Staging

I just accidentally all of staging.

^

So yea...staging was pretty sweet. Like cotton candy covered in whipped cream sweet. Only if that's real whip cream though. Is it whip cream or whipped cream? This is important.

Staging is intense, and flies fast. I've met most of my fellow trainees (there are about 53 of us, I think? ) and everyone I've talked to is pretty awesome. Awesome, enough, that I should put awe some as two separate words. My roommate, for example, discussed Godel's proofs with me over dinner. He just told me I shouldn't write about him. His name is Mike. He doesn't know I'm blogging about him...and when he reads this, he'll be surprised it's not about a Spanish speaking agent from Washington State.

So yeah, Staging. Got some vaccinations, had a lot of discussions about what to expect in service which culminated in...have no expectations. Go with it. I think that's pretty much the way I've tried to approach it, as best as possible, but obviously I have my weaknesses. I like my creature comforts. I like youtube. I like conditioner. I like KFC...and I'm leaving without ever having the double down. :(

If I learned anything from reading Fear and Loathing (Hunter Thompson's masterpiece, read it if you have an open mind), it's that sometimes you just need to buy the ticket, and take the ride. Don't do the drugs, per se, but open your mind to the possibilities beyond the immediacies in front of you. The world is yearning for you to hop in, and just see what happens. I've got a great support system here now, with people who are diving in just like me, trying to have no expectations. And, what's even better, is I've got a great support system back in the states. Good friends are hard to come by. Thanks for coming by? lol (I said lol as I typed this. I didn't actually lol)

After this, is pre service training. That will last for a few weeks, ending in either late August or early/mid September (I really am not too sure. I've heard different information from different sources...again, no expectations).

Please write. Send me letters, postcards, business cards, photo ids, gum wrappers (with unchewed gum still in them, I will miss gum the most). If you're up for playing mail chess, or any game over the mail, I'm totally down. I've got about 3 takers write now.

My address is in a previous post...I think from a couple days ago.

Be eazzzzy like George and Wheezy,
-Ryan Monaghan
Please write. M

P.S. Mrs. A, thanks for the cookies.