90 pounds and 114 inches of Home

Ok, so I'm actually only allowed 80 lbs (total!) and a combo of 107 inches (L+W+H) worth of luggage but I'm over the limit...I know you're shocked. I have paired down my goods twice now and just can't seem to leave much more out. What does one take to the desert for a two year trip? Thought you might like to know....

5 ankle-length skirts (must be able to sit cross-legged on the floor while wearing it)
14 t-shirts (must have my shoulders covered at all times)
176 pairs of cotton underwear (they always make you feel clean even if you're not)
2 bottles of Aleve
1 REI Bug Hut II
1 bathing suit
4 pairs of shoes (tennis shoes, Chaco sandals and 2 pairs of Teva flip-flops)
4 bottles of sunscreen
1 mascara
2 cameras
10 packs of batteries (AA, AAA, D)
3 scarves (to cover my head when necessary and to cover my face when the dust/sand kicks up) 1 wind-breaker jacket
1 thin polar fleece (they say it actually gets cool at some point)
1 razor
45 razor cartidges
1 pillow
1 sheet
A random bag of meds (immodium, vitamins, neosporin, cortaid, alcohol wipes, bandaids, etc)
1 sewing kit (I don't even sew here...but I'm taking one)
2 pairs of socks
4 pairs of pants (1 pair of jeans, 3 pairs of capris)
4 pairs of shorts
110 packs of instant drink mixes (the mini-ones you can drop into a bottle of water)
2 Nalgene bottles
56 Clif bars (I tried to take 56 more - but they got weeded out)
A random bag of other food stuffs (hot chocolate mix, instant Jell-O, instant oatmeal)
1 summer sleeping bag
12 passport photos
12 DVDs (Weddings Crashers, Sex and the City, Bridget Jones 1 & 2, Thank you for Smoking, Steel Magnolias, Twilight, Sex and the City Season 1, The Beach, Love Actually, and a DVD made by my best friends with lots of pictures of home)
3 journals
1 Kindle with 20 books loaded and ready
1 shortwave radio
2 flashlights
1 deck of cards (when all else fails...I can play solitare)
1 small photo album of friends and family
Lots of stationary to write home
2 pairs of sunglasses
2 BIG packs of wet wipes/baby-wipes
2 bottles of hand-sanitizer
1 pair of hair-cutting scissors
1 roll of duct tape
Bag of goodies for the kids (bubbles, crayons, slinkys, stickers)
1 Rough Guide to West Africa
1 map of the world
1 solar charger (charges my camera, ipod and cell phone)
1 laptop
1 Ipod with 300 of my favorite tunes
1 headlamp
1 French/English dictionary
1 address book
2 bottles of bug repellent
7 sports bras
2 camp towels
6 pairs of earrings, 1 bracelet and 1 necklace (sigh...)
1 box of large ziploc bags (to keep the dust and sand out of my food)
1 Leatherman tool (which I'm still learning how to use without slicing my hand off)

Packing this stuff has been a challenge to say the least. I've packed and re-packed twice already and as soon as I find out when I'm leaving in August I'll be packing for the third and hopefully final time before I'm outta here. In the meantime, I'll just practice the art of crafty packing and hope I can weed out some more "necessities" before departure.

Patience and Flexibility

In every book, document or email I've received from the Peace Corps to date has most always included a plea for my patience and flexibility throughout this entire process from application to departure. Now I know why. Last night I got a call from the Peace Corps HQ in Washington, D.C. that informed me that I was not leaving on June 15th as we had originally planned. In fact, they didn't really know when I would be leaving but hoped for mid-August.

Given the current state of affairs in Mauritania and the upcoming Presidential elections that are set to take place on July 18th (cross your fingers they don't delay the elections further) the government is refusing to issue our visas that we are required to have before we board the plane to Mauritania. The PC thinks that after the elections things will be fine and we'll be able to go.

I'm a little bummed, but realize that there is absolutely nothing I can do about it. So I'll just enjoy my summer at home and make the best of it. I could leave sooner but the PC wasn't real optomistic about that.

Stay tuned....

A Kentucky Goodbye....

Last night some of my closest friends and family celebrated my next adventure Kentucky style at The Julep Cup in Lexington. Perfect night, great food, tasty cocktails and absolutely pefect company. Thanks to everyone who made last night one to remember. Love you all!!

Next Stop...Philadelphia

Yesterday I received my final information for staging (aka the 2-3 days of prep we receive before we board the plane for Mauritania). Our staging will take place in the "City of Brotherly Love" June 15-17. I made my flight arrangements today so no backing out now! Looks like I'll be flying out of Lexington on June 15th at 9:19am! Below is a schedule of what we'll be doing in Philly.

June 15
6-8pm Check-in and registration

June 16
6:45am Leave the hotel to go to the clinic to get our meds and shots
1-6pm Welcome to Peace Corps, Background, Managing Risk, Reflection, etc.

June 17
7:00am Depart Philly via bus to JFK Airport
3:50pm Plane departs for Mauritania!! (Nonstop - 8 hrs)

Your Choice....PCV or Mauritanian?

Who doesn't love a good theme party? Last night was a good one. My dear friends the Dedman's threw me a going away party with our closest friends in Harrodsburg. The twist? Unbeknownst to me, everyone was told to either dress like a Peace Corps Volunteer or a Mauritanian. Great idea! Needless to say we shared alot of laughs last night. Thank you Chuck, Helen, Becky, Dixon and Elizabeth!

This is pretty cool....

Today I received an unexpected envelope from the Kentucky State Senate. Over the years I've heard these citations read for a variety of people and now I have one!! Check it out.

Surprise!! Let the celebrating begin...

Last night all of my favorite people from my various political jobs over the last seven years surprised me with a going away party. Let the parties begin! Thank you to everyone who came and a special thanks to my peeps at MSS...you guys are the best!