February 2012
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A week in the jungle
Another post already? I’m just as shocked as anyone reading this probably is too, but our week-long technical training trip to the Amazon was just too amazing not to blog about!
After the bus was an hour late, we finally started our journey to Tena at 7am on Monday morning. After 4 hours of crazy, winding roads at breakneck speed, we finally arrived. The heat and humidity instantly hit us...
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Life of a Peace Corps Trainee
Well, I’ve been in Ecuador for almost a month and this is my first post. I am so predictable. It also doesn’t help that every free minute I have, I’ve been devoting to reading The Hunger Games series. Addicted, seriously. But anyway, life here is going good! Adjusting slowly but surely. I’ll try to give the best recap I can of what’s been going on and what my life is...
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January 2012
5 posts
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Adios
So… the day has finally arrived. In 3 hours I will be waking up after what I would call a short nap I guess to get ready and head to the Dallas airport. By 8pm tomorrow, I’ll be in Ecuador. It’s been a year and a half since I applied to the Peace Corps and it’s completely surreal that the time has finally come to start my life there.
I just want to say a final thank you to...
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“Life in the Peace Corps will not be easy. There will be no salary and allowances...”
– John F. Kennedy
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“At no other point in our history has our future been linked so closely with that...”
– congratulatory letter from Barack Obama and The White House on being invited to serve in the Peace Corps
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One week
With just one week to go until my long-anticipated departure for the Peace Corps, I figured I had better explain a little bit about where I’m going and what I’ll be doing there. (Look for an earlier post about the ‘why’). I applied to the Peace Corps in July 2010. Almost exactly a year and half later, the adventure is finally about to begin. On January 17th, I’ll be leaving home for 27 months....
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December 2011
4 posts
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Up, up and away
Things are getting real. Just booked my flights! My Peace Corps staging will be in Dallas, TX. A little shocked by the news since pretty much everyone in my group was expecting it to be in D.C. but so excited for my first visit to Tejas. And even more excited to take off for Quito after staging’s over. Now about a billion and one things to do before I leave on January 17!
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“One of the sayings in our country is Ubuntu – the essence of being human. Ubuntu...”
– Archbishop Desmond Tutu
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October 2011
12 posts
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“No one can deprive us of the right, as concerned global citizens, to want to do...”
– Kofi Annan
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Anonymous asked: How was the application process for the Peace Corps? Difficult? Competitive? Did you do anything to set yourself apart?
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“I realize now that serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer is unlike any volunteer or...”
– Peace Corps Volunteer Michelle Aguilar (via peacecorps)
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“Education is an admirable thing, but it is well to remember from time to time...”
– Oscar Wilde
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Flashlight? Check.
With a little over 3 months until my departure for Ecuador, I’ve started to check off some items from my “Things to buy for Ecuador” list. The list has gotten pretty long so I figured I should start sooner than later. The first purchase? A handy, dandy LED flashlight for $20 equipped with wind-up charger thingy and tons of other wilderness, emergency preparedness features that I...
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“What we have done for ourselves alone dies with us; what we have done for others...”
– Albert Pike (via mikadoo)
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How the Peace Corps Works (from Stuff You Should... →
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“No one wants to die. Even people who want to go to heaven don’t want to die to...”
– Steve Jobs (via nesimaa)
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Why Ignore 50 Years of Good Works by the Peace... →
whereintheworldisflick:
Good, short letter to the editor of the Washington Post. And I have to say that I couldn’t agree more.
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September 2011
15 posts
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“I hope you remember to believe in things ‘til you die. I hope you remember to be...”
– Sargent Shriver (via whereintheworldisflick)
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Peace Corps' annual budget for 8,700 volunteers... →
katiehiebert:
I can’t believe people actually talk about getting rid of the Peace Corps, like it is such a burden on the American taxpayer.
The entire annual budget of the Peace Corps is less than the budget of the army marching band.
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“One final paragraph of advice: It is not enough to fight for the land; it is...”
– Edward Abbey
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Sometimes I love Facebook
I have a serious love/hate relationship with Facebook. So much creeping and face-stalking, so many meaningless “happy birthday!!!11!!!!!:)” messages from people I haven’t seen in months, and worst of all, the never-ending app requests. There are those rare times though when I love Facebook. It’s a simple way to let a friend know you’re thinking about them, video...
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kaylamckendrick asked: Are you excited to go to Ecuador?
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“All conflicts can be resolved. Wars and conflicts are not inevitable. They are...”
– Martti Ahtisaari
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“Don’t ask what the world needs. Ask what makes you come alive, and go do...”
– Howard Thurman
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10 Native American Commandments
Treat the Earth and all that dwell thereon with respect.
Remain close to the Great Spirit, in all that you do.
Show great respect for your fellow beings. (Especially Respect yourself)
Work together for the benefit of all Mankind.
Give assistance and kindness wherever needed.
Do what you know to be right. (But be careful not to fall into self-righteousness)
Look after the well being of mind...
August 2011
19 posts
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Planaholic
The first step is admitting you have a problem, right? Well, my name is Sarah and I am a planaholic. My future is laid out for me all the way up until April 4, 2014. Plus, I’d like to backpack and travel for a month after Peace Corps so I guess I’m really all set until sometime in May 2014. You’d think that would be more than enough of my life planned out for me to handle at the...
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“No one is born hating another person because of the color of his skin, or his...”
– Nelson Mandela
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I've got a feva
Just made an appointment for my second visit to the travel clinic. Gotta get my yellow fever vaccination (ya know, so I don’t turn yellow in Ecuador!). Not super excited about this due to my ongoing fear of needles. Haven’t passed out in a while but it’s probably for the best if Daddy Dearest comes along to drive just in case.
And a word of advice for PC hopefuls: no matter how...
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“Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree, it...”
– Albert Einstein
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What? Where? Why?
At some point, I guess I should explain the reason I made this blog in the first place: to chronicle my Peace Corps journey from preparation to departure, from training to service, and finally to my readjustment back home in 2014.
So, here goes… on January 18, 2012 I will be departing for Ecuador to start training to become a Peace Corps Business Advising volunteer. I will spend my first...
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Mail
I usually never get mail, unless you count bills and credit card offers. Yes, I get cards on my birthday or for some holidays, but never letters or a note just to say “I’m thinking of you.” I guess snail-mail seems outdated in the Internet age. Today, I got a letter though! I felt like singing that Blues Clues mail song.
I got a letter from the volunteers of Peace Corps Senegal...