Hiking, drinking, reminiscing

Everything is still a go for the hike in September. I received the maps in the mail this weekend, and came up with a daily schedule that doesn't look too daunting - 450 miles in 41 hiking days. Tina has committed to coming along, and we hope to start around September 2. Before that, I'll be paying a visit to my brother and family in Florida. I've been dusting off the old gear and making sure it still works. There's no use in doing any serious training. What could possibly prepare a person for going up and down mountains with 40 pounds on her back? But I am running/walking/biking/rollerblading every day.

Almost every day, I should say - when not playing the V drinking game or an adulterated version of Edward 40Hands. I guess my Williamsburg friends and I aren't as grown up as I made out in the last entry about them. :-) But adding the rule to drink when Mike Donovan's shirt is half-buttoned - not for the faint of heart. Be warned.

In Peace Corps news, two of our own are returning to Kenya this summer. Check out the article about Annie in the Houston Chronicle.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ent/arts/art/3994117.html

I also got an e-mail from Kevin today, who is going back for about 6 months to work with an organization there.

I was talking to Allison on the phone tonight, and we were only able to list 5 people who have gotten career-track jobs since we left Kenya in December. There were 50 of us sent in 2003, and about 35 stayed the whole two years. There are maybe another half dozen heading to school in the fall to pursue higher education. The rest of us still feel a bit lost. For me at least, I need a job with equal parts challenge and reward. But it's hard finding something to measure up to the adventure I've become used to.

I do have a short-term gig coming up that promises to be interesting. On Saturday, I leave for San Jose to spend two weeks working for the National Youth Leadership Forum. They're holding a conference for 1300 high school students interested in tech careers. I'll be serving as a faculty advisor in charge of about 25 students, running sessions with them, helping them with group projects. It combines my interest in technology and mentoring perfectly. It should definitely be a challenge.