Productivity

Go Kathi, go!

This week has been more productive than the rest - thank goodness I'm getting the show on the road. I mean, I really needed a swift kick you-know-where and it just wasn't happening.  Don't get me wrong, I am psyched about my adventures ahead!  I just think I'm a deer caught in the headlights.  So much to be done and with each day that passes by, I remind myself I am one step closer to Malawi and one less day dedicated to packing.

So it was good of me to start my week of productivity quickly - "quickly" as in last Wednesday.  I got a sweet sneak peak of some fellow volunteers heading to Malawi.  With the help of that wonderful little Facebook group, I met up with some cool ladies in the Maryland/DC area - truly awesome girls! I mean, obviously they're awesome - they're in the Peace Corps.  ;-) But truly, it was so good to sit down and put everything in perspective with people who know exactly what I'm going through.  To be honest, most people are probably annoyed by my constant babbling about what I'm going to pack and when I'm going to get the chance to see everyone I need to see and questioning whether or not they have lion spray to deflect any unwanted attacks by Simba and his crew.

I digress.

So after my dinner date with Renee and Ilena, I was inspired to clean my room.  From there I started ordering the necessities online.  A few stores are kind enough to offer Peace Corps volunteers discounts (which I found one day from googling too much) and I am so psyched to be getting these great discounts at the most perfect time in my career - I'm about to be unemployed in two weeks!

A trip to Wal Mart here and several hours of online shopping later, I have accumulated a small pile of goodies to take with me to Malawi. My lists are starting to get check marks down the left hand margin, but there's a great deal more I need to do.  However, I feel accomplished when I see those check marks.

I feel like I have reached the last step in this process. Today I received my staging information (which translates to: orientation prior to leaving for Malawi) Initially I will fly to Philadelphia and meet with the other volunteers to get the down-low, a couple immunizations and - you guessed it - more paperwork. I opened the e-mail with the same anticipation as I have opened all correspondence with the Peace Corps.  This is it.