The official 30 day mark was this past Sunday the 8th but all the staging information, flight and departure information was sent this morning and it looks as though I will be departing for staging in Houston, TX on March 9th and then leaving for San Jose on the 10th at 845.  Staging seems to be a half a day event where the other Costa Rica volunteers and I will be introduced to the expectations of the Peace Corps, of the country itself and address any concerns we may have. 

This was the next big event over the past 30 days (and hopefully the last before departure) but I also received my final medical and dental clearance during this time, found a group on Facebook with the other volunteers that will be part of the group going down to Costa Rica with me and have begun shopping for anything I might be missing.

While packing varies based on where you will be serving, I would recommend simply Googling "PCV Packing list (country name)".  From this I was directed to the Peace Corps Wiki page for Costa Rica, a number of different blogs of volunteers that were currently serving and different internet threads about RPCV's general recommendations.  Among the most popular things recommended were rechargeable batteries, headlamps, favorite deodorants/shampoos, disposable razor blades etc.  

With only a 100lb weight limit, packing for 27 months seems pretty daunting but much of what I have read suggests only packing enough cloths to last the first month of training because much of the "necessities" can be purchased in country and any clothes you forget to pack can also be bought if necessary.  Bedding, pillows, fans etc are all available in country and will save tons of space during the packing stage.  I still have quite a few items I need to purchase which will likely be tough to buy abroad or way too expensive but the 30 day to departure is here and it feels a lot more real than it did just 30 days ago.

My next entry will likely be before or right after staging or once I arrive in Costa Rica.