Less than 2 weeks away!

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Hello hello everyone!

So this is kind of weird right now as this is the first blog I have ever written. However, I do feel quite cool because now I share another thing in common with Barney from How I Met Your Mother (besides how awesome we are), I too have a blog to reference people to! :P

Anyways, in case you didn't read my profile "About Me" section, I will be going to the Philippines for 6 months on October 1st (although given the ridiculous amount of hours spent in the air and transferring flights, I will technically arrive there on October 2nd) to intern as a Business Development Officer with a cooperative under the National Federation of Cooperatives for Persons With Disability (NFCPWD). I am less than a week away from saying goodbye to all my friends, family, and loved ones as I head to Ottawa on September 25th for a week of training before I leave. There I am going to meet about a dozen or so other interns hired through the Canadian Cooperative Association (CCA) who will be interning abroad as well (the rest in Africa) with a variety of different host organizations and roles.

Right now I am making final preparations for the move. I have yet to confirm exactly where I am living in Candelaria, but will have a couple days to figure it out when I arrive in Manila and stay in a hotel for a couple of nights. I'm currently in a weird middle ground where the fact that I am leaving everything I have ever known has sort of "semi-sank" in. I'm sad that I will be missing everyone I hold near and dear (including Wendy's Spicy Chicken combo - good ol' #6) but crazy excited to be pursuing my dream (international development and making an impact on the world outside of North America). Basically, all I want to do with my life is help people, let's see if this is a satisfying route 😊.

I keep trying to forecast exactly what this experience will be like, but each time I try all I can determine is that it's going to be BIG. I'm super thankful to those who have given me this opportunity and those who support me in my adventure (PS, sorry about the blog name, it's the best I could come up with on the spot :P). Some of my final preparations include getting a couple more shots (Japanese encephalitis and rabies), starting to learn some more Filipino, sorting out OSAP and car insurance and phone plans, and last minute purchases. I'll post another blog while I'm in Ottawa, right before I head out. Until then, have a good one!

- Jason "J-Dawg" Frittaion

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