One Week Til I'm Out

These past months or so have felt crazy. I feel like it was akin to a bender in that time moved fast and slow at once. Or that sleep deprived feeling. Its as if I was up all night and managed to fall asleep right before sunrise only to be jolted up by the alarm an hour later.  At any rate, there is a week until I leave for my Peace Corps service. My mom and boo threw me a (semi) surprise party to send me off. I generally don't really like parties for myself. I am always down to celebrate others but it feels weird to toot my own horn. Mostly, because I have problems ever being satisfied. I feel like I could always be better. But it was good to try and let that go and have people support me and congratulate me. So thanks to all who came out!

I am in Minnesota with my Mom and Brother until I leave. Since they have jobs and lives of their own I have had a lot of time to myself. Yesterday I biked from Bloomington to St. Paul and back. It was awesome getting back to the cities I used to cruise like a BOSS. Yay for the Midtown Greenway! While I was riding a song I've never heard, or paid attention to, came on my ipod. This mystery song sampled an Eric Thomas lecture on 'success'. What ET had to say was illuminating. For me, the most valuable thing he said was "you have to be ready to sacrifice who you are, at any moment, in order to become who you will be". Rebirth. Reinvention. Hearing this was like when you're in church and feel like the minister is talking DIRECTLY to you. You're sitting there like "damn how did they know I needed to hear that?!" Well, that damn sample was talking to me and only me yesterday. Hearing and thinking over this piece of wisdom given by Eric Thomas has provided a constructive paradigm for me think about all I will experience over the next few years. Today I lay the foundation for tomorrows success. It will be essential to always grow and stretch. If I hit a road block I need to think of how I NEED TO CHANGE to get the results I want. Ok enough Dr. Phil self-improvement shit.

Since I lived in Kansas City, MO but am leaving out of Minnesota I had to pack up all my stuff already. This is good for me because if I was flying out of KC I'd start packing at midnight the night before I was to leave. Yesterday I went to REI to get some sort of fast dry towel. Shit was expensive and fancy. It made me think how stupid I was for buying it. People in the DR shower everyday and regular towels seem to work fine for them so why do I think I need some fancy ass towel? I am not buying anymore fancy gear type stuff because its a waste of money and highlights sad class dynamics I want no part of. People wonder why Dominicans think all Americans are rich...well maybe because you and I both spent a grip on a damn towel. Just silly. Anyways, here is the list of things I will be bringing to my new home the Dominican Republic:

Clothes

jeans-4

t-shirts-8

polos-7

shorts-3

breezers (pants)-3

underwear

socks

button ups-8

trunks-1

gym/comp shortz

rain jacket

Shoes

boots

sandals

sneakers

running shoes

loafers

Toiletries

soap

toothbrushes/paste

shampoo

DO for the BO

shaving kit

comb

astringent/pads

Q-tips

nail clippers

hand sanitizer

washcloth

Other

kids books

markers

computer

Kindle

camera

ipod

red backpack stolen from a 5th grader

knife

leatherman

flashlight
        severed hand

3 host family gifts

And with that, I will get at ya'll later. Holler!