Goodbye!!!!

My flight leaves in 11 hours. I fly Portland to Dallas to DC, and will arrive there tomorrow (Monday) evening around 8 pm local time. I'm meeting Espie, one of the other volunteers in my group, in the airport and we are going to share a cab to the hotel. We'll be on our own until 1 pm Tuesday, when opening ceremonies start. Tuesday 1-dinner and Wednesday 8-dinner are orientation events, and the evenings are free. Wednesday night/Thursday morning at about 2.30 am we check out of the hotel, and then around 3.30 we head to the airport. Not really sure how it takes an hour to check out of a hotel, but this is supposed to be an adventure, so here we go... :)

Our international flight is DC to Miami to Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic. Once we get there we go to a short retreat (two nights, I think) before we are introduced to and sent home with our host families. Then training starts and lasts until something like mid-November. Around that time, I'll find out where my actual site and job assignment will be, and I'll also know more about my permanent communication details, like where you'll be able to send packages, how often I'll have access to internet and how you might be able to get me on a phone.

Stay tuned to the blog for arrival updates and general information, as well, of course, as updates on how I'm doing and what I'm up to. Thank you guys so much for all your support, encouragement and good wishes as I head off into this crazy adventure. You have made this such a smooth and empowering transition. I love you!!!!

Please keep in touch, and notice that there are blogs for other volunteers listed to the right of here so you can read more about the whole situation from lots of points of views, if you are so inclined. MUAH!!!

Me