Arrival

Sorry it’s been awhile since posting, but I’ve been pretty busy moving around the world. After arriving in Philadelphia for staging, I checked into my hotel and set out to explore the city. I wandered around a beautiful park and ate a delightful dinner at Cosi’s, which doesn’t exist au Kansas. Upon returning to the hotel, I met my roommate B. I must admit, I was a little nervous about who my fellow stagiares would be. My anxieties were relieved once B and I started comparing life stories and things we had packed for the trip. Le lendemain, we went to Independence [square/hall/park] and saw the Liberty Bell through the museum’s window rather than waiting 45 minutes in line. Staging itself was rather uneventful – we met each other briefly, talked about the Peace Corps goals, and went out for dinner/drinks later. I volunteered to be a group leader and was responsible for getting all 20+ of us on the bus to the airport (some stagings have over 50 participants!). Our flights from JFK to Capital City via Paris went off without a hitch and I was able to watch “Tout Ce Qui Brille,” “Nine,” and “Inglorious Basterds.” Once in country, I met with staff from country headquarters, took a language placement test (Describe the oil spill disaster in French. Seriously), and got to know my classmates better. We are now at the training site and I’m so excited. I’m living with a very nice host family and no longer have to lug my stuff around all the time. Speaking French, being able to eat with one’s hands, and not being to weirded out by using a pump instead of a faucet will go along way to cultural adjustment. Of course, I’m now able to devote more time to studying my national language – personal growth never stops!