Packing, Preparation, and Staging

 Overlooking Zion National Park in Utah from "Angel's Landing"

The rush of not doing anything is intense! I pack and unpack my bags, shifting and relocating certain items, in order to prepare and return from short travel stints. I visited Zion National Park, Na (my girlfriend) in Madison, WI., Green Gulch farm and Zen Center just north of San Francisco, my Father in L.A. and back to San Diego for my mom. Each trip is another review of my packing order and a test of my current traveling set up. My packed stuff has slowly become more refined; 10 shirts, no 7. 14 underwear, no 6 pairs of backpacking underwear. Wall adapter, no, I'll buy it in China. Over the last 5 months my bag has slowly grown and shrunk in size. I feel ready now. 

But I called this "not doing anything" as if all that travel was me just sitting idle at home. While not "nothing" in the normal sense of the word, the feeling of anticipation leaves all this movement dwarfed beneath the star I'm reaching toward -- Peace Corps China.

On June 18th I leave for San Francisco to meet up with the 21st China Cohort and on the 20th we'll all leave together on a direct flight to Chengdu, China. Since being accepted at the end of last year all my excitement has been pinned on this next adventure. Everything that has come between often feels like a small blip amidst my impatience. 

To Mom, Dad, and all the other new Friends I've made in these past months and all the experiences we've shared together; I value and appreciate these greatly and will treasure them as my last experience of the great American outdoors, the last time I have fresh Californian veges, the last kiss I share with Na, but that "last" part turns joy to nostalgia so quickly, a catalyst for the passing of time as I await my departure date.

I received the "bridge to China" email recently. It detailed what we'd be doing in SF (paperwork) and what the first couple weeks will be in China:

"Typical Training Day
At your training site, you will begin your day with two hours of language, followed by TEFL or cultural sessions in the later part of the morning. In the afternoon, you will continue with another two hours of language and another TEFL or cultural session. Once a week all of you will gather at one training site for Personal Health training, Safety and Security training, and other skill building sessions. Lunch and breaks during the day may be your only time to relax and to process all you have learned as evenings are spent with your host family practicing language and learning about culture. In the evening you will have dinner with your host family, spend time with them using your newly acquired language, and studying and preparing for the next day. You should be prepared for very full training days 6 days a week and a 7th day spent with your homestay family."

Apparently I'm going to be busy all the time. That means no more mellow days lying in the California sun, no more days sitting on Google hangouts with Na, no more days forgetting to set an alarm or deciding I don't want to go to bed at a reasonable time. I'll have obligations and things will be expected of me, and I'm really excited to be giving up this dust-kicking lifestyle. 

I'm really excited to be immersed in a culture I know more about from books than life.