The first email: before staging

Hi all,

In the mail today, I received my staging information. "Staging" is the Peace Corps' one-word description for beginning of service, pre-departure from US information session, meeting my group, and preparations for a life-changing event. My group is scheduled to leave Los Angeles Thursday, April 12 at 9:30pm for Auckland, New Zealand. Now that I know this and the date is less than four weeks away, I'm a little overwhelmed with all the things I need to and think I should do. Like, what do I pack? I'm only allowed 80 lbs of luggage, and there are essential things I need (clothes, shoes, a supply of shampoo & soap, a good can opener), but then there are things such as books, pictures, and even a few things from the packing lists that sound ridiculous that I'm debating about bringing (one packing list suggests "a water proof flashlight for spear fishing at night" - not sure if I'm going to pack that one... it sounds a little more scary than something I want to participate in). Since I've received my staging kit, I have contacted the PC about travel plans to LA, and I'm on a flight leaving Grand Rapids at 7:00am on Wednesday, April 11. The flight goes to Chicago, where I have a very short lay-over (55 minutes - I hope I don't miss my next flight!), and then catch another flight to Los Angeles. I can't believe that in shortly over three weeks I'll be on these planes... this whole experience is starting to become very surreal. I have some more research to do, but here's an address for where I'll be in Vanuatu for the first three months. Mail is kind of slow on that side of the world, so if you write letters now, I might get them shortly after I get there! (Actually, it takes 1-2 weeks from the US airmail, or if you choose, 3 months surface mail.) It's only .84! (or $6.00 for a surface letter... but I don't know why anybody would use that for just a letter - it does get cheaper for larger packages, but those usually don't show up until several months later if sent surface mail).

Stephanie Oegema
Peace Corps/Vanuatu
PMB 9097
Port Vila
Republic of Vanuatu

Apparently, I'm moving to the happiest place on earth (see http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/magazine/5172254.stm\" for an article on a study). I was looking up the postage rates for you, Laura, just in case it was different from sending mail Costa Rica to the US, and this popped up instead. Interesting. And did you know that the Peace Corps was started by Sargent Shriver, brother-in-law to John F. Kennedy and father of Maria Shriver, who is married to Arnold Schwarzenegger?


Hope everyone had a good spring break!
Steph