Staging

So...Im made it to staging in Washington DC and so far so good. Everyone is really really nice. And the nerves seem to be going away and the excitement is kicking in! Im really happy about that.

Staging, although short (i think in the past its been 2-3 days, but budget cuts made it one day), was really helpful in addressing a lot of our anxieties. It seems like everyone has the same concerns, and there is something really beneficial about being surrounded by people who can understand your thoughts and feelings.

For my friends who wanted to know..YES I am the only black person in my group! lol But i expected that so Im cool with it. Like i said before, everyone I meet is cool, so its not a big deal at all. I spoke with the director of staging regarding my experience as an African American volunteer and he made me feel a lot better. Long story short, the word for black person in Russian sounds a lot like the N word here in the US (which I already knew, so I think im getting used to it), I may get some looks but eventually people will get over the dark skin, the PC conducts training for the host families so they understand that americans come in all colors, and i may be a popular teacher bc everyone is going to assume that I love rap music. All these things I think I can handle. Its not going to be easy, but its an opportunity to educate people and for myself to grow. Im up for it!

So know we are waiting for the bus to take us to Dulles airport. Then we fly to Frankfurt, 6 hr layover, then fly to Almaty Kazakhstan (with a stop in Astana, Kazakhstan). We land @ 1:15am on Aug 21st local time, which I think its 3pm New York time Aug 20th. Long flight...but its doable.

My parents (mom specifically) have been calling me non-stop! lol But its great to know I have people who love me :)

My roommate for the night in DC was so cool and super sweet! Hope we stay friends.

I just took some pics from staging, but I cant upload them yet bc my cord is in my luggage which is already on the bus. So I will upload them soon.

Things we covered in staging are:

Ice Breaker

Intro to PC

Anxieties and Aspirations

Managing Risk

PC policies

Instructions for departure to airport

This ran from 2:30pm- 8pm. There was a lot of interactive activities and questions.

Well Im off to Kazakhstan. See ya on the other side of the world. Prayers are welcome :)

Be Blessed!!

Erica