ETD 6 weeks

So I'm not entirely sure how to start this out... here goes...

I leave 6 weeks from tomorrow to start my Peace Corps adventure, which starts with 3 days of Staging in Atlanta. After that, our group flies out to Thies, Senegal for 2 months of training. We learn the language, the culture, and what region of the country will be our home for the next 2 years. I can say wholeheartedly that I am very excited. I am also a mixture of scared, anxious, and over all emotional. It's strange going about my current life normally (going to work, taking care of day-to-day things, seeing people I currently see on a regular basis) and knowing that is all going to drastically change in just a few short weeks. It's quite stressful in a strange, looming way. I know the stress will increase, as will the excitement, as March 10 approaches, and I have my mother to thank for the anxiety aspect (I swear it's genetic).

I have to say thank you to all my family and friends (you guys are amazing), who have been very supportive. My mom, my dad, and my brother have been truely amazing and I really don't think i could be embarking on this adventure without them backing me. ok, this is sounding too much like an Academy Award speech... so let's move on.

6 weeks left in the states, 5 weeks left of work (with approximately 1 week to be spent in Vegas). I have to finish packing, which is interesting because I have a hard enough time packing for a weekend trip let alone 2 years in a country I've never visited. So far I have:
1 daily planner
1 large hiking backpack
1 regular sized day pack
1 large sudoku book
1 compass
2 can openers (1 for me and 1 as a gift to my host family)
1 waterproof watch
1 game of UNO
1 rain jacket
1 large roll of duct tape
2 skirts that hit below my knee (knees are scandalous)
2 long sleeved shirts
1 lock for a trunk
1 heavy duty lock for my hut door
2 toothbrushes to start me off
1 pair Teva sandals
1 pair tennis shoes
1 battery operated alarm clock
1 head lamp
about 10 tank tops

And I still have a few items to get (toothpaste, sunscreen, bandanas, my glasses so I can see, granola bars, a pillow, a photo album, journal, pens, pencils, zip drive, etc) so, I guess I'm well on my way to being as prepaired as I can be for this adventure. I'll be sure to post my contact info on here when I know it, as well as any answers to questions you may have, so feel free to ask!