My Last Night in the US!

Bonjour! I just wanted to write a little something before I depart for Togo. I have spent the last two and a half days in Philadelphia for what the PC calls staging. It is a great city that has treated us well as we have prepared for our adventure. I arrived on Tuesday evening and right away met some great PC trainees. We couldn't stop chatting, asking questions like what did you pack, how are you feeling and how's your French? It is really reassuring to finally have someone who is experiencing the same things I am. Wednesday we got to do some exploring around the city and I got to see the famous L O V E sculpture as well as the Philly art museum made famous by the Rocky films (picture the stairs and the theme music).
I am officially part of the Peace Corps now! Training has been really great and the group I am going with is awesome. There are 31 people, 10 men and 21 women and there are 2 different programs, Girls Education and Empowerment, and Natural Resource Management. We have learned a lot and gotten to know each other well in short time.
I have enjoyed a great Philly cheese steak, ice cream and good coffee and tonight we had dinner at a great Italian restaurant. I will take my last warm shower and sleep in my last big comfortable bed tonight (or at lease try to sleep).
We leave Philly tomorrow morning and drive to New York. Our flight leaves at 11pm so it will be along day but I am excited to be able to sleep on the plane.
I am doing really well, staying surprisingly strong and really looking forward to what lays ahead. So keep me in your thoughts as I travel and I will write again when I get the first chance.

A Swahili proverb that we have learned in staging:
"We meet to part, and we part to meet."

Miss you all!