In 24 hours (yikes!), assuming everything goes according to plan, I will have already checked into my hotel in Philadelphia and will probably be out and about, meeting other PC volunteers who are in my group (there are 53 of us. We'll all be at the same staging event, on the same looooooong flight, and in the same 9-week(ish) training class). I'm very excited to meet everyone in person (I've met a few online already-- ah, the miracle of the internet).
Yesterday I said good-bye to my mother, my stepfather, my cat, and my dog before boarding the bus from Portland, ME to Boston, MA (a bus I have taken many, many, many times before, so it was a familiar and comforting ride) with my rolling suitcase, frame backpack, and rolling carry-on suitcase (final weights: 44 lbs, 28 lbs, and 22 lbs. Score!). It was a bit emotional, but I felt better by the time I arrived in Boston-- there's nothing like 2 hours on a bus to calm your nerves. I'm glad I got those good-byes and the packing out of the way yesterday so I could have today to relax, prepare, and make absolutely certain that I have everything I need (passport, wallet, and Peace Corps paperwork-- everything else I can buy when I get there, though I'd rather just remember to bring it in the first place, obviously).
Today I had a brunch at my grandparents' house with my father, stepmother, aunt, uncle, and cousin. We had a great time, and not just because the food was awesome (which it was). Everyone had lots of questions, lots of suggestions, and lots of hugs. The big question that I was asked (and I've been getting this question a lot) was how regularly I'd be able to keep in touch with friends and family from Zambia, so I've decided to put that information here. Here are the ways in which you can reach me (or I can reach you) while I am in Zambia:
1) Snail Mail. Or as I like to call it, the Pony Express. This is a nice old-fashioned way to keep in touch, and I'd love to be your pen pal. However, keep in mind that the mail service in Africa is not as reliable as it is in the US. Mail often gets lost (especially if it's bulky or looks like it might contain valuables). Be sure to number your letters so I'll know if I've missed one you sent, and I'll do the same. Don't panic if you don't get a letter from me for awhile (Mom--this sentence is for you). It happens. Mail gets lost, mail sits in rooms for awhile before finally getting mailed, and mail might not get written at all for a time if I'm really busy with something (that last thing probably won't happen too often). I'm not dead and I'm not ignoring you. I promise.
My address in Lusaka during pre-service training (the next 2-3 months) will be:
Elise Simons/PCT
Peace Corps
P.O. Box 50707
Lusaka, Zambia
You should also write Air Mail and Par Avion on the envelope. Keep in mind that packages are even more likely to be misplaced than letters; think before you send.
2) E-mail. My computer access-- in fact, my access to any electricity at all-- will be extremely limited. I'm actually looking forward to learning to live without a laptop glued to my knees-- it could be a nice change in my day-to-day habits. There are internet cafes in Lusaka (where I will be during pre-service training), but I will only have limited access to e-mail. While I'm in the African bush I will have opportunities to visit a Peace Corps Station where there will be computers, probably about once a month. So feel free to send e-mails, just not urgent ones.
3) Cell Phone. I plan to buy a (cheap) cell phone when I arrive in Zambia. Phone calls between Zambia and the US are not cheap, not all of Zambia has reliable phone service, and I won't be able to take calls during pre-service training while I'm in class (8-5 on weekdays, plus keep in mind that I'll be 6-7 hours ahead of most of you), but the cell phone will still be a viable form of communication most of the time-- especially texting (I can think of only 3 people who may not have texting capabilities-- you can ask Laurie to send the texts for you). I'll send you all my new cell phone # once I have it.
Depending on what type of cell phone I get, I may be able to use it to send e-mails, so I may be online more often than expected. However, we should all expect that I won't be able to stay in touch all that reliably-- that way it will be a pleasant surprise if I am!
If you have any more questions about the Peace Corps, you should check out the book So You Want to Join the Peace Corps: What to Know Before You Go by Dillon Banerjee. It's likely to answer most of your questions. There are also plenty of books written by Peace Corps Volunteers-- I've read three of them so far. Try the travel section of most bookstores.
