My First Law

A girl in motion remains in motion.

I've got about six months left in my service. Though that sounds like a long time, I know it will go by quickly. I'm already in full-on planning-for-the-future mode--engrossed in (and occasionally overwhelmed by) grad school applications, vacation itineraries and dreams of good food to come.

Here's a random smattering of the things I'm getting excited about:

-Tabaski with the Barkedji family.

-A week in Cape Verde in November with Brian and his friend Jen, a volunteer in Zambia.

-Christmas Eve dinner with Katy's family. My last Christmas away from home for awhile.

-Emma's two-week visit in late December and early January, which will include biking to some waterfalls, inshallah.

-Finishing my applications and hearing back from schools.

-A five or six week COS (Close of Service) trip with stops in Morocco, Barcelona, Provence, the French and Swiss Alps, Florence-Rome-Naples and surroundings, the Peloponnesian Peninsula in Greece, and England/Guernsey (with the family, I hope). Friends, ferries and food (with special emphasis on the fromage), oh my!

-Hanging out in Milwaukee with my pup and parents. Sunday crosswords over brunch with one duck.

-Short trips to visit long lost friends (Madison? Minneapolis? Colorado? New York? Give me suggestions!)

-Tour de West Coast: A summer bike trip from Vancouver to San Francisco. A sister-sister reunion in San Fran.

-Fruit! Vegetables! Cheese! Whole wheat bread!

The best part of spending two years in the Peace Corps is that when you finish, you can suddenly justify a few months of pure indulgence. You know, sometimes this life isn't half bad.