This is the first post of what will soon become my Peace Corps Blog. My name is Page Weil and I have been fully invited/accepted to attend Peace Corps Philippines Introductory Training in March '06. If all goes well in learning the required language (Tagalog?) I should be doing water sanitation work on the other side of the globe for the next coupla years.
For now, I am scared poopless. Uncertainty creates a headspace of trying to overplan the situations I may or not be getting myself into. I have been doing a log of reading and preparing, but recently I got some really good advice from a guy on the PC Philippines Google Group:
"...log off the internet,
and go outside and play. Hang out with your friends
and family, and consume dairy products while you still
can. Play in the snow, drink in the winter air and
just be there- wherever you are, fully present. You
will all be absolutely fine when you arrive, with
whatever you have. All questions will be answered, all
secrets revealed, and most anything you need can be
purchased here. And it's kinda fun to just poof! one
day find yourself on an airplane for the Philippines
and know that until that moment you were fully present
to those around you. They and you will appreciate it."
Yeah, yeah, TL;DR, I know. Basically it says that I should have as much fun as I can now and worry about PC when I get there. Although everyone I know has been telling me that I will be totally fine, I am Page the worrier and will try to plan everything until the day I die (or come to some sort of life-changing epiphany).
