WELKAM LONG BLOG BLONG MI!....translation....Welcome to my Blog!

I have a Bucket List...even before "Bucket List" the movie was created I had a Bucket List. One of my Bucket List items has been joining the Peace Corps before I kick the bucket. So, 10 years ago I applied, was accepted and was moments away from departing before realizing that it wasn't meant to be because I had too many teeth in my mouth. Long story short, to join the Peace Corps you're obligated to extract your wisdom teeth if they're a hot mess, which mine were. I couldn't afford to extract them so after 3 months of crashing at my sister's apartment boo-wooing with disappointment I came to terms with the Universe and moved on.
I always knew I'd reapply, but wasn't sure when. So, one day in late 2008 when I realized I wasn't as happy with life as I once was I went online and reapplied. A year later on September 11, 2009 I boarded a plan in LAX with 41 strangers in route to Vanuatu-- a gorgeous South Pacific country consisting of 83 islands (that I never heard of before Peace Corps). Anyone who knows me will tell you that I am a believer in the power of manifestation not to mention I'm a persistent little Boriqua and now here I am sitting in the Vanuatu Peace Corps Office fulfilling one of my dreams and living la vida "Ni-Van" on the other side of the globe. I hope you enjoy my stories and thanks for visiting. Please note the contents of this website are mine alone and do not reflect any position of the U.S. Government or the Peace Corps.


Saturday, May 22, 2010

In the Beginning....Group 22's Arrival







On Sept 13, 2009 Group 22 landed in Port Vila, Vanuatu. We were the largest group in the history of Peace Corps Vanuatu to begin Pre-Service Training. I was honored to be part of the 41 eager Volunteers to be greeted by my new Peace Corps family. After what seemed like a million hours since we boarded our plane in Los Angeles and transferred in Auckland, New Zealand (in reality it was about 17-20 hours) it was exciting, invigorating and a bit overwhelming to walk out of the airport to a line of a dozen Peace Corps folks (Staff and current Volunteers) clapping and cheering us on. After spending so much time on a plane all I could think of was how good it would feel to shower, but I settled for being wrapped in a new sarong (aka lava lava in Vanuatu, a salusalu (lei) and drinking coconut water straight from my very own coconut and bendy straw. After the initial shock of having arrived (finally!) my next thought was "if this is how we'll be treated regularly in this country I can definitely get used to being a Volunteer."