May 21, 2007
Our lack of posts before leaving was not because we didn't do things from April 15 to May 15, but rather that we did too much. So, to shorten it up, but still cover some ground, here's a list of things we learned and feel should be passed along.
1) You will receive a 59 out of 60 on your Sanskrit final and feel quite pleased with yourself. Deservedly so.
2) If you're graduating with two graduate degrees, each from a different school, you're guaranteed that both ceremonies will take place at the same time, forcing you to choose one, a decision you will instantly regret when you learn of the speaker for the other ceremony.
3) Five people will fit in a small studio apartment for two days, but only if they're closely related.
4) Two days is not enough time to see a gaggle of "new" relatives. It is, however, more than enough time to learn to detest the humidity of northern Florida.
5) Two hairless chihuahuas do fit in a bird cage. Walking past them in the RV park on your way to the bathroom will excite them into a frenzy, making you glad of the silly birdcage.
6) You will be amused to read a sign at the RV park proclaiming: Do not wash pets in bathroom sinks.
7) After seeing the chihuahuas, you will understand the necessity of the sign.
8) Mudbogging, an activity in which bored teenagers drive their parents' cars through fields of mud after rain, is popular in both rural north Florida and western Pennsylvania.
9) Korean BBQ and coffee with friends are the perfect way to end three years in Pittsburgh.
10) Three hours are not enough to spend with a first cousin once removed you haven't met before. Especially when old family photos are involved.
11) You will cause your sister to have several panic attacks when she sees how much you're leaving with her.
12) She will have several more attacks having five people stay in her one-bedroom apartment for five days.
13) Peace Corps creates such a strong bond, Sharon is willing to drag her unsuspecting boyfriend down from New Jersey by train just to spend the evening with you. And go to the zoo the next day, but that's just for fun.
14) Tours of the capital are most interesting when given by a long-time family friend who works as a legislative assistant for the president pro-tem of the Senate.
15) You will panic, dropping off you passport the day before you're supposed to leave, when the woman at the Madagascar consulate appears to have forgotten that she promised a 24 hour turn around time on your visas.
16) You will be vastly relieved, picking up your passports five minutes after the consulate opens, when the same woman hands them to you with no delay, admonishing you to have a good trip.
17) No matter how hard you try, even knitting at inappropriate times such as while standing in REI talking to Caroline, or starting to bind off using the light of passing cars to see as Irene drives you Dullas for your flight, you will need just half an hour more to finish a baby blanket you started in January, which is already four months late. Damn the thesis, anyway.
18) No matter how much you plan otherwise, packing will always happen at the last minute.
19) You will not have enough time to call everyone you want to before leaving. This will cause guilt and regret.
20) The time to prepare for a long-term trip is finite.
