The real countdown is on..

As I sit here wondering what the heck I have gotten myself into, I keep reminding myself of why I decided to accept my invitation to the Dominican Republic for Peace Corps. My decision to join the Peace Corps was brought on greatly by some of the trips that I took while studying abroad in Mexico where I saw poverty for the first time. I remember thinking that if there was something that could be done, I would be there. I found seeing such a divided culture so interesting and intriguing while I was in Mexico. I am expecting to see another similarly divided culture in the Dominican Republic, where the wealth is distributed unevenly between classes. The rich being far too rich, and the poor being far too poor. Hopefully, after 3 months of training, I will be able to really make a change and teach others some of the skills that I have gained in my life thus far so that they can improve their quality of life for themselves and future generations.

"Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will eat for the rest of his life." My sister and I were just talking about this quote a few days ago, and I truly think that it is a great quote that captures one part of the journey that I am about to undertake. I know that not only will I be helping others in the community that I live in, but I will also be growing as an individual. Some of this growth will be in my Spanish speaking skills, professional and leadership skills, but I can guarantee the majority of this growth will be reflected internally in my overall my attitude and gratefulness toward the life that God has blessed me with.

Ok, so back to my frustrations on everything I have left to do before I depart for staging in DC. It is so overwhelming to be sitting in piles of boxes and boxes of things (most of which, I really probably have never needed), papers and dirty clothes. I'd say if I didn't have anxiety before, I definitely have it now. I just sit here literally in a complete state of procrastination and anxiety. Somehow I know it will all be fine...but this just feels SO much different and much more difficult than packing to go study abroad for 4-5 months. =)

And--don't forget to start planning your visits to come see me. I will not be allowed to have visitors during my first 6 months or the last 3 months of my service. So, starting February 19th, 2010 (not exact, but close enough) until July 28th, 2011 (mas o menos..more or less) you should be able to come visit!

For those of you that have been wondering how you can send me things or get ahold of me. I will be getting a cell phone at some point after my 3 months of training. However, I will most likely not have service in the community that I am living in. It will be best to communicate via email (or facebook) or to plan a time to arrange a phone call and then one of us will buy a calling card (from what I've read, it is not very expensive to do this). Below is an advisory for sending packages:

*Sending packages. Relatives often like to send care packages through the mail. Unfortunately, sending packages can be a frustrating experience for all involved due to high incidence of theft and heavy customs taxes. You may want to try to end inexpensive items through the mail, but there is no guarantee that these items will arrive. We do not recommend, however, that costly items be sent through the mail. Even though many Volunteers choose to get local post office boxes, you may always use the following address to send letters and/or packages to your family member:

Andrea Montague, PCV
Cuerpo de Paz
Avenida Bolivar 451, Gazcue
Apartado 1412
Santo Domingo
Dominican Republic

*IT IS RECOMMENDED THAT PACKAGES BE SENT IN PADDED ENVELOPES IF POSSIBLE, AS BOXES TEND TO BE TAXED AND OPENED MORE FREQUENTLY.*

Wish me luck on this wonderful opportunity! :) *Andrea*