hurry boy, it's waiting there for you

So I'm leaving Friday for staging in Philly. I haven't necessarily packed. Everything is in my room and in boxes to be stored, but packed? Uh, no. I've decided that in my many years of packing up and leaving with boarding school and college, I have mastered the art of packing under pressure.

Jubo is in the other room sleeping while I get things together. I'm glad she's here. Wish everyone could be here. At least this one goodbye won't be in tears...Casey and I might be sobbing, but Julie will be the rock.

I'm nervous. I'm excited. I'm not ready and ready all the same. I don't think there's any amount of ready that will prepare me for the next 27 months.

I send my love.

here's the mass email:
Dear All,

So the time hath come: the mass email has descended upon you. It is my
time for a 27 month ( = 126 weeks = 822 days) Peace Corps stint in
Africa. I will be safe. I will think of you. I hope you will think of
me.

Some information for ya'll so we're on the same page. I'm leaving
Friday for staging in Philly, then off to Malawi on Sunday. I will be

in training near Dedza (about an hour south of the capital) for three
months then transferred to my 2 year residence. Skip to the end! I'll
be back December 2010 if all goes to plan. New Years 2010-2011 will be
a CRAZY reunion.

Communication is going to be shoddy, but (i've been told) crucial to
my psyche. I believe that. ;-) I can get mail and I would LOVE to
hear from you. Mail-day is quite the spectacle, I've also heard, and
I believe that too. It's like sleepaway camp but... you know... in
africa. So, yes, please send letters! I'll be able to hear all the
love you package them up with as I read them. And it's possible I'll
be able to send txt messages, though 1 battery may have to last a
whole month... *sigh. However, if your numbers change, please let me
know. (more on this later) Postcards... I have it from a good
source that postcards may end up on the post office walls rather than
in my hands. If you find a good one, try putting it in an envelope so
it'll be more sure to make it to me. I know that defeats the
convenience of post cards but it'll help the postcard from being
waylaid en route.

Mailing address:

Erica Cormier, PCT
Peace Corps/Malawi
P.O. Box 208
Lilongwe
Malawi, Africa

Important: you need airmail postage for letters. Letters will take
about 2 weeks to get to me. And number your letters. Copy them if you
can because some letters might get lost. And some letters might get
stolen. And some letters might get eaten. (ok, maybe not eaten.
but have you SEEN the things they have running around out there in the
bush??) But no matter what, I will try my best to stay in touch. If

you haven't heard from me in a couple months, it's not personal. It's

probably because my headlight has run out of batteries or, especially
in the beginning, I might be overwhelmed, terribly homesick and trying
to avoid thinking about it, or have had a strange appetite for postage
stamps which diminished my supplies... Or maybe I'll be so enthralled
and crazy busy and the days will just fly by without a trip to the
post office fitting in anywhere. I mean, who knows. But the mantra
of the Peace Corp is: "No news is good news and your loved one out in
Africa is thinking about all of you everyday."

Recap! Send me your address when you can...and send me a letter with it. <3

Packages (super expensive and not required for my undying love): try

to make sure any packages sent to me are under 4 pounds and if it is
possible, use a padded envelope so it is treated like a letter.

(tricksy!) A package can take up to six weeks if it goes through
without any problems. (see above for potential postal service
pitfalls. NB: the 'eaten' clause may apply if you try to send yummy
things!)

I WILL get a phone by January. Calling before then is pretty much not
gonna happen (Mom, I'll try, you know I will). Peace Corp rules say I
can't use the phone but CAN get mail within the first three months
(barring emergencies- see peace corps mantra above for explanation).
They want to make sure I'm not swayed by the sound of running water
in the background and jump ship, train, plane, donkey, Pinto, or thong
sandle trying to get out of there. If you use Skype, the cost
shouldn't be too bad. I'll send out my number when I have it. (Skype
is an internet-based phone service.) And in the end, text messaging

seems the cheapest way to go...and you thought I was going to get a
break from that...


I will call when I can. I will send emails when I have internet

(sadly, that will be rarely). I will update my blog when I can.
(http://ebcmalawi.blogspot.com/) I will write when I can.

I will be thinking of all of you always...

All my love,
Erica