Philadelphia

After some emotional goodbyes I slowly made my way through security, walked quietly alone about the terminals taking in the last bit of Seattle that I will be exposed to for a long time. My flight was delayed due to thunderstorms in Philadelphia so I grabbed a bite to eat, some soggy Chinese food. Not Chinese food, like American Chinese food, the kind that sits under a heat lamp for 5 hours before a lady in a hairnet scoops it up and sloshes it onto your disposable plate. So that was good, I tossed it halfway through realizing that I ordered too much.

Upon arrival to Philadelphia I met other PCVs (Peace Corps Volunteers) — two for Cameroon, one for South Africa — and we all decided to share a shuttle to the hotel together. The three of us were starving so we ate at a little 24 hour diner near the hotel, which was an interesting experience. Menu of burgers, sandwiches, hoagies, cheesesteaks; served by greasy waitresses chit chatting with local customers eating pie and sipping coffee at 11 PM. Why don’t you stop acting so depressed Ricky how about that? Why don’t you soak in the rich history of this amazing city and have a good time? And stop posing rhetorical questions to yourself in the third person geez.

A building in Philadelphia

For now I will relax in the bath, fill out some paperwork that I procrastinated on and get to bed. Tomorrow I plan on walking around downtown Philadelphia near the hotel just to feel the vibe of a new setting, and then it’s orientation at 12:30 sharp.

My luggage

Pre Departure

The last month has been a hectic roller coaster as I prepare for staging in Philadelphia on May 29 and departure for Cameroon on May 31. I am trying to decide what to bring and what to leave behind as I place items into different piles and attempt to fill a suitcase full of things that I will essentially rely on for the next two years. On top of that, subletting the apartment has been no easy task as I have had two people back out at the last minute over the last month. As of current I am still stuck with the remaining three months of the lease, but in high spirits at least. There are so many things to do with so little time: hiking boots, headlamp, climbing gear, tooth cleaning appointment, suit pickup, etc. It’s coming down to the wire and I know with absolute certainty there will be something I will forget to do or something that I will regret not doing. All this prep work amidst meeting with friends, family, and well-wishers in a barrage of BBQs, dinners, and going away events; it’s all very exhausting yet encouraging at the same time and I appreciate everyone’s efforts to make time for me before my departure, thank you all!

Now to focus my attention back to sorting and packing.