Today marked the beginning of my Peace Corps service! It has not been without trial and tribulation in arriving in DC for orientation that begins tomorrow. The last month has been jammed with details that have overloaded even this very organized and efficient woman.
Complicating my own process in leaving my family, dog, job, community and friends has been the details connected to my mother s estate ie real estate transaction. Handling a closing that has been now delayed and complicated with a rental, furniture sale, utility changes, chimney replacement/lining, carpentry etc has all but undone me.
Having made a conscious effort to sell my furniture, get rid of clothes, clean out storage boxes, I was under the impression that I had made great progress .getting rid of stuff until, the move on Wednesday. My bill reflected storage of 8000 POUNDS! Are you kidding me! How can one person accumulate that much stuff, and that doesn t even include most of the furniture. It is staggering and disturbing to me.
My packing further confirmed my attachment disorder when I couldn t pare it down any further and weighed in at the airport with 3 bags, yes 3, at 144 pounds. Each bag was under the 50 pound limit, yet US Air charged $210 for 3 bags, $125 for the third to be exact. I was stunned . I need therapy or at the very least a serious overhaul of what I consider important to hold onto.
Arrival in DC was then burdened with a lost bag that has been missing since departure from NH to Boston, no record of it anywhere.
I had a serious meltdown around 7:00 when I realized that all my personal items, makeup, running gear, toiletries and professional clothes were in the missing bag. Who cares about the long, frumpy skirts, books, and hair dye I have in the other bags? After a month-long organized, checklist of at least 100 to-do items, all I wanted to do when I got here was to relax and get a frozen yogurt with lots of goop and candy on the top; my reward for the 14 months it has taken to get this far. The yogurt place is closed today, Sunday 2 blocks from my hotel! ARGGGH
Contemplating running in the morning with no sports bra, shorts or tank top (it s like 90 degrees here and humid) drove me to desperation! I have an ace bandage (boob binding material) and a lulu lemon tank that I could easily make do with, and my long Walmart basketball shorts that I MAY get to wear in Africa if I am lucky. Combined with my Sketcher sneakers, I may have a chance of at least a power walk/run in the morning to start my week. Vaguely familiar theme here, either desperation, attachment or Yankee ingenuity.
On a positive note, the Peace Corps has really outdone themselves with the accommodations. Fully expecting a roommate situation here, I am thrilled to have a king suite to myself, complete with full kitchen, dishwasher, stove, den and 2 TVs, right in Foggy Bottom. Carrie is coming Friday for the weekend so we can easily stay here since no roommate, and it is close to all the monuments and great restaurants.
Thank you all for your unwavering support and enthusiasm. More to follow on the lost baggage escapade and my first week of official training!
Wow Mindy! Bottom line you are now on the way to your new adventure. Have no expectations and you will always be pleasantly surprised. A word on the lost bag. Call LEB airport directly and have them look up the bag number in their system directly. I got a lost bag from Rutland to Florence, Italy that way. Good luck!
So sorry to hear about your bag episode! What a bummer but where you’re going you may end up not using half of that stuff! But deodorant will probably be essential!😄 I love the pic of you and Zozo too! Hopefully you’ll get you’re missing bag one day but I’m thinking it will soon not be that important in the whole sceem of things! Easy for me to say right?
I love reading your blogs and keeping up with what your’re doing and where you are! Love you tons Mindo! Proud of you!
Trish😘
Wow! I’m so impressed with this adventure. Let it go, jump in with both feet and don’t look back. Hindsight’s a myth! Best of luck and keep the blog posts coming!
Xx
Beth
Excellent. Been out of the country and out of the loop and wasn’t aware that you had made the commitment full time to a two year stint. Great compassion Mindy and to separate from all that is comfortable and to step out of the box into the world of need and opportunity is a wonderful pilgrimage.
At the end of the Buddha’s teaching on “The Fruits of the Homeless Life”, the rules of the smash, is the two line mantra that is the couplet of our life of compassion:
“May I serve to be perfect.
May I be perfect to serve”
I look forward to following your adventure and bless you…
Enjoy enjoy, this to shall pass and before you know it you will be back stateside working in VT……
Yikes! I hope you put your hotel location on your luggage? Just keep calling they will et it to you with your luggage $ refund for the inconvenience .
Jeanne
You Made it out alive! Congratulations. Safe travels.
Absolutely love your writing. I can feel every word. And I can feel the humor between them (I hope).
If you are feeling the weight of your material items it makes me think what I have on my back. Now I don’t want to get out of bed as I can see way too much of it from here. Ugh.
Love the picture of you and your best friend. You with the smile of relief, her (him) the look of “now what! she doing something crazy again. This just doesn’t look good” .
Quaker Quote:
“There is no way to find yourself until you discover how utterly to lose yourself.”
~ Rufus Jones, 1863-1948
Peace Cousin and safe travels.
Mindy, I love your posts. These might make a great book when it is all over. Very useful as you teach your yoga re relax and live for the moment. Can’t help but wonder what will make you forget the lost bag! Hopefully something really wonderful. The adventure continues. All of your friends who have commented seem to be really supportive folks. Hope to see more from you soon.
Cyndi