"commencing countdown, engines on..."

Yes, I did just quote a David Bowie song. (Extra points if you can tell me which one...love it!)

T-minus 15 days and counting. I'm ridiculously excited, but there are a couple minor things that make me slightly scared:
- Never been out of the country, and I'm going to the 4th most poverty-stricken nation in the world (so I've heard), and literally, about as far away from home as I could possibly go, without coming back around the other side of the globe (unless you count space travel)...can someone say, culture shock EXTREME! But that's kind of what I was going for anyways.
- I keep reading about these infamous madagascar bugs that lay eggs in your feet.
- I don't know any French, besides like, "bonjour" (is that even how it's spelled?), much less Malagasy...and I'm not particularly good at learning languages.

I was talking to a friend last night about life (so dramatic), and we were talking about how it's good to have long-term goals, but you can really only plan your next move because you never know what that choice will change in the overall direction of your life. All I know is that right now, joining the peace corps and going to madagascar is my next move. Who knows what doors it will open, and what I'll want to be doing after that. (But note to self: you like art. Do not forget that it makes you ridiculously happy).

When I talk about Peace Corps, people ask me if I'm scared. Sure, I'm scared... no one in their right mind wouldn't be scared in some way I think. Another thing people say very often is something along the lines of: "OH I wanted to do that too when I was your age, I wish I had done it." It's not so much about not being scared, it's about being scared and doing things anyways.

Ahhh! packing is driving me nutters. one pair of jeans for 27 months, when I go through them faster than a 5 year old wearing white? I have to start wearing skirts a lot? really?

Here is my address till May. Write to me! Trust me, I'm sure anything you have to talk about, even if it's just celeb gossip , will be more than welcomed simply because it'll be in english.

Corie Hinton
Bureau du Corps de la Paix
B.P. 12091
Post Zoom Ankorondrano
Antananarivo 101
Madagascar

Peace out homeskillets.