Farther away than before!

We were scheduled to fly out at 6:10 this morning, but the smallest snowfall created a panic and our flight was cancelled immediately.  This is a big deal because not only does the Peace Corps have to pay for every night we stay here (as well as a per diem), but we are on a very detailed training schedule in Nicaragua and we have people waiting for us there.  One of the head honchos from the PC Headquarters in DC even came to visit us to thank us for our flexibility.

Our Staging Coordinator Joshua has been on the phone nonstop trying to find flights for both the Nicaragua and Panama groups.  Apparently Panama is a more popular destination because the entire group will be basking in the sun by Friday.  Meanwhile in Arlington, the crisp air has forced me to purchase gloves and a scarf from Claire's as I am not packed for this type of weather.  Peace Corps Nicaragua will be split into three groups, the last of which will fly on Saturday.  My roommate, Deanna, is leaving at 1:30am tomorrow morning with 7 others.  She is currently enjoying her last venti coffee for a months.

I met my fellow Nicaragua Peace Corps Trainees yesterday at staging.  Here we spent an afternoon introducing ourselves, discussing our personal and professional goals, our anxieties and aspirations, and what Peace Corps expects of us.  There are 45 people in my group, but only 42 made it on time to staging due to flight cancellations in Chicago.  My group consists of 7 males and 38 females.  We are all part of the health program, split up into 1. Maternal and Child Health Promotion and 2. Reproductive Health and HIV/AIDS Education.
  
There is another Peace Corps group here who is going to Panama.  We did not meet any of them formally, so we loving refer to each one of them as "Panama".  For example:  "Did you eat lunch with Panama?"  The Panama group has a more evenly proportioned male to female ratio.  They will be teaching English.


Today we were free to tromp around Washington DC in our summer clothes.  An adventure I would have enjoyed much more had I been able to feel my face.  I boarded the Metro with a small group of ladies and headed to "The Mall" where we were able to see The Natural History Museum, Air and Space, and the Natural Gallery of Art.  These were the only pictures I could muster up in the Arctic chill:

I have yet to know which day I will be leaving, but tomorrow those of us who are still in Arlington will have our first day of training...