Unemployment. I love it.

The past month of unemployment has been quite enjoyable. Some highlights:
-Christmas at home in Tampa with family, including a cooking extravaganza with Uncle Tony and manatee paddling and snorkeling with Robbie.

-New Year's and the week after in Palm Beach with Travis, Brian and Kristin. We paddled, dove, snorkeled, peddled, ate and laid around on the beach. I saw a turtle while diving, tons of gators in the Everglades, and an anhinga eat a fish much larger than I would have ever imagined. We watched blowing rocks on the coast, and um, well, I left there completely soaked. 4 games of Cataan were played, and I won the final, which leaves me with the title of "Queen of Cataan" for the next 2 years.

-Several days were spent in Ann Arbor, MI with my brother, Robbie. It was so cold my teeth hurt one day! Fun was still to be had. A day in Canada ended with Poutine (french fries with cheese curds and gravy), we experienced the North American Auto Show in Detriot, scraped ice off a windshield, and spent hours inside IKEA and Trader Joe's.

-From Detroit, I flew to San Diego to visit my friend Sarah. Cool things we did: tidal pools at Cabrillo National Monument, seals-- tons of wonderful seals at La Jolla Cove, saw a gray whale up-close and personal, spent a day in Mexico seeing La Bufadora (another blow hole!) and ate fresh lobster, beans, rice and a margarita on the coast.

I arrived back in Tampa for a dinner with each parent, then drove back to Jax. I'm here now, enjoying great friends and going away parties.
Ahh, transition. I can't complain though--I often sleep 'til 8:30 or 9:00 now, go to yoga classes with soccer moms at noon, and have been eating all the brie and dark chocolate I desire.

Last day, first day

My final day as a Volunteer Program Specialist for Community PedsCare was on Friday. I am so grateful for the opportunities that I have had with the program. First as a volunteer for a few years and then in a full time position, it was an honor to work with the children, families and staff. Leaving the office at 5:00 was surprisingly difficult. My final act as a VPS was to visit the hospital to say goodbye to a patient that I had worked with. She has taught me so much about making things happen for yourself. She inspires me to take advantage of every day.
On that note, Friday concluded a phase of my life, although a 9-5 phase, it was still a really great phase. What begins today is my preparation for Peace Corps service. In 8 weeks I will travel to the Dominican Republic! From now until February 13, I will soak up quality time with my family and friends.

If you have a minute and are curious, check out http://www.peacecorps.gov/ for answers to FAQ's. I'll also answer a few here:

How Long? 3 months of training, plus 2 years.

When? I leave for staging on February 13, 2007, will be in the DR by Feb. 15.

Why? Always wanted to live in another country, experience another culture, master another language. Plus I'm not so sure about a desk job.

Why the DR? Peace Corps placed me and I'm thrilled because I had asked for either a Spanish-speaking country or an island ... I got both!

What will you do? Some type of environmental education. It will be more defined once I'm there. Stay tuned to the blog to see how it unfolds.

Where will you live? With a host family for the first 3 months, after that, your guess is as good as mine.

Are you excited? Um... YES!