The Transition Part 1: Site Reveal

Okay, so it's been a while since I've posted, but I JUST MOVED TO SITE, and I don't want to leave out a single detail of what it's taken to get here, so I'll break it down into three parts...

Part 1: Site Reveal

It was Tuesday afternoon, everyone had just walked (more like jogged) back from lunch. We sat down on the benches that lined the walkway of the Don Chedi school, since they would not let us inside the meeting room. I swung my legs over the bench so I was turned away from the crowd. Behind me, I could hear people chatting excitedly: "Oh my gosh, is this really happening?" "I should not have eaten that much pineapple at lunch, I'm nauseous now," "Is that sweat going down my back, or just a bug?" I sat there watching some water trickle down a leaf right in front of my face, and thought Well, it's now or never I guess.

Then, the doors opened. The country director smiled and shouted "Are you ready to find out your sites?" And we all squealed. We were pushing past each other to get inside the meeting room. Getting inside was a total blur, but once we got there we had somehow been herded to form a giant circle. I looked around at my 57 new friends. Some were holding hands, some were jumping up and down and laughing. Some were silent and looked pale and nauseous. Still, no matter the thoughts and feelings running through us, there was no turning back now.

The names began to be read, followed by the name of the school and site. All 57 of us immediately stood up a little straighter, knowing our name could be called at any second. When your name was called, you were asked to step into the center of the circle. One after another, names were called, sites were revealed, and applause erupted.

Almost too suddenly, I heard, "Emily Maginnis."

I stepped forward into the circle. Standing there by myself with everyone looking at me, I had never felt more vulnerable and powerful at the same time before.

My program director, looked at me, smiled, and said "blurfperasdmgotwcmsa."

OH MY GOD WOW!!...Wait, what? 

I sort of lost memory after that. I grabbed my site folder, went back to my place in the circle, and leaned over to my friend Felicia. "Do you have any idea what she said?"

Felicia said "No idea. She said it so fast."

Since I wasn't allowed to read my folder until everyone had theirs, I sat there in suspense as everyone else knew where their site was. My mind was racing, WHAT IS blurfperasdmgotwcmsa?! Where is it?! 

After all the names were called, I ripped my packet open faster than any childhood Christmas present. And my jaw dropped. I was in Hua Hin, Prachuap Khiri Kan, the last province before the south. The pictures of the school were gorgeous, the principal was young and "excited to have a volunteer," the co teachers were "enthusiastic about English," and my site was just 18k from the beach.

It seemed almost like a dream. I never guessed I would have a site like this in a million years. I was ecstatic. I was not placed near my friends, but we all agreed that was okay and we could visit each other at some point.

The only thing left to do after that (well, besides having a few celebratory Changs with friends), was to go home and tell my host family.

Oh God, I thought, what are they gonna think about me being four hours away?