Hannah's Peace Corps Adventures

This is for those who know me so that they can keep updated on my adventures in Gambia. Or for anyone whose interested in the babblings of a recent college graduate trying to figure out what to do with her life.

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Location: Hershey, Pennsylvania, United States

Monday, June 19, 2006

Things to check off my list...

I took the GRE on Friday, after driving two and a half hours up to the University of Oregon in Eugene. I took it straight through, with no breaks, adn then I took the extra little test at the end which the ETS uses to test out the new version of the GRE before they revamp the system. Did you know the new version will let you use a calculator on the quantitative section? So not fair. I also discovered I managed to take the GRE before the price went up from $115 to $130.

Anyway, overall it took me 3 hours, 20 minutes, which is nice since the practice stuff told me to expect four hours. I ended up with 610 on my verbal, 660 on my quantitative (first time I've ever done better in math than in English), so I have 1270 thus far. I'm sure I'll be in Africa before I find out my analytical scores. I didn't do as well as I had hoped, but better than I had expected, and I went online to see the national average, both of which were below my scores, so at least I'm better than average. I checked out a website that had the average scores for some of the top schools, and my scores are good enough to get me into Harvard! Woot woot! That was a nice ego booster. So, the GRE is checked off my list.

Next, I have filled out my Power of Attorney forms and figured out my Will, so after I go to the notary tomorrow with my parents to act as my witnesses I can check both of those off as well. Whew. I would like to note that within three weeks of each other, three of my friends have or will be getting married. I, meanwhile, am writing my will; I find that slightly depressing. Anyway, I have my clothes figures out, and major things I want to bring like the textbooks I hope to use, a yoga mat for stretching and ab work, along with the Peace Corps guide to Wollof that my friend Lilly gave me from her semester studying in Senegal. I don't have the small stuff like vitamins, soap, etc. And I haven't finished filling out my Peace Corps paperwork quite yet. I'm one of those "have a plan in my head but don't put it into effect until the last minute just for fun" type of people.

Things I have left to do:
~Pack up the small stuff (shampoo, contact solution)
~Go to Kailee's bridal shower (I feel very uncomfortable at those because most of the people who go are already married or are in steady relationships, and I feel pressured even thought I have no intention of getting married anytime soon, like in the next five years. I need to finish grad school first)
~Finish going through my room and doing general cleaning
~Have the mother of all yard sales to get rid of my ols books and clothes so that my room-hopefully-will stop being the storage room as it has been for the four years I spent going to college in Iowa
~Go get my second pair of glasses from Binyon's
~Convince my parents that even though I already have two crank flashlights and a mini one, I still need (or just want) a headlamp
~Close my checking account back in Iowa now that my major expenses have been paid
~End my cell phone service and pay the last bill
~Create a photo album to bring with me (I have the album, pictures, and stickers--I just have to put the darn thing together)
~Figure out little gifts to give my mom, stepdad, and younger brother to make them feel a little bit better about my leaving them (again)

4 Comments:

Blogger Evan said...

Hey Hannah! I thought I posted on here before, but either I didn't or it didn't work. I'm looking forward to meeting you! What time are you getting in on the 2nd?

3:00 PM  
Blogger Becca said...

Hey Hannah! Since you are getting into Philly early and might have some time to kill I thought I would let you know some cool things to do. Our hotel is in Old City which is right by all the historical stuff. Not to far from that is South Street which has a ton of resturants, bars and just funny crazy stores. Italian Market is also not to far away and is fun to check out (thats where the cheesesteaks are). Ask the hotel, they will be able to tell you how to get to all these places. Safe travels and see you in a little over a week! Yikes!

7:20 AM  
Blogger Becca said...

Oh yea, the art museum rocks too.

9:13 AM  
Blogger AV said...

Hi, Hannah. I'm getting in on the 2nd around 5:30 pm. It should be nice to get there a little early and get settled in before we have to start the hours of training. Maybe we can all find each other at the hotel.

Adam

3:13 PM  

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