Staging

I departed from the Des Moines airport yesterday morning. My whole family was there to see me off, which was absolutely amazing. When I encounter moments of uncertainty in Cameroon, I'll remind myself that I have a wonderful support group back home.

I arrived in Philadelphia at about 4:30 yesterday afternoon, and after initially going to the wrong hotel, I was checked in by 5:30 and absolutely exhausted from lack of sleep and navigating PHL with two 35-pound bags. (Imagine how the people with 100 lbs of luggage must feel!) I thought I would feel a bit guilty about not exploring Philly while I was here, but as it was Memorial Day, everything was closed, and I was in need of a mental health break, so I stayed in the room and read the first half of Eleanor and Park. (Good recommendation, Dad.)

I finally met a fellow trainee--my roommate, Roxie--at about nine. Luckily, she's as much of an old lady as I am, and we were in bed by about 11.

I was hoping to see some of Philadelphia today, since I've never visited before, so I set off to Independence Hall at about 9 this morning. Unfortunately, everyone else had the same idea, and the earliest I'd be able to get in was 1 pm, which was not an option with registration starting at noon. Oh, well. I took some obligatory touristy pictures (see below), passed the massive queue for the Liberty Bell, and bought an adorable plush American eagle for my host family, in case they have kids (or for me, in case they don't). I was trying to save money, be fit, and get to know Philly by walking, but after walking to Independence Hall and surveying the premises in late-morning sun and 90-degree heat, I admitted defeat and took a cab back to the hotel. After all, I couldn't show up to staging with massive sweat-stains.

Staging itself was, I must admit, largely repetition of things I'd learned previously, but it was worth it to put faces to some of the names I've been seeing on Facebook these last months, and to meet some new people and make a few connections. We had an honest discussion about our anxieties and aspirations (perhaps I'll post my list later), and what will be expected of us as Volunteers. All in all, a positive experience. A group of about eight of us had dinner together, which was at turns exhilarating and intimidating. For every moment that I discovered a common interest with a fellow Trainee, there was another where I felt embarrassed for not having visited a certain place or watched a certain TV show, as if we were trying to one-up each other with our travel experiences and pop-culture knowledge. I'm sure it's mostly in my head: it's difficult to not feel self-conscious when you're surrounded by educated, well-traveled individuals.

And so, here I am, back at the hotel, less than ten hours from our departure for the airport. From there, we'll be off to Brussels, and then Cameroon. After all of this travel, settling into a new country and culture might be a relief.