"Deep" South Tour... & more (did I just rhyme?)

Hey yall, it is hard to believe that in just a matter of a few weeks I will be living on another continent. I finally received my staging materials, and I am booked on a flight to Philadelphia, at 7:07am on the 1st of August, where my staging event will take place. I report to staging at 12:30pm on the 1st and will begin my Peace Corps Orientation. I will sign paperwork, go over rules and regulations, receive shots, and most importantly begin getting to know all the other volunteers I will be working with over the next two years, and some of whom I am certain I will be friends with for a very long time. Everything is a GO for Africa in just a few weeks!!!!

North Carolina in all of it's Beauty

I have began my southern tour, but as usual not everything goes perfectly to plan (I know my plans are vague as is, but still). I left Greenville, SC at 5:01am very well under the influence after a night out at the bars in Brevard with Nick, Ashley, and Heather. I will miss North Carolina very much. I hope that when I come back I will get to see Harold and Theresa (saints on earth) still living next door to Oma.

 Got to Mississippi a little behind schedule, but had an amazing visit with Bill & Rebekah, and got to see how tall and smart my little nephew has become. I have a few pictures of the little guy who is amazing at swimming!!! Bill and I got to go fishing often and then retreat out of the boiling hot sun for the day. In the afternoons Bill and I got to pick the garden and swim with Bear, and in the evenings Rebekah and I got lost in stimulating conversations as the old timer hit the hay. Thanks Bill and Rebekah for everything, I really will miss seeing yall and watching Bear grow for yet another 2 years!!!

Bear can jump in without holding his nose, and open his eyes and swim under water on his own!!!

AND he is only 2!!! but definitely takes after his uncle Bryan with his good looks (and blue eyes)... :)

Then I got a chance on the 5th to go visit my Mere & Pere on my mom's side, and had an awesome visit! It has been a long time and we got to talk all about Africa and history about the family for the night and all day on the 6th. We got a chance to go celebrate mass, and have lunch with Claire and Aunt Moo. I can hardly believe all my cousins who I try to always remember as young kids with me are growing up! Claire is a Senior in college!!! It was an awesome visit, but had to end too soon.

NOW I am in New Orleans. Got a great visit in with young Catie, who I again can't believe is about to be a sophomore in high school!!! I just don't know where the time goes I guess. Also got to see Owen which was great, but too short as Owen and Catie headed north today.

Amtrak Rail Pass.... I thought it would make my life easy, but obviously I should read all the fine print more often. Train out of New Orleans tomorrow has been sold out, so I bought a plane ticket to Rhode Island for saturday instead. I am actually really happy this happened, because now I have an extra day to hangout and catch up with Megan, uncle Michael, and aunt Mindy. Today (in just a few minutes) I will be going into town to walk around the French Quarter, and in the afternoon go out in uptown with Megan and friends (one of which just so happens to be moving to Lusaka, Zambia in August also!!!! but not with the PC). I hate how my visits have to be so short. I enjoy my late night chats with aunt Mindy til 2 in the morning, seeing my uncle, and chillin with Meg swapping all the stories we can fit into a day. But just like every stop along this trip my visit to new Orleans is limited. 

So I have been to MS for 3 nights and days, Mandeville for a night and day, and New Orleans for 3 nights and days...
Soon I will be in Rhode Island, then CT for fireworks, then Matunuck 2 nights, Gansett 1 night, train to Providence to stay at craig's for 1 night, train to Boston, and rail to Leominster, a day and night with my dear friend and mentor Wes,day and night with best friend Nick, rail to Boston to hang for a day and night with my cousin Will (and CHLOE!!!!), lunch with Erin Saturday and then train to Portland to be picked up and driven home to Maine. >breathe< I KNOW that is not interesting, but I just wanted to give yall an idea of my remaining travel

That said, I won't be blogging until a few days before departure and then in Zambia. I will be in Maine, home sweet home, with mom, dad, and Thomas for my last 2 weeks in the states. I have alot of shopping and packing to do. lots of letting my mother stare at my face and "soak me in." I also look forward to a quiet wood porch on the west side of Birch Island sipping on a whiskey and sharing a cigar with my old man as we watch a few sunsets go down over Holeb pond. It has been and will be a very busy month, and just really look forward to getting Oscar Mike ("on the move") to Africa. Til next time Au'revoir!

P.S. ANYONE that would like to talk with me in Zambia will need to friend me on Skype: bryan.watkin