I can't believe it's finally here! I am about to peace out of the U.S. on my way to South Africa! I am all packed and heading to Philadelphia in a few hours. My luggage all fit into one big black duffel bag, one medium sized sports bag, and a backpack. It does not look like enough stuff for two years, but I'll make it work. Staging starts tomorrow in Philadelphia where I will get vaccinations, my passport, an introduction to the Peace Corps, and whatever else. Then we leave Wednesday morning to depart to Johannesburg! I'm quite excited, a bit nervous and anxious as well. Thanks to everyone who came to my going away party, it was great to see you! I'll update again as soon as I can!
Peace,
Maggie
P.S. Here's my Peace Corps address for sending me letters or packages in South Africa:
Maggie McDonald, PCV
Peace Corps
PO Box 9536
Pretoria 0001
South Africa
Keep in mind that it will usually take about a month to get to me, so perishables might not be a good idea, and sending things early for special occasions might be. And they advise that you label the green customs forms with "school supplies," "religious materials," "food," "personal health supplies," etc. DO NOT write down anything valuable like batteries, solar radio, etc, even if they are in the box. You can use generic terms like "electronics."
Thanks!
Maggie
