Staging

Staging was a whirlwind affair. We all left for DC on the 8th. I meet up with another volunteer, Sam, in the airport. We commuted to the hotel together and shortly after check-in we had our first meeting. We received ATM cards with $165 on them to get us through the next few days. Staging is different for each country I am led to believe. Ours seemed to be very brief, perhaps a result of the expense of housing us in DC. Rooms during staging are shared and you use your ATM card to pay for meals. A last American meal with fellow trainees is a good way to say goodbye to home.

The morning after arrival our staging sessions really began. We learned about Peace Corps rules, policies, and regulations. Lots of ice breaking and team work activities so you can get to know your fellow volunteers. We also received our new passport and visa documents. After a few hours of sessions we left for the airport.

Having our staging in DC is apparently unusual. It is generally cost prohibitive but the DC staff wanted to be involved in our staging since we are the first cohort to be sent to Comoros since the program closed in the 1990s.

Most of staging is a blur. After barely 24 hours in DC we were on our way to Comoros.