Well, now I am going to Botswana

So last week it was figured out that I CAN go to Botswana, so my new departure date is April 1, 2011 (gee, hope that isn't a joke!?) and I will be working with an NGO in HIV/AIDS arena.  I think this will be a great match for me.  Have decided that I will be fostering out all my pets and renting the house out entirely, so now its time to shrink my stuff even more, pack up and store what i want to keep and do some home repair to get things ready.  A full time job to go with my full time job, but I am eager and excited. Reading about AIDS in Africa and why some countries have a very high incidence, like Botswana and others don't. If it were just one reason, everyone would have resolved it and moved on, but unfortunately it is very complex.  My almost 11 year old niece (she's the one who drew the picture above, about 5 years ago) and i went out last weekend and bought matching journals so we can each write down each day what we are doing and what the other person is missing out on.  I am not a great journal writer, but now, knowing I have her to answer to, and that I will kind of be writing it to her, will help me make the effort. May keep an ancillary one for some of my other thoughts!  Now, how do I change my blog name and get myself into the Botswana blogs/????!  Wishing everyone who is heading to Senegal in March all the best! 

And life goes on

So the week ends without any further idea of where my peace corps experience will take me. Reassured (maybe?) by the PC nurse that there are "countries in all regions" that I would qualify for, I await real word from my Placement Officer to see where I may land.  Spent the last two mornings working in our day care program as a therapy aide, instead of my usual role as the director of the whole darned program. Since I had planned to take the two days off anyway, I decided to help out in the program instead. Had a great time - my staff are excellent at what they do for the people who need them.  I will miss being with them, but realize more and more that I want to get more hands on again for awhile and that is what Peace Corps can offer me, among many other things. 

This weekend I am doing three, two hour "pieces of peace corps" sessions, where I am selling various items from my life here in order to clear space physically and emotionally and raise a bit of money to care for my animals while I am gone.  It was a nice evening, because I invited only people I liked (duh) and they were generous in taking some of my treasures/random things and exchanging them for a bit of money.  Tomorrow and then Sunday I hope a few more people will come by and buy. Then, much of this will either be packed back up for me when I return, or send onward to a  local charity who can make use of it.

All this continues with the belief that I will find a new country. Meanwhile, I guess I get to sit and ponder the whole thing and the various events of this week and I realize that whatever happens, I will be, I AM, right where I need to be right now.  And that even though I have relatively little by American standards, I still have too much crap.  And some of it no one in their right mind will want.  I have already started to examine every item I purchase (that isn't food) and really ask, do I need this? How long will I need this?  Or do I just really want it and why?  I enjoy this exercie. Sadly, my boyfriend is my alter ego and has so much stuff and doesn't even know what he has but knows he needs every, single solitary, item. Even if he as 20 more exactly like it.  Ah dun't geht it!  Sigh.  that is a topic for another day. 

A woman without a country - for now

Well, I won't be going to Senegal after all.  Hope to hear something in the next couple of days about my new post, but for now I am forlorn. Was starting to meet some of the other Senegal HE/EE folks via facebook and they are a great bunch. I am sure the bunch I eventually hook up to will also be great.  I am leaving my blog name for now, and will change it when I know where Ms Maggie is going. Luckily, when I signed up for this I signed up to go wherever they need and want me, so hopefully they still need and want me. sigh. sniff.

Meanwhile life at work is getting overwhelming. We are starting new projects and expanding services and they need me more than ever to focus on those things, but in order to finish up what I need to finish to keep things in good shape long term, I need to focus on other projects. The old "put out the fire now vs. teach a man to eat fish" Well, okay, that isn't the saying, but it is always the pull - do what is in your face or do what is the best thing to do. 

The priority at home is to get ready for my Pieces of Peace Corps sales/party, where I am shaking loose the things I don't need while away for 27 months and don't want to leave packed up somewhere. It is a chance to gather with friends and pass some of my things to them that they might like, while helping me raise some money for the costs I will incur here at home during my service. We will eat, drink, be merry, and hopefully raise some cash for my homefront fund.  Maybe by the party I will know what I am doing/where I am going.  Yikes, and my passport sits at the PC travel office and I willhave to write a whole new aspiration statement, etc. etc. yes, we ARE having fun!