Found a lovely description of Grenada

Grenada is a rolling, mountainous island, covered with fragrant spice trees and rare tropical flowers. Bordered by stunning beaches, and dotted with picturesque towns, this verdant island has long been a major source of nutmeg, cloves, ginger, cinnamon, and cocoa. The seductive smells drift through the colorful Saturday markets and Grenada's dense forests. In the interior of this volcanic island are cascading rivers and waterfalls, lush rainforests, and one of the most breathtakingly beautiful mountain lakes imaginable. The capital, St. George's, is widely held to be the loveliest city in the Caribbean. A pastel rainbow of dockside warehouses and the red-tiled roofs of traditional shops and homes surround its horseshoe-shaped harbor.

Grenada's physical beauty is complemented by its rich history and vibrant, living cultural heritage. Local festivals, fairs, and markets remain an integral part of life on Grenada. Its centuries old spice plantations and rum distilleries still use traditional methods, emphasizing quality rather than quantity. Although the tourist industry has become more substantial in recent years, the island's easy rhythms and the friendly openness of its residents evoke an atmosphere that has long since vanished elsewhere.

As you all can imagine, I've been spending copious amounts of time on the web just browsing all the sites that have anything to do with life on Grenada. I've joined several email groups of former and new PC volunteers which lets me ask and have lots of questions answered. Have interviewed 3 moving companies regarding packing up all my stuff and storing it while I'm away, so getting there, slowly by surely.

Today was my last day at Beau Rivage Golf & Resort. Thursday I head off on a 5-week, 3000+ mile road trip back to the Midwest to visit friends and family, attend a 50th wedding anniversary on Lake Michigan, play golf in the UP, spend time in Door County, take classes at the big sewing expo in Chicago and lastly, attend my 44th high school reunion in beautiful Danville, IL. It will be a great trip and I'm going to try and put everything Peace Corps out of my mind until I return on July 22nd. Then it will be a race to get everything taken care of before I leave.

Thanks to all for stopping by my blog and staying 'hey'. Keep those good wishes coming in!

ReAnn

June 10, 2008 - Invitation to Join Peace Corp Arrives

It's really happening! After waiting an entire year and going through so many medical tests, thinking there was no way they would accept me, I received my 'invitation' to become a Peace Corps Volunteer. Yippee! And the location - the eastern Caribbean island of Grenada. Even though they have really BIG bugs there, I'm still totally excited. I've been bombarded with paperwork to complete and send in. I have to manage to get my house packed up and in storage and rented before I depart on August 25th. that's just 9 weeks from now - ARGH.

When I leave here we spend 2 days of training in the States (where is not yet announced) before heading to the island of St. Lucia. This is where the headquarters of the PC's Eastern Caribbean division. We will spend about 4-6 weeks in training on St. Lucia before the groups splits and heads out to all the surrounding islands that are part of this division. Once I arrive in Grenada, I will be living with a host family who will introduce me to island life and continue training for another 4-6 weeks. After 3 months of training we will be presented to the Grenada ambassador and take the oath of office to become, for the next 24 months, a Peace Corps Volunteer. (It's the same oath that the President takes!).

It will be exciting, exhausting, scary, fun and such an adventure - I can't wait to begin - and I'm so glad that through this wonderful medium you can share this time with me.