Mass Transit Story #2

My officemate just told me a story from her commute on the C train this morning.

J. (I'm protecting her identity) got on the C train in Brooklyn this morning and managed to find a seat. Because she comes to work on time, unlike me, this is a rare occurrence. She noticed that the man next to her was homeless and smelled quite a bit, but didn't get up. (That's Subway Rules 101 for you - if there is a crowded train with a spare seat, it usually has gum stuck to it or a drunk/homeless/belligerent man next to it)

Anyway, she was sitting and ignoring the smell. Then the man put his hand down his pants and started jerking off. J. couldn't tell what was going on for a bit because she didn't want to make eye contact. When she finally did, he smiled at her in a gross way and continued playing with himself.

I asked J. what she did - did she get off the train? Move to another car?

Her response: "I didn't move."

Me: "Are you serious?? Why not? That's disgusting!!!"

Her: "Well, I rarely get a seat on the C in the mornings. And it didn't look like he was going to finish until after we got to my stop."

That's mass transit for you.

Things I am excited about...

I've been spending too much time worried about what I'm doing and how on earth I'm going to get everything ready and get moved to Wisconsin, etc. I even had a dream the other night that a friend from UNC was at my house to pick me up to leave for Guinea and I hadn't finished packing! I had to pack really quickly and give my mom the order form for the Chaco sandals that PCVs get a discount on...

So here's what I'm excited about, in no particular order.

In Wisconsin

• Spending time with my family.
• Going to Minneapolis to see my brother, his girlfriend and my dear friends Julie and Ky
• Eating food off Heidi's china in her grown-up house
• Going to the grocery store
• Being on the lake
• Finally organizing my finances, crap and life
• Not paying rent for a month
• Having cable and a big TV
• Not working for a month
• Driving a car
• Going to the YMCA
• Finishing all the packing and purchasing I have to do before I leave at the end of June

In Guinea

• Meeting new friends, both Guineans and other PCVs
• Learning French and a local language
• Being outside all the time
• Running, bike riding and generally being more active
• Learning how to cook with few utensils
• Finding a community and a home to call my own for 2 years
• Figuring out how to teach English
• Starting a girls' club to encourage girls' education
• Going to the Girls' Conference that the PCVs put on every year with a girl from my community
• Learning more about West African politics, problems and culture
• Not seeing George Bush on the news every day
• Weaning myself from my celebrity obsession
• Deciding where I want to apply to graduate school
• Traveling around Guinea
• Traveling during and after my service - going to Zanzibar, Kilimanjaro, Morocco, Egypt and South Africa!

So that's what I'm excited about!

A Fork in the Road

Why does one decide to join the Peace Corps? I live in Brooklyn, work in Manhattan, have plenty of nice friends and a job that is boring as hell but pays better than it should. I can take a direct flight to anywhere from Milwaukee to London for under $200. So what on earth am I doing?

Well - have you ever felt that your life was heading down a path that you weren't interested in? That's what happened to me. I got this job in the city, moved into a $1325 a month "one bedroom" on the 5th floor of a walk up building on E. 59th Street (the smartest thing my NY self did was cut my rent in half and move to Wburg after a year...) and started enjoying all that Manhattan nightlife has to offer. After thousands of dollars spent on rent and alcohol, I realized that, while my life was fun, it was not fulfilling. While my job paid well, I hated it and everything about it. What had happened?

Before I knew it I was taking the LSAT and planning to go to law school. Then what? 3 years later I'd be $150,000 in debt and would end up working at a place similar to where I am now just to pay that debt off.

For those who think that lawyers at big NY firms are cool because they make well into 6 figures to start, you are wrong. The vast majority are - 1. too smart for the bs work they do 2. not interested in the work they are doing and 3. only working here to pay off their loans. Did I want that to be me? God, no.

Once I realized this I still planned to go to law school. I told myself that I'd be different - I'd take the debt and just deal with it. I'd find a public interest job that allowed me to bypass the "big firm" experience.