This will probably be the last time I write to you from the United States for quite some time; next time I post here, I'll be able to tell you all from experience a little bit about what Zambia is really like. Wish me luck!
Sunday, February 14, 2010
Friday, February 12, 2010
Zambia LIFE
Yesterday I received a call from the Peace Corps Headquarters in Zambia. I had been expecting this call for a couple of weeks-- several people I've met on Facebook who are going to Zambia in the same group as me have mentioned getting calls-- but as the Day of Departure loomed nearer and nearer I gradually stopped anticipating the call and started focusing on other things, like fitting two years' worth of stuff into 107" and 80 lbs (plus a carry-on). I had thought of a a bunch of questions I could ask when they called, but I starting guessing at the answers so I could move on to the next thing, so by the time they called I didn't have anymore questions that I still needed to ask. Our conversation, while friendly, was short and a little awkward because a) the time it took for words to travel over the line meant a lot more pausing and waiting and accidentally talking over each other, b) as I said, I didn't have any questions left, so there wasn't much to talk about, and c) it was only nine in the morning, so I wasn't really mentally prepared to receive a phone call from anyone.
That said, it was really nice to receive a call from Zambia-- it made the whole thing feel a little more real, like I'm not just buying camping gear and getting my passport photos taken for kicks, because something is actually going to happen, I'm actually going to go somewhere. The concept of knowing there were people on the other end of the line waiting to meet me was really the greatest highlight of the experience. Here's what else I gleaned from the conversation:
1) bring sweaters/warm clothes, because it's cold there. I actually already knew this-- it says so in the Welcome Book that the Peace Corps e-mailed to me. Zambia is tropical, located just below the Democratic Republic of Congo, but it's relatively far away from the equator and on a plateau (hence the name of this blog), so during the dry season/winter (our summer, May to October) it can get down to the 50s during the day and the 30s at night. This is good news because I'm going to have to bring a couple of warm things (gloves, leg warmers, fleece jacket, sweater) just to survive the 2 days in Philadelphia, so this way the stuff I bring for the brief Staging period won't go to waste for the two years in Zambia. Right now it's summer in Zambia, a.k.a. the rainy season, and it is currently 72 degrees Fahrenheit with 100% humidity in Lusaka, Zambia's capital. It is also nighttime; during the day the temperature can get up to 80-90.
I've done some preemptive research on Zambia-- I've learned its location (landlocked, just south of the Democratic of Congo and north of Zimbabwe), its tourist attractions (Zambia shares the largest waterfall in the world, Victoria Falls, with it's neighbor Zimbabwe; it is also full of national parks used for safaris), and its health. What I know now is nothing compared to how much I'll know about Zambia in a month's time. It's so strange to think how different my life will be then.
2) bring a headlamp. I found a headlamp in my mother's desk a few days ago, and I sort of wish I wasn't bringing it because it's one of only two things I'm bringing that runs on batteries (the other thing is my travel alarm clock), and my battery charger is bulky, heavy, and annoying. All the other electronics I am bringing (flashlight, ipod, shortwave radio) are wind-up, solar-powered, or can plug in to my solar charger. Even my camera charges via USB port and can therefore be "plugged into the sun."
FYI, if you want to buy a camera that charges via USB, buy Kodak. I bought a small Fuji camera on Sunday because the sales clerk told me it was USB-chargeable; it wasn't. I took it back, and the Best Buy people very kindly exchanged it for a red Kodak (I was thrilled; red is a much cooler color than black) that I had admired back on Sunday before choosing the Fuji. According to Best Buy, Kodak is the only company that makes cameras that use only 1 cord for both charging and uploading images (it comes with an adapter plug so you can also charge it in the wall like any other camera if that's your preference).
