"On A Long Journey Even A Straw Weighs Heavy"

The serious packing stage has begun. We are down to a week til I leave for Miami. I have completely taken over our living room with all of my stuff. 

Tomorrow I'm going to do a test run and see how/if every thing will fit into all my these (below) bags and if they are under the 50 lb. weight limit. So if for some reason there is a serious problem I'll have a few days to try and figure it out.

Ahhh! I don't know how I'm going to do it.

In other news I've made a list of things I want to (try) to do before next Tuesday. I don't know how possible it will be but, its worth a try! 

More Goodbyes.

Well this week as been full of more goodbyes. First off this past weekend my friend Maggie hosted a little "Good-bye Pregame" and then we went out in Baltimore (probably for the last time for two years for me) It was so much fun. Most of my best friends were there and a bunch of the people I have met over this past year. I had an amazing time -- you know when you and your best friends are singing Journey on the top of your lungs like no one else is there at the bar at the end of the night, its been a good one. I'm surprised I didn't cry but its probably because even though I only have 12 days til I leave it still doesn't seem real to me. We'll see how I feel when I start packing ...

Me and my bests (minus Kara and Stac)

All my girls :)

I told you singing at the bar. Please don't judge me.

So for the past couple months I've been working a temp job at my mom's work. Basically just answering phones, opening mail and filing aka stuff you need a rocket science brain for. It was a great opportunity to save up money before I leave. However, I ended up meeting a lot of great people. Everyone was super friendly and welcoming. Yesterday was my last day and I was blown away. When I got there in the morning they had a full spread of food to snack on for the day (good thing because I didn't eat Breakfast) and after lunch everyone surprised me with a cake AND they had collected $ and bought me a $100 Amazon gift card for me to buy books for my Kindle. I was so surprised.

It was SUPER delicious.

He (She) Who Has Begun, Has Half Done.

I wouldn't say I'm half done packing as my title quote implies. I mean really I haven't even started yet. But, for the past couple weeks I've had this big blue IKEA bag in my room where I have just been throwing random things that I don't want to forget to bring with me.

Well today at work (after a rather large Amazon purchase) I started making a list of things I still need to get. Most of it is just basic things like Q-tips, razors, Gatorade powder and the random-ness continued from there. It was then that I got my very first (ready for the alliteration) Peace Corps Packing Panic. The list of random things just got longer and longer and I was like man where am I going to put all this stuff. So I decided when I got home from work I was just going to take over our "formal" living room a.k.a the one we don't use as much and just start spreading everything out that was in that bag to see what I have so far.

  

It made me feel a little less panicky (spelling? no k looked weird ha) for some reason I thought I had a lot more stuff hiding in that big blue IKEA bag.

Oh! I forgot to tell you guys. At my going away party my grandparents gave me an early (4 months early) birthday present .... a new suitcase with my initials on it and everything.

Not a very good picture. But it will have to do.

The Beginning of the Goodbyes.

This weekend my mother and aunt hosted a good-bye party for me. It was just a open house type thing with friends, family and people I've volunteered with in the past.

My Peace Corps themed cake

I had a great time seeing every once and answering the many questions people had. Where are you going again? Where is that? What are you going to be doing there? What's the weather like there? How long will you be gone? Etc. 

Even though my friend Maggie is hosting a going away party next weekend my best friends came to this party as well. It was great because it was the last time we will all got to hang out as a group because my best friend Kara who moved to NC was up visiting. And my friends being the awesome friends that they are got me some amazing presents.

After the party we all went out in Downtown Annapolis and had a great time! Its really starting to hit me now.

Yes, This is a Post About Shoes.

So today instead of buying these incredibly cute red pumps I did the fiscally responsible thing and I bought a new pair of shoes to bring with me to Paraguay. A pair of CROCS. To people who know me this may come as a huge shock because of my known hatred for CROCS. However, these are not your typical hideous pair, they are Mary Jane flats. They are incredibly comfortable, and the best part easy to clean!

But, this purchase got me thinking. I am going to miss my shoes. You may not know this about me yet ... I LOVE shoes. Every kind of shoe.  Flips flops, boots, heels, sneakers, wedges, sandals, my TOMS, my chucks, and even my cleats that were being held together with with athletic tape. This is evident in the amount of pictures I have on FB of my shoes.

