Through the wonderful world of Facebook, about 25 members of Peru 17 (my group) have found each other, and what's even better, current volunteers (Peru 13-16 I think) have found us and have been SO helpful in answering questions. From packing, to how assignment works, to what training is like, to receiving mail...so incredibly helpful. I also got to meet two other 17-ers who live in the DC area- a quick coffee turned in to dinner after 4 hours!
I sold my car on Wednesday, which was a big deal to me. I didn't want to be stressed about it in my last weeks so was glad to have it gone, but I've had that car since I got my license- so many memories from high school and college...
Before I sold my car I took care of my major Peace Corps shopping at REI and the outlets, which also was a big relief. Main purchases were:
- compact, quick-drying, anti-microbial towels
- headlamp and lantern
- quick-drying, anti-microbial underwear and new bras
- good everyday backpack with cool hidden safety features for when I'm in the city
- waterless shampoo and conditioner
- electrical transformer
- Swiss Army knife
- big rolling duffel bag
I ended up doing a packing test run last weekend because I'm having a bit of a dilemma about which bags to take. My plan is to check a roller duffel (either the new one or an older, smaller one) and big hiking pack (choosing between two I own) and carry-on my regular back pack. The trick is I'm supposed to be able to carry all this myself. I ended up with 50 lbs of clothes and 30 lbs of... books. Well, books with a few photo albums, electronics, and toiletries, but wow that made me consider a Kindle. And apparently receiving packages in Peru is a huge pain, so not sure what I'm going to do there. I really want to bring my favorite books to re-read/trade and books I've been planning to read, and I don't want to buy them for a second time on Kindle...and I really prefer the experience of physical books... but 25ish pounds is pretty significant!
Can't believe I'm less than 7 weeks out. Especially since I'm traveling to Charlottesville next weekend for Foxfield, its really starting to dawn on me how little time at home I have left!
Lastly, I'm leaving this in the back of my mind but the results of the first round of the Peruvian election were pretty surprising to me. The two most extreme candidates (right and left) will advance to the second round on June 5th, a mere 4 days before my staging. Some are concerned about what will happen to Peace Corps Peru if the leftist, Ollanta Humala, wins, but no one really knows what to expect from him. Peace Corps left Bolivia in 2008, although I don't know if it was on the initiative of the Peace Corps or leftist President Evo Morales... but on the other hand, Peace Corps continues to have a strong program in Nicaragua, where leftist Daniel Ortega has been the controversial president since 2006. I guess it will really depend on how hostile Humala could become to the United States, if at all, and how the Peace Corps feels about our safety. I don't like that the election is so close to my departure date, but hopefully we will all be at training and in close contact with PC Staff while any decisions are being made.
On a better note, my new, discounted
Chacos should be coming in the mail tomorrow! The consensus from current Volunteers has created this priority list for packing for Peru:
- laptop + external hard drive (for movies, tv shows, etc)
- iPod
- Chacos and other good quality shoes
- favorite books and more to trade
- clothes that layer
- pocket/Swiss Army knife
- good sunglasses
Well, this post was longer than intended. That seems to always happen. I'm going to work on making my posts short and entertaining when I actually get to Peru!