3) They speak English in Zambia. Ok, this one I already knew, I was just looking for an excuse to bring it up. Some of you may remember that I studied French for awhile during my senior year of college. When I was first nominated to the Peace Corps, the plan was to send me to a French-speaking African country (there were no spaces open in English-speaking ones), and in September of last year I was invited to French-speaking Guinea. Unfortunately that didn't work out, and I ended up being invited to Zambia, formerly the British territory of Northern Rhodesia. So the bad news is that I wasted a good deal of time and money attempting to learn French (and mostly failing) for no reason; the good news is, I will be going to an English-speaking country so I can focus all my language-learning skills on learning a local Zambian language (there are several, but I will be studying either Bemba, Nyanja, or Kaonde).
After staging, which is next week in Philadelphia and will basically involve 48 hours of paperwork, immunization shots, and intense bonding with my fellow volunteers, I have a long trip to Lusaka (we leave the hotel by bus at 2am next Wednesday morning, then take a plane from New York to South Africa to Zambia), followed by two months of pre-service training. During this time I will be staying with a host family in Lusaka. My first two months in Zambia will go roughly something like this: each day I will wake up with my host family in Lusaka and commute by bike to Peace Corps Headquarters. There I will have training from 8am until 5pm-- language training in the mornings, and technical training in the evenings.
My "technical training," in addition to covering survival training (how to purify water, etc.) and a cultural education, will be focused on forestry, agriculture, and environmental education. I am going to be part of Zambia's LIFE program (Linking Income, Food, and Environment), which means I'll be working in a rural community to promote both profit and sustainable agriculture through environmental education. Though Zambia's cities, like Lusaka, are highly globalized and modernized, I will probably be spending the majority of the next two years in a mud hut in a rural community. To be perfectly honest, I am looking forward to living off-grid, using very little electricity or resources. I may change my mind very quickly once I arrive, but for now I am excited.
Excited and crazy-busy. Just when I think I've done everything I need to do, I remember a piece of paper I forgot to fill out or realize that I've packed an object in the wrong bag. And just when I was thinking I was almost done, I get an e-mail this morning telling me I need more passport photos for documentation in Zambia (my adventures in passport photo-hunting are numerous-- I had some trouble tracking down a place for my Guinea passport, then again in London for my Zambia visa, then the Peace Corps lost my application so I had to search London (at Christmas when everything was closed) for the right store (and most passport stations in England make 1.5" passports, and I needed a 2"er) until I finally found one tucked away in a corner somewhere). I wish I had gotten that e-mail a week ago when I had a little more time to spare.
But like I said, this is the Peace Corps. Sometimes you just have to roll with the punches.
That said, it was really nice to receive a call from Zambia-- it made the whole thing feel a little more real, like I'm not just buying camping gear and getting my passport photos taken for kicks, because something is actually going to happen, I'm actually going to go somewhere. The concept of knowing there were people on the other end of the line waiting to meet me was really the greatest highlight of the experience. Here's what else I gleaned from the conversation:
1) bring sweaters/warm clothes, because it's cold there. I actually already knew this-- it says so in the Welcome Book that the Peace Corps e-mailed to me. Zambia is tropical, located just below the Democratic Republic of Congo, but it's relatively far away from the equator and on a plateau (hence the name of this blog), so during the dry season/winter (our summer, May to October) it can get down to the 50s during the day and the 30s at night. This is good news because I'm going to have to bring a couple of warm things (gloves, leg warmers, fleece jacket, sweater) just to survive the 2 days in Philadelphia, so this way the stuff I bring for the brief Staging period won't go to waste for the two years in Zambia. Right now it's summer in Zambia, a.k.a. the rainy season, and it is currently 72 degrees Fahrenheit with 100% humidity in Lusaka, Zambia's capital. It is also nighttime; during the day the temperature can get up to 80-90.
I've done some preemptive research on Zambia-- I've learned its location (landlocked, just south of the Democratic of Congo and north of Zimbabwe), its tourist attractions (Zambia shares the largest waterfall in the world, Victoria Falls, with it's neighbor Zimbabwe; it is also full of national parks used for safaris), and its health. What I know now is nothing compared to how much I'll know about Zambia in a month's time. It's so strange to think how different my life will be then.
