Tomorrow will be my last day at my folks' on Long Island. On Wednesday, a 7am train will take me down from Penn Station to DC, where I'll meet up with the other 41 Peace Corps Trainees going to Ecuador. We'll have a brief orientation at a hotel and fly out to Quito Thursday morning.
My bags are nearly all set. I've been careful about including the essentials: camera, penny whistle, and Dr. Bronner's soap. Almost all "see ya laters" have been said. Adrenaline is starting to kick in. I'm all set.
Hope to be able to post during training. I'm pretty sure the interwebs will be fairly accessible; feel free to check in here for updates....
Monday, January 31, 2011
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Book List
Books I'm taking with me to Ecuador:
Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry
American Earth edited by Bill McKibben
Ecuador by Lonely Planet
Woman hollering Creek by Sandra Cisneros
Writing About Nature by John Murray
The World We Have by Thich Nhat Hanh
Harmony for Guitar by Lance Bosman
Irish Traditional Fiddle Music by Miller and Perron
Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry
American Earth edited by Bill McKibben
Ecuador by Lonely Planet
Woman hollering Creek by Sandra Cisneros
Writing About Nature by John Murray
The World We Have by Thich Nhat Hanh
Harmony for Guitar by Lance Bosman
Irish Traditional Fiddle Music by Miller and Perron
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
The Premise
A few years ago, I heard an interview from the late '60s in which Dorothy Day described the life of her friend Peter Maurin. She said Peter strove to create a world where it would be easier for people to be good. Voluntary poverty and simplicity, with a focus on community and service to the poor, were important tools for them both in their efforts. Their model is what has most influenced my decision to join the Peace Corps. That's probably the simplest way to put it. To endeavor to create a world where it is easier for people to be good. What would be more worthwhile?
So, that's the premise for why I'm going to Ecuador. It will be a new context for learning about the things that interest me the most: community, environmental stewardship, and simplicity. I hope to use this blog as much as I can to share my experiences and to tell the stories of people I meet.
A week from today, I'll head down to D.C. to meet up with the other Peace Corps trainees going to Ecuador - about 40 of us in total. The next day we'll fly to Quito to begin our eleven weeks of training. We'll live with host families in Tumbaco, which is about an hour outside of Quito. After that we'll become volunteers, and Peace Corps will place us at sites throughout Ecuador for two years. I'm in the Natural Resource Conservation program and will be an environmental educator.
Here we go!
So, that's the premise for why I'm going to Ecuador. It will be a new context for learning about the things that interest me the most: community, environmental stewardship, and simplicity. I hope to use this blog as much as I can to share my experiences and to tell the stories of people I meet.
A week from today, I'll head down to D.C. to meet up with the other Peace Corps trainees going to Ecuador - about 40 of us in total. The next day we'll fly to Quito to begin our eleven weeks of training. We'll live with host families in Tumbaco, which is about an hour outside of Quito. After that we'll become volunteers, and Peace Corps will place us at sites throughout Ecuador for two years. I'm in the Natural Resource Conservation program and will be an environmental educator.
Here we go!
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