Mine are the Purple

NYE

Mine are on the Right.

Over the years of my life this shoe obsession has caused me to gather quite the collection. I haven't counted ... it makes me a little nervous. But, let's just say there are a lot. You can take a look for yourself, maybe see if you can get a rough count.

Don't get me wrong though ...  Paraguay > Shoes ... Duh.

That almighty STAGING email.

I sure am blogging a lot this week. Lets try not to get to used to it ha.

So for those non-PC-obsessed blog readers out there - Staging is basically Peace Corps Orientation. Everyone going to Paraguay on February 8th comes from all over the country and meets in Miami (tough break ha) for a day of ice breakers, information sessions and form filling out. And then we all get on a flight around 11pm to fly down to Buenos Aires and then onto Asuncion.

Well about a month ahead of time you get an email from the PC giving you all your info about staging! And after running around like a crazy person at work I get back to my computer and there it is (1) unread email in my box.

 

Ahhhh! The all important email. And oh the agony having to wait until 430 when I was off work to call and book my flight to Miami. 

But, now its real. At least it feels more real now that I have that 10:20am flight leaving on February 7th for Miami.

"A Year From Now You Will Wish You Had Started Today"

I honestly never really have been a resolution maker … probably because I knew it wouldn’t last long. Let’s just say I’m not very good at keeping them. I remember when I was younger I would get so excited when I would buy/receive a new pretty journal and I would resolve to write in it every day. Well, I will tell you I have at least 6 or 7 journals from my youth stored somewhere that have about 2 weeks, maybe a month or two if you’re lucky, full of my adolescent thoughts. Well this year, since it is a big year of changes for me, I have decided to actually make a few resolutions, and at the end of the year we will see how I’ve done.

Kelley’s 2012 Resolutions:

1. Keep my resolutions. A little redundant? Maybe. But I need the extra reminder.

     2. Practice and try my hardest when learning Spanish and Guaraní. I know the best goals are ones that are specific and this one is definitely a little vague. But, let’s go with it. I studied Spanish in college, it was my minor, but, to say I’m a little rusty is an understatement. Guaraní on the other hand is a completely new language that I hadn’t even really heard of before I got my invitation. However, I’m extremely excited to start learning it.

  

    3.  Run at least twice a week. I honestly enjoy exercising. And I do enjoy running, I love the sense of accomplishment after a particularly hard work out or long run, emphasis on the word after though; because I am extremely good at making up excuses as why it would be a better idea to go home after work and put pjs on and watch TV/read a book instead of going to the gym.

4.      Blog at least once a week. At this point I don’t know what my internet access will be like when I’m in Paraguay, however, that shouldn’t stop me from at least once a week gathering my thoughts in a blog post to be published at a future date. (Side note: I’ve noticed I enjoy blog posts more if the people post pictures as well, so I promise to try and post as many pictures as possible.)

      5. Email/Text/Skype my friends and family at least once every week. Pretty self-explanatory. It’s pretty easy to lose touch with people, relationships take work. Especially, when you live on a different continent. I may be having this new life changing experience but my friends and family’s lives are important too.

     6.  Finally, (also a little vague, but once again go with it) I resolve to keep an open mind this year. I will be introduced to a new country, new people, and an entirely new way of life and I think it is extremely important for me to leave my judgment and my reservations in the United States.

So, if you are my friends, family, fellow Peace Corps volunteers or just a random friendly blog follower, hold me to these resolutions. Hope everyone has a great 2012.

The Start of Something Great.

First let's take a look back ... In 2011 I :

Went to the Redskins/Ravens scrimmage. Had 3 different jobs. Went to Guatemala again to work at a school up in a mountain village. Got nominated for the Peace Corps. Went to a Capitals hockey game. Went to Charlotte, NC to visit my best friend Kara. Got INVITED to the Peace Corps in Paraguay. Experienced an earthquake. Made some great new friends. Participated in a St. Jude's walk. And overall had a GREAT year.

Now in my last post I made a list of things to do before leaving in February. Well I've crossed two more things off my list:

Go to a Caps Game:

Spend New Years Eve in Baltimore: