2 Weeks Notice

2 weeks to go. How did this happen? I can't believe I have been here for 26 months. But now it's almost time to go. And the COS (Close of Service) Process is long and tedious. So here's what I have to do to get out of here:

• Administratively
• Final volunteer report to be submitted to Washington D.C. regarding my activities the last 4 months. (We did these quarterly)
• Site Report - A report about all the resources in Cahul.
• DOS - Description of Service, a report describing eloquently everything over the past 2 years.
• Signing of the Fly American Act - Agreeing I will use an American carrier to arrive in the U.S.
• Signing of the non-indebtedness - From my landlady ensuring I don't owe her anymore money.
• Signed Post-COS travel itinerary.
• Returning of PC equipment - Including Britta water filter, yak traks (for snow), fire extinguisher, smoke/CO2 Detector and Security Procedure handbook.
• Close bank account
• Close Orange internet/phone account.
• Interview with CFO - Hannah regarding Policies.
• Interview with Country Director, Janet.
• Medically
• Full physical
• Blood work
• Stool sample - yeah...2 days in row, it was awesome.
• Urine sample
• Mammogram (because I'm 40)
• Dental Visit (deferred until PA...because I know people)
• Explanation of post-service benefits.
• Clearance card from the WHO,the World Health Organization, not the band :(
• Record of all immunizations and vaccines
• Personally
• Sorting 2 years of crap into piles. 1 - Keeping, 2 - donating/leaving and 3 - Shipping home.
• Goodbyes to Moldovans including work partner, members of the community and my dearest friends.
• Cleaning the apartment to Moldovan standards (oy) and getting landlady to sign off on it.
• Closing out electricity, water, trash and gas bills to the landlady's satisfaction.
• Taking at least 2-3 trips to Chisinau with luggage and donations and PC property. (3 hours on bus, both ways...NO A/C)

I'm at about 75% done with all this stuff but it has been a long road. We were given the COS 'packet' at the COS conference back in April. Everyone had the best of intentions to leave time to get it all done...but we're all scrambling now. So I have one week left here in Cahul and then I will go to Chisinau for the last week and stay with Lindsay and Conrad and Michael. But if you've talked to me lately (and if you haven't, why not...???) and I seem aloof or distracted (more than usual) this is why. 

Still pretty shell-shocked so let's just let that all settle in...2 freaking weeks!