2) bring a headlamp. I found a headlamp in my mother's desk a few days ago, and I sort of wish I wasn't bringing it because it's one of only two things I'm bringing that runs on batteries (the other thing is my travel alarm clock), and my battery charger is bulky, heavy, and annoying. All the other electronics I am bringing (flashlight, ipod, shortwave radio) are wind-up, solar-powered, or can plug in to my solar charger. Even my camera charges via USB port and can therefore be "plugged into the sun."
FYI, if you want to buy a camera that charges via USB, buy Kodak. I bought a small Fuji camera on Sunday because the sales clerk told me it was USB-chargeable; it wasn't. I took it back, and the Best Buy people very kindly exchanged it for a red Kodak (I was thrilled; red is a much cooler color than black) that I had admired back on Sunday before choosing the Fuji. According to Best Buy, Kodak is the only company that makes cameras that use only 1 cord for both charging and uploading images (it comes with an adapter plug so you can also charge it in the wall like any other camera if that's your preference).
3) They speak English in Zambia. Ok, this one I already knew, I was just looking for an excuse to bring it up. Some of you may remember that I studied French for awhile during my senior year of college. When I was first nominated to the Peace Corps, the plan was to send me to a French-speaking African country (there were no spaces open in English-speaking ones), and in September of last year I was invited to French-speaking Guinea. Unfortunately that didn't work out, and I ended up being invited to Zambia, formerly the British territory of Northern Rhodesia. So the bad news is that I wasted a good deal of time and money attempting to learn French (and mostly failing) for no reason; the good news is, I will be going to an English-speaking country so I can focus all my language-learning skills on learning a local Zambian language (there are several, but I will be studying either Bemba, Nyanja, or Kaonde).
After staging, which is next week in Philadelphia and will basically involve 48 hours of paperwork, immunization shots, and intense bonding with my fellow volunteers, I have a long trip to Lusaka (we leave the hotel by bus at 2am next Wednesday morning, then take a plane from New York to South Africa to Zambia), followed by two months of pre-service training. During this time I will be staying with a host family in Lusaka. My first two months in Zambia will go roughly something like this: each day I will wake up with my host family in Lusaka and commute by bike to Peace Corps Headquarters. There I will have training from 8am until 5pm-- language training in the mornings, and technical training in the evenings.
My "technical training," in addition to covering survival training (how to purify water, etc.) and a cultural education, will be focused on forestry, agriculture, and environmental education. I am going to be part of Zambia's LIFE program (Linking Income, Food, and Environment), which means I'll be working in a rural community to promote both profit and sustainable agriculture through environmental education. Though Zambia's cities, like Lusaka, are highly globalized and modernized, I will probably be spending the majority of the next two years in a mud hut in a rural community. To be perfectly honest, I am looking forward to living off-grid, using very little electricity or resources. I may change my mind very quickly once I arrive, but for now I am excited.
Excited and crazy-busy. Just when I think I've done everything I need to do, I remember a piece of paper I forgot to fill out or realize that I've packed an object in the wrong bag. And just when I was thinking I was almost done, I get an e-mail this morning telling me I need more passport photos for documentation in Zambia (my adventures in passport photo-hunting are numerous-- I had some trouble tracking down a place for my Guinea passport, then again in London for my Zambia visa, then the Peace Corps lost my application so I had to search London (at Christmas when everything was closed) for the right store (and most passport stations in England make 1.5" passports, and I needed a 2"er) until I finally found one tucked away in a corner somewhere). I wish I had gotten that e-mail a week ago when I had a little more time to spare.
But like I said, this is the Peace Corps. Sometimes you just have to roll with the punches.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Getting Ready
So we are now down to ten days until I leave for Philadelphia; in two weeks I will be on Zambian soil. It's hard to believe. I don't feel nervous or anxious, but I know that I probably am: last night I had a dream that I was trying to get to Logan Airport, but the public transit system was down and I had to walk through Ted Williams Tunnel (super dangerous-- kids, don't try this at home) only to find when I arrived at check-in that I had bought a ticket for the wrong flight and completely forgotten all my luggage...so, yeah, I'd say my subconscious is having some issues.
