Yikes! It has been a little more than 16 months since I submitted my application on-line. During that time, days seemed like weeks and weeks seemed like months. The thought of actually departing the States to serve in another country seemed so far off that there was little anxiety about doing so. In fact, I harbored an eagerness to get going and that overshadowed any feelings of anticipatory anxiety. Now that I am looking the actual departure squarely in the eyes, last-minute anxieties are kicking into high gear. I now realize that the time left until Staging has dwindled to a mere 2 days and a wake-up. All of a sudden it seems as though I have so much to do, when my checklist indicates that I am right on schedule.
I am all packed and most of my good-byes have been accomplished, I had a wonderful Labor Day Holiday weekend in Lancaster County, PA (home of the Pennsylvania Dutch), My mom and sisters tried to do so much with/for me and all I wanted to do was spend time with them. In addition to several very thoughtful and useful going away gifts, they drove me around the PA Dutch tourist areas so I could get some apple butter and souvenir glasses to add to my host family gifts. Then, they took me to the Clipper Magazine Stadium for a baseball game between the Lancaster Barnstormers and the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs. I can’t decide which team had the worst name, but the game was enjoyable never-the-less. The new stadium was nice:
The Clipper Magazine Stadium in Lancaster, PA - - - Notice the cottage-like structure and the canopies at the far end of the first base line. That was a barbecue hut with covered seating so fans could feast while watching the game.
Following the game, there was a beautiful fireworks display
Fireworks display over the outfield
Mary and I came home yesterday, on Labor Day, in time to pick up a dog that the owner could no longer maintain due to a landlord unwilling to allow the dog in the apartment. She is a 10-year-old Lapso Apso with the mildest manner and the sweetest disposition.
First photo of Ginger in our house.
Close-up of Ginger
Ginger loves to play with her tennis ball and brings it to you often asking to play.
So, there you have it, less than 3 days from my departure and a replacement for me has been chosen and brought into our house (!). But I am okay with this because Ginger has already established a place in my heart and I know that she will be great company for my wonderful wife, Mary, who reluctantly chose to continue working rather than retire early and attempt to serve in the Peace Corps with me. I have to see my barber for a last haircut and farewell. I owe my barber a huge tip this time as thanks for the Vasque insulated and water-proof hiking boots and Nautica weather-proof jacket shell with insulating liner which she gave me recently as good-by gifts. I’m going to add a Macy’s gift card and a bottle of my homemade wine to my tip.
A final family dinner this evening at the Lee How Fook restaurant will be the perfect end for my farewell tour.
This Chinese restaurant has been voted by Philadelphians to be the best Chinese restaurant in the city for several years in a row. (It is owned and operated by my daughter-in-law's family)
I will begin using the desk journal given to me by my wife and the pocket journal given to me by Rozanne (“Rocky”), a dear former colleague and this blog will continue whenever possible to post summaries of those entries as I go through Staging and get settled into the routine of training.
Meanwhile, I will also continue participating in the Facebook Group created for our Macedonia Peace Corps members:
https://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_182678295117094
The experience of applying to the Peace Corps and explaining my intentions to family and friends and going through all of their varied, but uniformly positive expressions of understanding and support has been amazing for me at this stage of my life. Beyond this being an extension of my career, it has brought me to realize that I can open new chapters of my life at a time when I felt I was entering my final chapter. I am certain that I will do more with my PC assignment and get more out of the experiences now than I would have 50 years ago when President Kennedy created the Peace Corps and I entered Penn State with my original plan to join the Peace Corps upon graduation.
I am so ready!
