It all starts tomorrow...

Tomorrow morning I leave for Miami. By Wednesday evening my training group will be in Quito, Ecuador. This fact hasn't hit me quite yet. I keep saying goodbye to people and it doesn't seem real. I took Donnie to the airport on Wednesday and said goodbye as if I'm going to see him in a couple of days. Its been a similar type reaction to everyone I've said goodbye to. But tomorrow I have to get up super early. My mom, Abbie, and I are heading to Sioux Falls to have breakfast with Melanie before my 10am flight. I'll be in Miami by early evening. I know of at least 1 other girl from my group that is also getting there tomorrow night, so I won't be completely alone.

I'm really excited for this adventure to start. Clearly I have reservations, everyone does or should. I'm moving to a country where I barely speak the language to do a job that I have no prior experience or training in. Well, maybe that's not completely true. Its not as if I haven't worked in an office/organizational setting before. But health? I guess that's what training is for. I have confidence that the PC won't put me in a job that I'm not properly trained for. The idea of having a host family kinda scares me too... but then again, it can't be much worse than living with Monica for 5 months, right? I am really excited to meet the rest of my training group. From the emails and facebook messages that I've exchanged with people, they seem really nice. I'm approaching this experience much different than I did when I went to Argentina. Anyone can study abroad.... its a 5 month long party with a couple of classes thrown in. PC is much more of a commitment. The people that make it are the people that truly want to be there. I'm also ready to meet Ecuadorians and truly experience the culture.

So here we go. No looking back. One last night in Yankton. Keep an eye out for a story in the P&D next week about me. I'm not sure what day it will be printed, but it'll be there.

--Stacie