But mostly I'm just excited for this huge adventure coming my way. Most of my time has been devoted to packing and paperwork. I've requested immunization records from both my primary care physician and my school clinic-- while I'm in Philly I am going to receive a bunch of immunizations, including most likely a yellow fever shot and my first dose of malaria pills, but with the immunization lists I can make sure I don't receive more shots than I need. As it is I'm going to be suffering the side-effects of several vaccinations during the long plane ride to South Africa and then the shorter plane ride to Zambia, not to mention the jetlag. Good to start this trip off with a bang.
Other paperwork includes: medical and tax POA forms, insurance forms, passport/visa forms (the Peace Corps distributes special passports to volunteers, which expire at the end of service), student loan deferment forms, and staging forms. Not only will I be on a different continent for two years, but I'll most likely be spending most of those two years in a hut in the African bush without electricity, so it's important to get a lot of stuff straightened now when it's more convenient.
So far the packing process has involved discount shoe shopping, internet shopping for tents and electronics, hanging out in the LL Bean Factory Store (their camping section really is the coolest thing ever), digging through closets for lost items, "borrowing" stuff from my parents, stocking up on toiletries, snacks, journals, books, and stamps, arranging all the luggage in the house by size, weight, and durability, and laying everything I own out in neat rows on the bed and floor, as well as a fashion show of nearly every article of clothing I own (except the winter clothes, I don't think I'll be needing those). In addition to this I am packing up the stuff I won't be bringing to put into storage in my Mom's basement-- no need to have all my college stuff sitting unused in my room for two years like some sort of bizarre shrine. I just finished unpacking most of this stuff after bringing it home from college; now it's all going back into boxes again.
We are permitted a total of 80 lbs of checked luggage spread over 2 bags, plus a carry-on. The two checked bags each have to be less than 60" total dimensions; 107" total is the limit. I always like to pack as light as possible, and I keep reminding myself that I can buy just about anything I need in Zambia in the very globalized and well-stocked capitol city, Lusaka. I'm sure I'll bring a couple of things I don't need and forget a couple of things I do, so I guess as long as I go into this expecting to get this packing business a little bit wrong on the first try I won't mind so much when it actually happens.
Here are just a few of the things I am bringing:
--A wind-up flashlight and wind-up torch which I bought in the UK
--A wind-up/solar-powered shortwave radio
--A solar charger; Solio makes one that is apparently compatible with Zambian cell phones (I'll be buying a cell phone when I get there)
--A digital camera. I'm taking an old one my mom gave me, but I can't find the software that goes with it, so I may have to buy one of those memory-card-reading jumpdrives so that I can upload my pictures and show you all
--A deck of cards and some travel games of checkers and chess
--An ipod
--A small photo album with pictures of friends/family and my hometown
--Several blank journals and a couple of pens
--LL Bean Hiking Boots-- it's very warm in Zambia, but it's also very rainy there this time of year, so some good waterproof mudboots seem like a good idea (don't worry, I'm bringing sandals too)
--A tent and sleeping bag; I wasn't going to bring these, but the Peace Corps recommended them, and I figure they'll provide a good excuse for me to go camping
--Gifts for my host family: I'm bringing them some hard maple candies, but I'm still on the lookout for a nice book about Maine that I can give them
Anyone have any suggestions on what books I should bring? I have lots of ideas, and I won't bring too many since there are libraries at the Peace Corps outposts in each region of the country, but I'd like to bring a couple books to keep me busy-- any suggestions are welcome!
I'm working on a much larger post going into detail about Zambia and what I'll be doing there, so stay tuned!
But mostly I'm just excited for this huge adventure coming my way. Most of my time has been devoted to packing and paperwork. I've requested immunization records from both my primary care physician and my school clinic-- while I'm in Philly I am going to receive a bunch of immunizations, including most likely a yellow fever shot and my first dose of malaria pills, but with the immunization lists I can make sure I don't receive more shots than I need. As it is I'm going to be suffering the side-effects of several vaccinations during the long plane ride to South Africa and then the shorter plane ride to Zambia, not to mention the jetlag. Good to start this trip off with a bang.
