Last Night in the States

So tonight is my last night in the United States for quite awhile. I just completed the staging event in Atlanta, a day and a half consisting of a WHOLE lot of information about the Peace Corps and what we are all about. It leaves me even more excited to get where I'm going and get started. :) Tomorrow morning we leave for Mongolia. We are flying through Korea, and have a 27 hour layover in Seoul. Much to my excitement, the Peace Corps will be providing us with a hotel room while we are there, so we don't have to sleep in the airport! And we have enough time to sleep AND do some sight seeing, a little bonus trip! We arrive in Ulaanbaatar, the capital city of Mongolia at around 11pm on June 4, and from there will be spending the first two nights in a Ger camp. Gers are the traditional housing in Mongolia, basically a big round felt tent. From what I hear we can request (and may be stationed there regardless of what we request) to live in a Ger for the duration of our 2 years of service. The advice of currently serving volunteers, however, is to get an apartment if at all possible, as the novelty of living in a tent wears off quickly.
The first 11 1/2 weeks we are in Mongolia we will be living with host families in Darkan, completing our extensive language and technical training. During this time we are expected to learn the language, as well as how to chop wood and other necessary survival stills for Mongolia. I am one of only about 5 Community Economic Development (CED) volunteers in my group of 48, the majority of us are English Teachers.
I am so excited to go to Mongolia. The past week or so has been full of ups and downs about how I feel about leaving my friends and my life behind for over two years, but all in all I wouldn't miss this for the world. Mongolia is one of the hardest posts in the Peace Corps, and from what I hear they are very selective about who they send there. Basically anyone they think is willing to go and do whatever and will stick it out are flagged to be sent to Mongolia, one of the most remote places in the world. I have to admit that I cried when I found out this is where I'm going, Thailand was what I was hoping for, but now that I have researched Mongolia and am at the brink of being there, there's nowhere else I would rather go!
My biggest worry at this point is hauling my significant luggage around until I arrive at my post after training. We are allowed 100 lbs of checked luggage plus a carry on and a "personal item". I have to admit my luggage comes in at around 105 lbs (hopefully they won't notice...) and my carry ons probably weigh another 50lbs between the two. Getting all of that from the baggage claim to the shuttle in the Atlanta airport about killed me... I am sort of regretting not being more discriminating in what I brought, but at least I can take comfort in the fact that I am not the only one with these problems.
I am hoping that I will end up in a post where I will have at least semi-regular internet access so as to continue this blog, and as an CED volunteer I think it is likely, so until next time, I miss everyone and hope life in the States is treating you well!