Second Attempt

Well, I had an 8 page entry about my life so far here in Turkmenistan, but the computer keeps telling me there is nothing on my flash drive. I assume that's what it's telling me, since it's in Russian. Next time I'll bring in my laptop and see if I can plug it in. Oh well.

It's official!

I'm now officially a Peace Corps Volunteer!

Send me mail!

(I know you have my address)

(You know who you are)

I'm here

I'm not dead, guys, just cut off from modern technology.

I don't have a lot of time, so I just wanted to assure everyone I made it to Turkmenistan safely. Hopefully I'll have more time to write soon.

It's been a loooong first week. A nap and a cheeseburger would be wonderful right now.

Almost...

First off I want to thank all my friends from Humboldt County who gave me quite the send off. I have never seen so much food at St. Joes even when the administration and sisters brings it in. Too bad I had such a busy night, I was not able to see everyone, and thank everyone for their gifts, cards, food and well wishes. I don't think I'll ever be able to express my gratitude. Also, to those who made it to church on a holiday weekend, my thanks and love. All the prayers are much appreciated.

The drive to Illinois was not very exciting. I was surprised to see snow on the mountains in Utah and Nevada that were bare just weeks before. And it was rather boring, being alone and knowing that I had a time limit on the Uhaul. Otherwise there were at least a dozen places I would have pulled off the road to wander and take pictures. Therefore, no pictures.

When I got to my parents house I couldn't believe how much crap I had. When I got down to it, it was mostly books and craft supplies. Sure there were a lot of clothes, but I expect those to be pilfered while I'm away. Mom put all my furniture to work in their new house. Now she wants my artwork too.

On the other hand, I lugged in the 2 duffle bags of things I'm thinking about taking with me to the PC, and once unpacked looked surprisingly less than I thought. Sure I won't be taking it all, but it's nice to know it all fit.

Over the last week I feel like I have been incredibly lazy. Which is quite untrue. I am now an Illinois resident with the drivers license and license plates to prove it. I no longer owe any student loans, I've had a root canal, oil changed, driven to my sisters house and picked out a brides maid dress. I have to list it all, so I can see what I've done. I think I feel lazy because I'm not working. I sleep until 0900, and dawdle around the house for awhile. I've ridden my bike across town a couple times, and played more video games than is probably healthy.

But it is still hard to believe in 2 weeks I will be where none of this matters. I won't have a car, or money, or a bike, or free time probably. I won't be wearing fancy party dresses. I won't be able to communicate with the majority of the people I meet. But that is what I got into this for, the adventure of it all.

And to promote dental hygiene. I promised the dentist, because he and his assistants gave me a free root canal, because I'm pathetic. After riding my bike for 3 hours in the humidity, I locked myself out of the house, and have had a killer toothache for the last month. On my ride I saw a dentist office, so I stopped in to get a quote on an extraction, only to get the lecture "you're too young to have your teeth pulled" which I've heard twice before about the same tooth. So, because I have no insurance, because I quit my job, because I'm leaving for the PC, they offered to do the work for free. A "pay it forward" charity. And much appreciated. Now only my jaw hurts, instead of my tooth.

So now I pretty much sit and wait. I still have people to visit and things to do, but all in their due time. I can't dwell on the "what if's" and I can't think too much about what I'm getting myself into. It's overwhelming.

Where has all the time gone?

Two more nights of work. It's hard to believe it's over already. Four weeks until I leave for Turkmenistan (that is, if they send me my plane tickets). Where has the time gone? I can hardly believe it's 2008, and even that is half over.

I just spent the last few weeks wandering around the southwest with my boyfriend for a much needed vacation. Of course it has only made the last week of work that much more difficult.

Mostly it was just nice to be in the desert again. To see thunderstorms from 100 miles away. To see thunderstorms at all for that matter. The cloud formations, sunsets, red rocks, Joshua trees, mountains and plains... Sure, northern California is beautiful, nothing can be so green, but after 8 years everything is starting to look the same. Then again, maybe it is because I haven't lived in the desert for 8 years that I feel everything there is so different.

Surprisingly everything was very green in Arizona and New Mexico as well. It must have been a wet summer. It did rain on us more than once. The class reunion was a bust. It's amazing how many people live in highschool. We've graduated, it's time to move on. Then again, many of them still live in Albuquerque. Of course, I thought I'd be there too. I'm still amazed at how much has changed in 10 years.

The next night we spent in Chimayo at the local B and B. I would have loved to have spent more time there, it was wonderful. I've never stayed anywhere so nice. Too bad the restaraunt was closed for the summer, because Rancho de Chimayo has the best New Mexican food ever. But from the balcony in our room we watched the orange-red sunset and a huge double rainbow, listened to the coyotes, smelled the fresh air after the rain. I told Karl I felt like an actual adult.

The rest of the week was spent at his parents house in Colorado. We took the long way from Chimayo, and I finally got to go to South Park. I would love to live there, in the middle of no where. It was especially weird meeting his parents, because they've known about me for almost a year now, but we had never met. So they knew, to an extent, what I was up to. But the whole family is very much alike, and must be taken in small doses. Nothing I couldn't handle, and am looking forward to the next time.

We were hoping to take the train up to Pike's Peak, but unfortunately on the day we chose, the mountain had disappeared behind the clouds. We went to some caves instead. What better way to spend a rainy afternoon than underground. Also, I have hauled my climbing gear all over the country and have yet had the chance to use it.

The drive back was relatively uneventful, but what should I have expected from Wyoming and Utah? Except that I had never been to Wyoming before. Salt Lake City has become surprisingly liberal, with advertisements for liqour and tattoo removal services, and a billboard for skin tight blue jeans. I can see why the "conservative" mormons have issues. Driving around Salt Lake smelled like Eureka. It reminded me of a book by Steinbeck, "Travels with Charlie" where he mentions being able to smell the Pacific Ocean all the way from Idaho. Maybe he was actually smelling the Great Salt Lake.

Now I am home, and overwhelmed by the tasks that lay before me. Or is it the huge pile of crap hiding the floor of my bedroom? Either way, it's hard to even remember everything that needs to be done. I need to sell my truck, pack everything, not just the stuff for the PC, get a hitch put on my car so I can rent a Uhaul, change my address, insurance, cell phones, student loans, let alone tell everyone good bye.

I've never done anything so big before. I knew it would be hard, but I didn't think I would feel so alone.

(Not you Karl. You have been very supportive. Thank you.)