Game Time

[Typed at SFO at approximately 10:00a.m. on 7/18/10—don’t know when I’ll be able to post it online.]

So this is it. Today is the big day. I just said farewell to my parents at security, and I’m on my way to Washington, D.C. for Peace Corps staging. I have a little bit of a heads up because Summer just went through the whole process 5 days ago, but I’m still anxious and excited.

This is how things are probably going to go down: I should be getting a roommate at the hotel where I’ll stay the night. Tomorrow I have registration and a workshop about adapting to a different culture. They give us some cash for food. The next day we do a final medical check up and take care of any remaining shots. Then we go to the airport to depart for Johannesburg, via Dakar. 17-hour flight. Ouch. We stay the night in Johannesburg before finally flying out to Antananarivo, Madagascar on July 22.

So, here’s hoping everything goes smoothly. I have to make a semi-tight connection in Chicago, but that’s all.

Vitals

This will be my mailing address during training (July 22 - September 21, 2010):

Joshua Twisselman, PCT Peace Corps
Corps de la Paix
B.P. 12091
Poste Zoom Ankorondrano
101 Antananarivo
Madagascar

Send me mail!

After training, I'll be assigned to my site. Once I get that address, you should send mail there too.

Last Day of Work

Friday was my last day at KYSRK. It was hard not to get emotional with the kind words and wishes I received from all of my wonderful co-workers. I have definitely been blessed to have worked with such a gracious and supportive group of people these last ten months. I was particularly honored and touched by the toast given by Lance Spiegel and the beautiful cake. To any of my co-workers reading: thank you so much!

Yesterday I drove up to Salinas with Summer. We stopped at Pea Soup Anderson's - delicious. Listened to the Korea/Uruguay game in the morning and the USA/Ghana game in the afternoon with great disappointment.

Today I had brunch with the family and watched my dad perform in To Kill A Mockingbird... best Walter Cunningham and Nathan Radley ever. Great job Dad. Heading back to LA in a few minutes. Bye!

Staging

Very exciting morning. Having woken up feeling ecstatic over the Lakers' comeback victory over the Celtics, I was disheartened to learn that by the time I arrived at work it was Slovenia 2 - 0 USA. However, after completing my morning duties I checked the highlights to discover that the US had made a spectacular comeback (2-2). I followed the BBC live updates to the end (including the horrible job done by officials, robbing the US of a third goal and a well-earned victory).

I then checked my e-mail to discover I had received my staging information. My staging is in Washington, D.C. from July 19-20, and I then make the long flight to Antananarivo, Madagascar via connections in Dakar and Johannesburg.

On lunch today I'll have to book my flight to D.C. with SATO Travel. Next week will be my last here at Kaufman, Young, Spiegel, Robinson & Kenerson. I'll miss everyone terribly, but I can't wait for what's to come.

Peace Corps Invitation!

This is my first post in my first real blog. I guess the best way to start it off is with the biggest news I've received in the last 30 days: On April 14 I received my invitation to serve as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Madagascar. I depart for orientation on July 19, 2010.

I expect I will have much more to say in the coming months, and I plan to use this blog if at all possible during my assignment as well. In the meantime, as I frantically try to do everything I need to do stateside, I'll try to use this blog to connect with fellow invitees/volunteers/RPCV's. So if you have been invited to serve, are serving, or have served in Madagascar (or anywhere else for that matter) I'd be happy to discuss...well...anything.

Cheers!