Last Day in Chicago

Tuesday was my last day with the kids before I flew back to Colorado.  The twins and I had a fun day running errands, eating lunch together, and picking Ella up from school.  I didn't think it was going to be as hard as it was to leave the Dunne family.  They have been a huge part of my life in Chicago and I will miss them all so much.  I am really excited to watch them grow through Emma's blog.  Below are a few pictures of the twins, Lila and Finn, and their older sister Ella.

After a tearful goodbye to Emma, my jam  packed evening continued with dinner, a hair cut, and drinks with a friend.  And by hair cut, I mean I chopped it all off!!

The more I talk to people about where they think they will be in two years, the more real Samoa is becoming.  People will have had babies, gotten married, changed jobs, and possibly moved away.  I'm struggling with the fact that I am going to miss a lot of important events in peoples lives.  However, there is not much I can do about it besides trying to keep in touch as best as possible and visiting home for really important events.  

Now I say good bye to Chicago, I will not miss your winters and will return sooner than you know it,  and head home to Colorado for a few days of last minute errands and family time.  

My Last Weekend in Chicago

On Friday, Lila and Finn met my mom at the airport.  The kids were super cute crawling around airport and I was so excited to show them off to my mom.  In the evening we met up with the Ginge and his mom at Xoco, one of our favorite restaurants.  The food was great and we got to see the owner, Rick Bayless, in the kitchen.  


On Saturday, I moved out of my apartment.  Loading the truck was super quick, but cleaning my apartment took forever.  My mom's philosophy is to leave the place cleaner than when you moved in.  After 4.5 hours that place sparkled.  That night we went to a little going away party with all the great people I have met through the Ginge.  They are such great people and I'm going to miss them a lot.   Hopefully, I will get a visit from a few of them.  

More goodbyes on Sunday.  I had lunch with a close friend, Mina and her family.  It is hard to believe that the next time I will see her she will have two kids and living in the suburbs.  

With all of the goodbyes and moving out, I still feel like October 4th is far away.  I don't think this experience will feel real until I board the plane to L.A.   


Samoan News:


After all of us make it to Samoa, we will spend 11 days in Apia in an air conditioned hotel!  Then, the group will split up amongst four villages for the remaining 7 weeks of training.  After training we will be placed in our village for the remainder of our service.

Going Away Party in Colorado

The fact that I am going to be halfway around the world in two weeks is crazy to me.  I know these two weeks are going to fly by, but leaving still seem really far away.    


This past weekend, the Ginge and I went home to Colorado to say a few goodbyes.  On Friday, we went up to Boulder and met a great group of friends for dinner at The Rio.  After dinner, a few of us went out for drinks and reminisce about old times.  I had such a great time seeing old friends and will miss everyone dearly.  I am looking forward to hearing updates on life back home while I am gone.  Hopefully not too many people will get married and have babies by December 2012! 

On Saturday, we lounged around and prepared for dinner at the house.  A small group of friends and mentors came over for a good home cooked meal.  I had another great night catching up with more friends and showing everyone my Samoan "wardrobe."  I am pretty sure I will see most of those people the next time I'm back in town, so there were no tears or sadness at dinner.  

On Sunday, the fam woke up early and went to a delicious brunch at Lucille's.  I don't know how much weight I have gained from eating at all of my favorite restaurants before I leave.  Then the Ginge and I headed back to Chicago to spend a night at a fancy hotel downtown. 


Now it's back to packing up the apartment, getting the flu shot, and saying more goodbyes.   Stay tuned for pics, I left my camera at home.

21 Days Before Staging

It's hard to believe I only have 21 days before I fly to LA for staging. Staging is a fancy word for orientation where I will learn what is expected of me, what happens next, and I get to ask questions. All of which happens the day I fly to Samoa. I think that's going to be overwhelming, but maybe it's supposed to be. The funniest part about Staging is the required business casual attire. What am I supposed to do with my business casual clothes in Samoa for two years? Silliness, I'm thinking I might mail them back home.

