Kipilefti

So…wow. Today.

Woke up early; my parents made popovers and fruit salad and we had a family (minus Sister Dear) breakfast. I said goodbye to the kittycats and we drove to Union Station, where we wound up buying a new train ticket since the paper ticket never arrived. So I didn’t get to ride the Acela after all, sadly.

Goodbye to my family; quiet tears on the train; arrival in Philadelphia. Took a taxi to the hotel where staging is taking place (right in Old City!) and lugged my bags up to my room. My roommate was just getting ready to go to lunch with a bunch of Peace Corps folks, so I tagged along.

Most of them were from Minnesota, which was unexpected! Lunch was fun, although all day I’ve been feeling the awkwardness, like I can’t interact well with people I don’t know. If people know me they know that when I’m distant it’s just that I don’t have anything to say, but I always worry that strangers will take it amiss.

Anyway, after lunch we filled out paperwork and were told a lot of information. A few hours of learning (and the dispensation of money from the government so we can eat and enjoy ourselves!) and then we went for dinner, wandering in circles in various groups. At one point three other people and I split off from one group, only to run into another group that had split off earlier. Then the whole reunited group went for Mexican food.

…And then to a laid-back bar.

I think I know the names of maybe a third of the thirty-odd volunteers in the group by now, which is pretty decent for me. (Interestingly, out of thirty-some volunteers, there are only three of us who will be teaching computer skills; the others are teaching math or science or possibly both.)

My head hurts from smiling too much while wearing my glasses. And I’m exhausted.

Tomorrow: learning all day. We have assigned reading.

Tuesday: shots, bus, planes until forever.

At least there’s an “us” now, and we’re in it together.