Other paperwork includes: medical and tax POA forms, insurance forms, passport/visa forms (the Peace Corps distributes special passports to volunteers, which expire at the end of service), student loan deferment forms, and staging forms. Not only will I be on a different continent for two years, but I'll most likely be spending most of those two years in a hut in the African bush without electricity, so it's important to get a lot of stuff straightened now when it's more convenient.
So far the packing process has involved discount shoe shopping, internet shopping for tents and electronics, hanging out in the LL Bean Factory Store (their camping section really is the coolest thing ever), digging through closets for lost items, "borrowing" stuff from my parents, stocking up on toiletries, snacks, journals, books, and stamps, arranging all the luggage in the house by size, weight, and durability, and laying everything I own out in neat rows on the bed and floor, as well as a fashion show of nearly every article of clothing I own (except the winter clothes, I don't think I'll be needing those). In addition to this I am packing up the stuff I won't be bringing to put into storage in my Mom's basement-- no need to have all my college stuff sitting unused in my room for two years like some sort of bizarre shrine. I just finished unpacking most of this stuff after bringing it home from college; now it's all going back into boxes again.
We are permitted a total of 80 lbs of checked luggage spread over 2 bags, plus a carry-on. The two checked bags each have to be less than 60" total dimensions; 107" total is the limit. I always like to pack as light as possible, and I keep reminding myself that I can buy just about anything I need in Zambia in the very globalized and well-stocked capitol city, Lusaka. I'm sure I'll bring a couple of things I don't need and forget a couple of things I do, so I guess as long as I go into this expecting to get this packing business a little bit wrong on the first try I won't mind so much when it actually happens.
Here are just a few of the things I am bringing:
--A wind-up flashlight and wind-up torch which I bought in the UK
--A wind-up/solar-powered shortwave radio
--A solar charger; Solio makes one that is apparently compatible with Zambian cell phones (I'll be buying a cell phone when I get there)
--A digital camera. I'm taking an old one my mom gave me, but I can't find the software that goes with it, so I may have to buy one of those memory-card-reading jumpdrives so that I can upload my pictures and show you all
--A deck of cards and some travel games of checkers and chess
--An ipod
--A small photo album with pictures of friends/family and my hometown
--Several blank journals and a couple of pens
--LL Bean Hiking Boots-- it's very warm in Zambia, but it's also very rainy there this time of year, so some good waterproof mudboots seem like a good idea (don't worry, I'm bringing sandals too)
--A tent and sleeping bag; I wasn't going to bring these, but the Peace Corps recommended them, and I figure they'll provide a good excuse for me to go camping
--Gifts for my host family: I'm bringing them some hard maple candies, but I'm still on the lookout for a nice book about Maine that I can give them
Anyone have any suggestions on what books I should bring? I have lots of ideas, and I won't bring too many since there are libraries at the Peace Corps outposts in each region of the country, but I'd like to bring a couple books to keep me busy-- any suggestions are welcome!
I'm working on a much larger post going into detail about Zambia and what I'll be doing there, so stay tuned!
Monday, February 1, 2010
The Adventure Begins
Today is the first of February, 2010. A year ago today, I was logging in to my account on the Peace Corps website, checking anxiously to see if my recently-mailed medical evaluation had been approved (it hadn't, and wouldn't be until April). I had no idea at the time that I would be stepping on a plane bound for Philadelphia in 380 days, or that I would be departing from there for Zambia in 382. I had no idea that I would be going to an English-speaking country (I had just started an intense night course in French, having been nominated for placement in French West Africa), or that I would be spending Christmas with my cousin in London (my initial tentative departure date was set for September, so I was expecting to spend Christmas far away from cold, snow, and family), or that I would sleep in my own bed at home at all during 2010.
