The Process -- September 20, 2006

Last night I had a big event -- the second reception to date for the new Rotary Club that I'm forming in Soldotna. It was a success, thankfully, then I had five people spend the night for whom I cooked breakfast this morning. All day today I've been working on updating and moving the websites I'll be leaving when I go to Romania in a few months. I expect I'll disconnect my phone line, my cellphone service, and my Internet connection, so everything has to be sent someplace "permanent". I got a new mail service, because I know the U.S. postal service won't let me keep my post office box for as long as I'll be gone this time. They gave me a big hassle about it when I worked for those years in Barrow, even though I could come home now and then, and I probably won't be coming home this time. So I've had to change the addresses on all my magazines, my bank, the State of Alaska, my property taxes, the IRS, and heaven knows what else. What a pain.

To make a long story short, I applied for the Peace Corps in February and was nominated in March to work as an Urban Planner in Eastern Europe. It took until the end of May to get all my medical and dental reports sent in, but it wasn't until the end of August that they approved them. I was invited to Romania early in September. I was delighted to say yes.

For the first time in eight years, my three children were all together this summer. They were all in Alaska at my house in July, and they brought four of my six grandchildren. We had a nice time, and it meant the world to me to have them here. That's when I told them I would likely be going to Eastern Europe with the Peace Corps. It was pretty much of a shock to them, but they were supportive. I think nothing I do could really surprise them. Mostly, they didn't want me to sell the house, and I've decided to lease it out while I'm gone.

I'm trying to read all I can about Romania, but every time I sit down to read I get distracted with all the other things that need to be done, working on the computer or sorting stuff to give away, filing papers or cleaning closets. I'm transferring all my DV tapes to digital files. I just can't seem to stick to my list, everything seems important to do right now. Or else maybe I'm just avoiding the really sticky jobs.