I just wanted to thank everyone who went to the suprise party on Friday in Little Five Points. Kerr, Caitlin, Jeff, and ELove, I especially want to thank yall for planning it. It was absolutely incredible, a great time, and another crazy night together. It was nice to see everyone together one last time before leaving. Here are a few pictures from the night:
PCT Justin LandEMAIL:
Corps de la Paix
B.P. 299
Thies, Senegal
West Africa
Regarding mail, make sure you include "Airmail" and "Par Avion" on the envelopes. It apparently takes around 2 weeks for mail to arrive between the US and Senegal. Also, the going rate for postage on a letter to Senegal is 84 cents I believe.
justin.matson.land@gmail.com
Its kinda crazy....last January was when I submitted the first portion of my Peace Corps Application, and now, over a year later, I am only a month away from this vision becoming a reality. It has really only started to hit me that this is the next stage of my life. It really is a dream come true. I can tell that this experience is truly not going to be worth regretting.
In the past few weeks, I have gotten questions from friends about me being ready to go, excited about going, and what not. I really can't say that I have a definitive answer to these questions. For me, originally laughing at the idea of the Peace Corps back in the Spring of 2003, then toying with the idea for nearly a year, going through the application process which was nerve racking at times, and then "hanging out" for 6 months which was a story in and of itself, I can say that I am ready to go and go do what I want to do....this has always felt like a calling, and that is the only way I can explain it. While I am ready to go, that does not mean that I am not scared or nervous. I'm not going to lie, I'm scared to death...I really have no clue what I am getting myself into. As much as I may want it to be, this is not going to be a walk in the park, but it should definetly be worth it...hopefully. While I am looking forward to heading back to Georgia and North Carolina next week, I'm not looking forward to the goodbyes...I never have been fond of them, unfortunately, they are a reality. It is a weird thing, it really is not anything new, I had to say my goodbyes when I went to "another" school, the three summers I drove down the old dirt road for the last time, and now, but has never been easy. Before I even know it, I will be waving goodbye to those I have lived and worked with in Senegal. I can't say I am worried about any of this; I have some of the best friends from high school, from my summers at Westmont, UGA, and those that I met along the way, as well as family, but, it still is not going to be easy. I don't remember what movie it was, they always said, it isn't goodbye, it's see you later.
Thats kinda a response to how I'm feeling and thinking a month from leaving. Thank yall for all your support...its been amazing.
One question I have gotten a lot, is what I plan on packing. While my bags are not yet packed, I have spent nearly two months compiling a list, based off of a list provided by the Peace Corps as well as lists provided by other volunteers. I am fairly confident everything will fit into my bags, but we shall soon see. Below, I have included everything but toiletries due to space, but I am pretty much bringing two of every toiletry you can think of, with the exception of contacts which I am bringing a year supply of. The only restriction is that "the Peace Corps' allowance is two checked pieces of luggage with combined dimensions of both pieces not to exceed 107 inches (length + width + height) and a carry on bag with dimensions of no more than 45 inches. Checked baggage should not exceed 80 pounds total with a maximum weight allowance of 70 pounds for any one bag.
LUGGAGE:
