My last week in Denver was busy with final preparations for the big day. I packed and repacked my bags and believe it or not I got everything that I think I’ll need for the next two years into two duffel bags that will be checked, one small carry-on, and my backpack. Not only that, but it also met the weight limitations! Lucy, my kitty, is starting to settle in with Sue and Brian’s menagerie – although there have been a few turf battles between her and Phoebe!
The biggest worry that I’ve had over the last several weeks is the fact that I haven’t been able to get rid of an upper respiratory infection – despite the fact that I’ve been to the doctor 3 times, finished 3 different types of prescriptions, and downed countless shots of vodka – per my brother Kelly’s advice. Although the vodka hasn’t cured the cough – I haven’t minded it as much!! But seriously, I am worried that the Peace Corps personnel at the “Staging” event in Los Angeles may not allow me to board the plane because I honestly sound like somebody who has whooping cough! I’m taking lots of Hall’s Mentholyptus and hoping for the best!
Well, September 9th dawned, the furniture and car is in storage, and my goodbyes have been said – so it’s off to Los Angeles to meet everybody else heading to Vanuatu. As I boarded the hotel van at Los Angeles International Airport, I thought I spotted two other people who were volunteers – and later it was confirmed when I saw them in line at the Peace Corps registration desk.
The only thing scheduled after our arrival on Thursday, the 9th, was final completion of the mountain of forms that we’re required to bring with us and get them checked off by the 3 Peace Corps trainers and then get acquainted with everybody else in the group. We have 41 volunteers heading to Vanuatu – with a wide range of backgrounds…and ages. I might add that I am not the oldest person in the group. In fact, there are 8 of us who fall within the 50+ category of recruits, so I’m relieved to know that I’m likely not the only “Grandma” in the group. We pretty much take over the bar and grill at the hotel and spend a couple of hours over pizza and beer to get acquainted. I am absolutely amazed at the background of some of these “kids”. Some of them have already worked or volunteered in very remote locales throughout the world – Africa, South America, Mexico, Europe. It really seems to be an amazing group of people.
Friday, September 10th, we all meet in the conference room to get started at 8:30. Today is primarily spent on various break-out sessions and ice-breakers to get acquainted, and in turn learn about the history of the Peace Corps, its objectives, and its expectations of us as volunteers. As we wrap up for the day, the excitement in the room is palpable – all of us are “chomping at the bit” to head out. Thankfully the staff didn’t tell me that I had to go home because of my cough, so I was ready to go!
At last the buses pull up, and we begin to load the literal mountains of luggage. Our itinerary says that we are flying on a United flight operated by Air New Zealand – so the buses pull up in front of the United terminal at Los Angeles International. The lead person on our bus asks the bus driver if this is in fact the correct place to be, since it looks like we might need to be at the Air New Zealand terminal. He assures everybody that we are in the right place and begins unloading all the bags. So, in we trek – and line up for check-in. Well, yes – you’ve guessed it – we were in the wrong terminal. By now the buses are nowhere in site – and we’re left with figuring out how to get from Point A to Point B. If you have never traveled through Los Angeles International, let me just say that it is pretty big and it’s not particularly easy to get from one end to the other with so many bags. There was no way that we could possibly load all the bags onto the airport bus that came by, so we found carts and walked all the way around the terminal grounds – cutting through parking lots and Lord knows what else to finally arrive at the Air New Zealand counter. It took about 2 hours for everybody to get checked in – and after a few more beers and some snacks at one of the restaurants we were at last ready to board!
Thirteen hours later, we arrive at Auckland International Airport in the wee morning hours on Sunday, September 12th – because we crossed the International Date Line, Saturday, the 11th, was nowhere to be found! After a layover of a few hours, at last we boarded the plane for the 3-hour flight to Port Vila, Vanuatu.
I was listening to music on the plane’s headphones, and just as the first of Vanuatu’s islands came into site, Susan Boyle’s rendition of I Dreamed a Dream started playing. It was uncanny because I was thinking of all those years ago when Frank and I had first entertained the idea of Peace Corps – and this song began to play. As I squeezed my eyes tight to keep the tears from coming I realized that there was no doubt that he was right next to me with his nose pressed against the window just waiting for our next adventure to begin…so away we go!
No comments:
Post a Comment