But this is the way of the Peace Corps; more than a sense of adventure, cultural sensitivity, or the right pair of shoes, the most important quality of a successful Peace Corps Volunteer is flexibility, followed closely by patience. There is no greater preparation for the stressful and frustrating twists and turns of the real world than the zen-inducing Peace Corps experience (if you can pee in a ditch for two years, you can do anything), and there is no greater preparation for the Peace Corps experience than the Peace Corps application process. At times it feels as though the folks in Washington turn the application process into an arduous task on purpose, and why shouldn't they? What better way to ensure that only the most committed volunteers arrive on foreign soil? What better way to minimize as much as possible the number of volunteers who, homesick and lonely and ill and depressed, decide to go home before the experience has ever even started? The Peace Corps demands commitment and loyalty from the very beginning, so there is never any doubt what you are getting yourself in for; those who wish to serve must be willing to stand and wait.
I started my Peace Corps application in October of 2008. I was nominated on November 5th, 2008, for a forestry project in sub-Saharan Africa. My dental evaluation was approved in late February, and my medical evaluation, after months and months of research, tests, blood samples, vaccinations, medical records requests, doctor's appointments, and bills, was approved in April. I was invited to Guinea in September, then dropped from that assignment due to "tensions and conflicts in the country" just before Halloween. I was re-invited to Zambia on December 3rd, 13 months after my initial nomination, and two weeks ago I finally began packing (again). During the past 15 months I also graduated from Smith College, went to Rome with my mother, took a solar power course online, visited my Dad's family on Cape Cod, dropped the online solar power course, re-learned to ride a bike, visited my two roommates in Indianapolis and Philadelphia, visited my friends at college (twice), read The Poisonwood Bible, crashed my bike into a bush, and spent the holidays in London with my cousins.
It has been a long year of waiting, preparing, and finding ways to occupy my time. I am proud and excited to be finished with this "waiting and hoping" stage. In fifteen days, I go.
Whether you're someone I know and love or someone who is thinking about the Peace Corps and just wants to lurk on current volunteers' blogs for awhile before making a decision, welcome! I promise to do my best not to bore you, and to provide as frequent updates as possible (traveling to places without electricity may make it difficult at times).
But this is the way of the Peace Corps; more than a sense of adventure, cultural sensitivity, or the right pair of shoes, the most important quality of a successful Peace Corps Volunteer is flexibility, followed closely by patience. There is no greater preparation for the stressful and frustrating twists and turns of the real world than the zen-inducing Peace Corps experience (if you can pee in a ditch for two years, you can do anything), and there is no greater preparation for the Peace Corps experience than the Peace Corps application process. At times it feels as though the folks in Washington turn the application process into an arduous task on purpose, and why shouldn't they? What better way to ensure that only the most committed volunteers arrive on foreign soil? What better way to minimize as much as possible the number of volunteers who, homesick and lonely and ill and depressed, decide to go home before the experience has ever even started? The Peace Corps demands commitment and loyalty from the very beginning, so there is never any doubt what you are getting yourself in for; those who wish to serve must be willing to stand and wait.
I started my Peace Corps application in October of 2008. I was nominated on November 5th, 2008, for a forestry project in sub-Saharan Africa. My dental evaluation was approved in late February, and my medical evaluation, after months and months of research, tests, blood samples, vaccinations, medical records requests, doctor's appointments, and bills, was approved in April. I was invited to Guinea in September, then dropped from that assignment due to "tensions and conflicts in the country" just before Halloween. I was re-invited to Zambia on December 3rd, 13 months after my initial nomination, and two weeks ago I finally began packing (again). During the past 15 months I also graduated from Smith College, went to Rome with my mother, took a solar power course online, visited my Dad's family on Cape Cod, dropped the online solar power course, re-learned to ride a bike, visited my two roommates in Indianapolis and Philadelphia, visited my friends at college (twice), read The Poisonwood Bible, crashed my bike into a bush, and spent the holidays in London with my cousins.
It has been a long year of waiting, preparing, and finding ways to occupy my time. I am proud and excited to be finished with this "waiting and hoping" stage. In fifteen days, I go.
Whether you're someone I know and love or someone who is thinking about the Peace Corps and just wants to lurk on current volunteers' blogs for awhile before making a decision, welcome! I promise to do my best not to bore you, and to provide as frequent updates as possible (traveling to places without electricity may make it difficult at times).
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