OFFICIAL Peace Corps Volunteer blogging here!!

 Peace Corps Ceremony

Group 84! 

Obviously I was excited for my big ceremonial day, friends, family, food, speeches, dances, the works! These (more than) ten weeks of training has been overwhelming, stressful and emotionally draining but we did it! We did it and it is time for a BIG celebration!! BUT.. Cyclone Evan decided a big celebration was not needed and decided to canceled our plans for us.
Friends and family from our training village were not able to come, we had snacks instead of dinner and it was held at the American Embassy not the American Ambassador's home. It was not a huge event like originally planned. Instead, we had a mini celebration with us (OFFICIAL) Peace Corps Volunteers, Peace Corps staff and a few extra came. Very small.
We still dressed up, swore in and although the actual event was not extravagant  none of us will forget WHY our ceremony tiny. It did not lack excitement though and how many Peace Corps Volunteers can say they swore into the Peace Corps during a cyclone??
After we went back to the hotel for our last night together before most of us were shipped off to our official sites. Some of the PCV still had to stay at the hotel, their sites were not ready yet because of the Cyclone.

After everyone was finished packing we celebrated being official Peace Corps Volunteers together with a Christmas Party! I started Secret Santa a few weeks prior and everyone exchanged gifts that night. I was Zach's secret Santa and my gift was a success! Kate is always being made fun of for her lack of facial expressions so she and I made a calendar of all her "emotions." She had a blank stare on every page. I think everyone loved it. Sadly because the power is still out, I was not able to print it just yet.
Alison and Josh bought "ginger bread houses" (made of paper and stickers  to decorate and Zach bought a cake. We had wine, music, dancing and a bunch of laughs! It was a perfect way to congratulated each other, wish each other luck and to say goodbye. Tomorrow we all start our own adventures!!