Staging is Over!

I arrived in Philadelphia on Friday, the 13th! haha. Everything went very smoothly at check-in and during our ice breakers. The people in this group of trainees are absolutely amazing. Our staging staff was so nice and helpful, it was great to hear about their experiences as PCVs (Peace Corps Volunteers). If I thought I was excited at any point during the application process - there are no words for how I feel now. Putting faces on all the people that chose to do what I have wanted to do for so long is remarkable. 57 completely different people from all over the country, all from very different walks of life, all ages and levels of wisdom.

We went out to dinner both nights, for the most part the groups were mixed up a bit. My brother happened to be visiting Temple University tonight and stopped by the restaurant where we were eating! It was awesome to see him one last time, and to get to introduce him to some of the tremendous people I have been fortunate enough to meet. I even got lucky enough to find a few people that are as obsessed with sports as I am...I still can't believe I am missing the Celtics win the series. haha. NO really, they will. Not having ESPN for a long time is actually the one thing that is starting to hit hard. I am going to be so lost without it! So if anyone reading this happens to be a sports fan, please don't hesitate to keep me posted.

Tomorrow is the big flight! I am so excited to finally step foot on Georgian soil in two days. We get a big welcome dinner at a traditional Georgian restaurant with the Peace Corps when we land. I am really excited to finally try the food! We have an intense orientation in Country so I will be without any mode of communication for at least a week. *A little shout out to my family - NO NEWS IS GOOD NEWS! So Ciao for now and I miss everyone at home already!