. What makes the news exciting is that there are some significant similarities between her current assingment and my nomination (some key dates and the program description).

It could be that I am headed to Namibia...

Here is a link to her website: Liz's blog

Tech or No Tech

Well, I have been thinking about what I will take when I go. I am contemplating two different approaches:

• some "key" technology items
• no technology items

I can imagine all the ways my technology items could help and entertain me. I can also imagine worrying about losing them, spending too much time maintaining them, and being set further apart from the host country nationals (HCNs) I am living with because I have wonderful things they do not have...

I am a self-procaliamed technology guy, still there is something very romatic about leaving all of that tech-gear behind; bringing only a harmonica and an old-fashioned leatherbound notebook.