First of all, this blog is dedicated to Jack, whose parting words to me - choked through tears on a corner of St. Laurent - were, "Just promise me you'll blog!!"
So I'm blogging! I'm currently in Cincinnati after a ridiculously difficult goodbye to Montreal, including uncontrollable crying while driving out of the city with my sister and my cat. Since coming home, I've been spending time with friends (varsity, girls) and enjoying foods I'm going to miss (Skyline, almost exclusively) and trying to get prepped to leave! Packing so far has mostly consisted of industrial bottles of Pepto, hundreds of single-use eye drops, and some new teacher clothes. My biggest problem so far is the fact that I know nothing about where I'm going be to living after landing in Manila. There are volunteers stationed near the beach or inland, where it is incredibly hot and humid, or in the mountains where it can get pretty cold. I'm packing for warm weather, since I've heard that's a safe assumption at least during training. But I might need to make drastic wardrobe changes for my permanent site. I keep complaining about this (because I can) but I'm not toooo worried about it - its just going to be another adjustment I'm going to have to make.
There is a Facebook page for the group I'm going over with and I have been checking it religiously. Its definitely adding to the excitement - everyone seems really cool and the volunteers who are currently in the Philippines have been incredibly helpful answering everyone's questions.
My freak outs have been pretty much kept to the minimum so far.. at least when I'm awake. My anxiety about leaving has manifested itself in absurd and vivid dreams - but its better than bursting out crying in the grocery store or something...... which will probably begin in a few days, I'm sure. I also recently had a giant snake fall from the sky (or roof..) while I was watering flowers. I've decided it was either an assassination attempt or an omen. I'm considering visiting a psychic to get it decoded, but realistically I'll just end up googling it.
I just googled it...
Snakes represent rebirth and renewal. The shedding of the skin shows us that we can leave old baggage behind and begin again. If you meet up with a snake, it means something or someone important is coming into your life. Never ever try to harm or kill a snake when confronted with one. The more poisonous the snake, the better is the good fortune. The king cobra is described as a snake of extreme good fortune. Whatever you do, never kill a snake as they are also associated with some spiritual presence. They usually slither away themselves when they sense human presence.
GOOD! And strangely apt. Or.. not strangely, because it was an omen sent for me. Right?
Anyways.. This was intended to be a super brief intro post to my blog, but (as one of my Dad's favourite quotes go) I'm always wordy, verbose, and redundant.
I don't think I'll update before jetting off to San Francisco on July 6th for Staging, so this is my official goodbye! I'm not sure what my internet situation will be, so I'll give more details on how to contact me as I find them out. But for the most part, I should be Skype and Facebook-able. And, obviously, keep checking here! I hope everyone enjoys my updates.. if I fall behind on them, feel free to post some passive aggressive "miss you! wish I had some updates!" posts on my Facebook. Then reward my posts with lots and lots and lots of comments, so I'll feel loved even when I'm itchy, dirty, and lonely in the jungle (or tanning on the beach with two buff Filipino men fanning me with palm leaves - those are the two extremes of my expectations at the moment).
If you're in Cinci, I want to see you before I leave! And if not, I'll have my same cell number until I leave so give me a call!
I leave you with the venerable Mr. Kerouac.. (thank you American Studies for a life long love)
What is the feeling when you're driving away from people, and they recede on the plain till you see their specks dispersing? -it's the too huge world vaulting us, and it's good-bye. But we lean forward to the next crazy venture beneath the skies.
So I'm blogging! I'm currently in Cincinnati after a ridiculously difficult goodbye to Montreal, including uncontrollable crying while driving out of the city with my sister and my cat. Since coming home, I've been spending time with friends (varsity, girls) and enjoying foods I'm going to miss (Skyline, almost exclusively) and trying to get prepped to leave! Packing so far has mostly consisted of industrial bottles of Pepto, hundreds of single-use eye drops, and some new teacher clothes. My biggest problem so far is the fact that I know nothing about where I'm going be to living after landing in Manila. There are volunteers stationed near the beach or inland, where it is incredibly hot and humid, or in the mountains where it can get pretty cold. I'm packing for warm weather, since I've heard that's a safe assumption at least during training. But I might need to make drastic wardrobe changes for my permanent site. I keep complaining about this (because I can) but I'm not toooo worried about it - its just going to be another adjustment I'm going to have to make.
There is a Facebook page for the group I'm going over with and I have been checking it religiously. Its definitely adding to the excitement - everyone seems really cool and the volunteers who are currently in the Philippines have been incredibly helpful answering everyone's questions.
My freak outs have been pretty much kept to the minimum so far.. at least when I'm awake. My anxiety about leaving has manifested itself in absurd and vivid dreams - but its better than bursting out crying in the grocery store or something...... which will probably begin in a few days, I'm sure. I also recently had a giant snake fall from the sky (or roof..) while I was watering flowers. I've decided it was either an assassination attempt or an omen. I'm considering visiting a psychic to get it decoded, but realistically I'll just end up googling it.
I just googled it...
Snakes represent rebirth and renewal. The shedding of the skin shows us that we can leave old baggage behind and begin again. If you meet up with a snake, it means something or someone important is coming into your life. Never ever try to harm or kill a snake when confronted with one. The more poisonous the snake, the better is the good fortune. The king cobra is described as a snake of extreme good fortune. Whatever you do, never kill a snake as they are also associated with some spiritual presence. They usually slither away themselves when they sense human presence.
GOOD! And strangely apt. Or.. not strangely, because it was an omen sent for me. Right?
Anyways.. This was intended to be a super brief intro post to my blog, but (as one of my Dad's favourite quotes go) I'm always wordy, verbose, and redundant.
I don't think I'll update before jetting off to San Francisco on July 6th for Staging, so this is my official goodbye! I'm not sure what my internet situation will be, so I'll give more details on how to contact me as I find them out. But for the most part, I should be Skype and Facebook-able. And, obviously, keep checking here! I hope everyone enjoys my updates.. if I fall behind on them, feel free to post some passive aggressive "miss you! wish I had some updates!" posts on my Facebook. Then reward my posts with lots and lots and lots of comments, so I'll feel loved even when I'm itchy, dirty, and lonely in the jungle (or tanning on the beach with two buff Filipino men fanning me with palm leaves - those are the two extremes of my expectations at the moment).
If you're in Cinci, I want to see you before I leave! And if not, I'll have my same cell number until I leave so give me a call!
I leave you with the venerable Mr. Kerouac.. (thank you American Studies for a life long love)
What is the feeling when you're driving away from people, and they recede on the plain till you see their specks dispersing? -it's the too huge world vaulting us, and it's good-bye. But we lean forward to the next crazy venture beneath the skies.
