Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Things to do while waiting:

There's this part in the movie Jarhead where Jake G. is discussing a list of ways to prevent bordem while they are all in the desert waiting for the war to start. Though decidedly less explicit, I've been inadvertantly compiling a similar list in my head every time my thoughts wander to the giant elephant in the room that is my impending medical clearance and placement. Here is what I have so far...

1) Weed garden
2) Harvest garden
3) Can and pickle boxes upon boxes of food
4) Stare at PeaceCorpJournals.com, waiting for new updates
5) Begin a GI Joes wishlist for X-mas
6) Count down days until October, which is one month closer to tenative departure date
7) Build fences, stack wood, clean barns (my parents love this one)
8) Plan trips that will probably never come to fruition but are fun to think about
9) Think about getting a job, but realize that no one will hire you if you are leaving in a few months, so instead, do odd jobs for neighbors and friends. Stash money for future plane tickets.
10) Come up with new creative ways to say "I'm waiting to hear my country assignment"
11) Check e-mail hourly, just in case
12) Fight with Department of Ed over student loans (jerknoses). Attempt to consolidate.
13) Print out loan deferral and passport paperwork. File away for quick recovery and mailing.
14) Take pictures of random things and people to show my future host family (who knows, they may want to see an American gas station... I should be prepared)
15) Go shopping. Stare at cute shoes. Contemplate purchase. Realize you're going to Africa. Go home.

In reality, I have been keeping really busy, which is probably best. Fall is nearly upon us here, and on the farm that means lots of preparation for winter. This is my least favorite time of the year, but it is really nice not having school to worry about for the first time in basically 15 years. What a feeling of freedom! No class, no studying, no homework, no finals, awesome. On the other hand, it means that I have nothing to keep my brain occupied besides facebook and this blog. Maybe when the weather gets crappy and the dairy slows down, I'll have time for pursuits of leisure (HA, yea right...).

Shout out to all my fellow wait-ees. We can do it!!! Patience is merely perseverance with acceptance. :D

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