But you know what? I'm not that special. There are tons of people who went to law school thinking that same thing. You know what they are doing? Working at STB with me.

I was at a fork of sorts. More appropriately, I was on a path. It was paved and pretty and full of alcohol-filled dance parties and 60 hour work weeks and yummy take-out. But I didn't want to stay on it. What does one do when the desire to travel, learn a new language and culture, and live more simply becomes too strong? I could only think of one answer.

The Peace Corps.

My Peace Corps Timeline

Since the Peace Corps is notoriously disorganized, don't assume that my experience is even remotely similar to other applicants' experiences. Here's what happened with me...

June 6, 2005 - Took my LSAT in Newark.
June 7, 2005 - Realized I didn't want to go to law school.
June 10, 2005 - Printed out Peace Corps information from the web site to read while taking the Chinatown bus to DC for a friend's wedding reception.
June 11, 2005 - Went to wedding reception at friend's apartment. Talked with interesting people. Realized that banking and law are not the only 2 career paths. Got drunk.
June 12, 2005 - Decided to apply.
early July, 2005 - Completed application. Heard back from Melissa in the NY recruiting office immediately. Had interview a few days later. Was nominated the day after my interview for Francophone Africa, June 2006, TEFL.
August, 2005 - Received medical and dental packets. Went to doctor's office and she was wonderful. Filled it all out at no cost to me.
August 24, 2005 - Went on date that lasted until 4am. It was a Wednesday.
August 25, 2005 - Got wallet stolen on the M105 bus. Went to dentist. Found out that I am a tooth grinder and had cracked my enamel and had 3 cavities. I'd never had a cavity before. It was a bad day.
Late November, 2005 - Finally got all cavities filled. Sent in dental and medical forms. Received dental clearance within days.
December 23, 2005 - Got "placement clearance," although I still don't really know what that means! Found out that Peace Corps needed more medical information.
December 28, 2005 - Went home to Brooklyn after Christmas in Wisconsin. Peace Corps Medical needed an updated HIV test.
January 5, 2006 - Forgot to go to doctor for HIV test.
January 6, 2006 - Remembered to go to new appointment. Test negative for HIV.
January 7, 2006 - Send test results to Peace Corps.
January 27, 2006 - Toolkit is updated to "Your invite is in the mail."
January 31, 2006 - Invite arrives. Is to Mauritania - the one country I'd told my recruiter I wouldn't go to in Africa.
February 1, 2006 - Turn down invitation. Email reasons and hope for new invite.
February 4, 2006 - Toolkit is updated again. A new invite is in the mail!
February 6, 2006 - New invite arrives! It's the fastest the Postal Service has ever delivered a letter to me. It's to Guinea - leaving June 27 - and I'm thrilled.
February 7, 2006 - Accept new invite.
February 14, 2006 - Start looking for long, cheap skirts online. Email mom to ask her to please pick up 2 skirts I found at Wal-Mart's online site. There is no Wal-Mart in NYC. Added bonus is that I don't have to feel like I'm supporting Wal-Mart and their shady corporate policies since mom will be doing the purchasing. Realize that I'm just feeling better because of a technicality.
February 15, 2006 - Decide I should start a blog. Realize I'm looking forward to wearing Wal-mart skirts and working in Guinea.

The L Train

So - I'm joining the Peace Corps and am leaving for Guinea June 27th. Between now and then I'll have to leave NYC, my lame job and go back to Wisconsin for a month of "family time."

Last night I was thinking about how much I'm looking forward to leaving New York - it had been a long day full of annoying people and red roses (Valentine's Day is the only day where a dozen roses costs more than $10 in the city, which annoys me to no end) - but then a fat-ish, white guy with an ipod started moving his hips to the music while holding onto the pole in the middle of the L train. He was essentially grinding the pole (but gently...) and there was a guy standing right behind him and he looked horrified. When the guy got off the train everyone started laughing. And then I thought - I love New York. Where else does a guy grind up on a pole when there are 40 other people around?