The closer my leave date gets, the more I realize how much I'm going to miss back home.

Halloween

Fall veggies

Watching the leaves change

On the other hand, the closer my leave date gets, the more excited I get about the next chapter in my life as a Peace corps Volunteer.

Group 83

Over the past few days I have been lucky enough to get in touch with 7 other PCV that are going to Samoa on October 5!!! We are considered Group 83 because we will be the 83 group to serve in Samoa since the Peace Corps started volunteering in Samoa. We have been sending emails back and forth, getting to know each other, and swapping helpful packing tips. I'm very fortunate to have found these people because I feel as though I'm not going on this adventure alone anymore.

Through the grapevine I found out there are 22 of us in Group 83. 20 of the PCVs are in their 20's and two are over 50. When we get to L.A. for staging, we will meet up with 25 people headed for Tonga and then fly to Samoa together.

I'm excited to meet who will be volunteering in Tonga, so when I visit I will have someone to show me around!

Address

All care packages and letters can be sent to the following address:

Kathryn Klane, PCT
Peace Corps
Private Mail Bag
Apia, Western Samoa
South Pacific

Here are some guidelines for sending care packages:

• The smaller the box, the better.
• Be sure a customs form is filled out with it.
• It is good to write "God is Watching" or "God Bless This Package" on the box. Just for safety.
• Send your package very early! It can take up to 3 months to arrive.
• Avoid using packing peanuts; Samoa is a small country and trash accumulates quickly. Instead pack with candy!

I would love to receive l letters from home. They will keep me from getting too lonely and feeling foreign to life back home.

FAQs

Here are the answers to questions you all have asked. Feel free to ask more!

How long are you gone?
I leave October 5, 2010 and my service ends December 9, 2012.

Where will you live?
During my 9 week pre-service training, I will stay with a family in Apia. That is where the information stops. I'm not sure what town I will be placed in and if I will be living with a family or on my own. Stay tuned!!

What will you be doing?
I have two primary duties. I am an English teacher in a rural primary school. I will be teaching English to year seven (US sixth grade) students and co-teaching the remaining students with a Samoan teacher. The normal class day runs from 8 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. I am also a Community Development volunteer. I will not know the specifics of this job until I arrive and built relationships with my community. This is what the PC has told me: I will be helping individuals and/or community groups with activities associated with health awareness, education, youth development, gardening, water and sanitation, small business development, and conservation/environment.

Do you get paid?
No, but I do get a monthly allowance that should cover my main living expenses and some weekend fun. Additionally, each month I get $24 for travel.

What do you wear?
The Samoan culture is very concervative. Women rarely wear pants and only wear shorts for informal occasions. At work, I will be wearing long skirts (mid-calf) and a conservative top. When I swim, I will wear board shorts and a rash guard. Women never wear tank tops and my shorts must cover my knees. I am still trying to figure out what I need to wear when I go running.

What will I eat?
Canned, dried, and packaged foods are readily available. The local foods are papayas, bananas, taro, breadfruit, and fish. The staples are rice, flour, sugar, salt, and bread. Butter and meat are available. More expensive products are beans, oatmeal, tomato sauce, sour cream, cheese, cottage cheese, and yogurt. I'm hoping my family will send me a lot of dried fruits, nuts, and granola bars to keep me going!

Do you get to come home?
I plan on coming home twice. Each month I accrue two vacation days.

It's Official

I leave for Samoa on October 5 as an English Literacy Teacher and Community Development Volunteer. But first, I must drive my car back to Colorado, pack up my apartment, purchase an eight page packing list, and say my goodbyes.

With everything there is to be done, I'm taking things one day at a time and trying to enjoy what time I have left in the States. I don't yet know how often I will be able to blog, but I thought I would start before I left so you could be a part of the entire adventure.

Interesting fact of the day: I was searching for current Samoan PCV bloggers and stumbled upon someone who is in my group!

A little taste of my future environment: