Wow, so a lot has happened in the last month! A few weeks ago we took a field trip through Togo to see some projects that current volunteers are working on. The first day we went to Amlame where we saw a girls mentoring center. Then we went to Sokode to talk to ADIFF, one of the NGO’s I will be working with to talk to them about some projects that you can do with NGO’s. We stayed the night at Hotel Central in Sokode which was really nice. I got to take my first hot shower since leaving America! I have to say, it was hard to make myself get out. The next day we drove to Kadjaloua to see a village savings and loans project. It’s a group of women who have a lock box where they can keep their savings and give loans out to eachother. We then headed to Tchamba to see a science club that the volunteer there runs. The next day we went to Pessare where two volunteers are working with the students to create a garden so they can sell vegetables. Since this village doesn’t have a lot of vegetables, this group of girls decided to start this garden so they can make money to pay their school fees. We spent the last night in Kara where we got to go swimming, and we went to a restaurant that made pizza! Bit of a fiasco at the restaurant with such a large group of people, but the pizza was well worth the two hour wait. It was really great to be able to see some projects that were actually being worked on, and it made me even more excited to get started with my own work.
After field trip, we only had one week left of training until we swore in. One of the activities of the week was something called “Free University.” Each trainee had to choose something to teach to the rest of the group. It’s an activity created in order to get more practice talking to a group in French. I decided to teach how to be a Texan which was pretty humorous to some of the group.
Later that week was Thanksgiving which all the trainees celebrated together at our training house. The Peace Corps chef came to our training site to cook Thanksgiving dinner for us, and it was fantastic. Apparently he has been cooking this dinner for about twenty years, so he has it down. I have to say it was pretty sad being away from my friends and family for Thanksgiving, but it was really great to be with my friends here who were also going through the same thing. We have kind of become our own little family which is really nice.
So that leads me to last week. We all went down to Lome for a couple of days to SWEAR IN! Yes, people, I am an official volunteer now. The swear in ceremony was at the US Ambassador’s house which was really nice. All trainees had to say a few sentences in their local languages which was pretty cool. Then we took the oath to swear in (same oath as the president!). I admit I got a little teary-eyed when I said it. It was such a great feeling of accomplishment after the long process it has been to get here. So then we had a big party after swear in which was really fun. For those of you who are familiar with my love of dancing, you know I had a great time.
After swear in, we were in Lome for one more day so people could by some things for their houses that can’t be bought in small villages. Then, they dropped us all off at our respective posts and that’s where I am now. I’m trying to settle into my house here so it will feel like my home. I am actually doing way better than I expected. I figured leaving all my trainee friends and starting over again in a new place where I knew very few people would be lonely and hard all over again, but so far I am great!
Oh, I also got a kitten today!! He is a brown and grey tabby cat and he is precious. He is still so tiny he can fit in my hand. I named him Ziggy Stardust. He is asleep on my lap right now, and I think it’s safe to say I’m in love. So that’s all for now. I know it’s Christmas time there now, so I hope everyone is having a lovely holiday season. I am going to try to respond to all your emails soon. As the last month has been super busy, I have kind of fallen behind. I miss you all more than words can express. Your phone calls, letters, and packages are so great. I couldn’t ask for better support from home and for that, I love you all.

Hello everyone! The last month has been pretty busy, which is why I haven’t written anything in a few weeks. So, I’ll try to give a quick overview of what I have been up to.
Two weeks ago I had my post visit. This is when all trainees go and spend a week at their permanent sites in order to get acquainted with the area and some of the people we will be working with come December 5. It’s a nice time to see if you will like where you will actually be living and working. Some people say that this can be a make or break time for many trainees. I am happy to say that I loved my post and the people there.

My house is really nice by Peace Corps volunteer standards. There is a large living room, my bedroom, and guest bedroom, a kitchen, and a bathroom with running water. It is in a really quite, secluded compound with one other Togolese woman. I have a really nice porch to sit on during the day when it’s too hot inside, and there are a bunch of red and yellow flowers growing around it. The one downside to the house is that it is really close to a mosque, so needless to say, I will be waking up everyday around 4:00AM for the daily prayer call.

The people I will be working with are also really nice. They all seem to be really motivated to work with me, and to get a lot of great projects started. I think I will have to be careful not to take on too much right off the bat, but I’m happy to have the option of a lot work. I also really liked the other volunteers that will live close to me. They had a party for the new volunteers the last weekend of post visit which was a nice way to end the week.

So, after the party, me and the three other new volunteers in my region took our first bush taxi ride back to Tsevie. A bush taxi is a small van that would fit 15 people normally, but we had about 22 people in ours. Aside from being pretty hot and crammed, not to mention we had to stop about ten times along the way out of town, it wasn’t all that bad. However, I started feeling a little nauseous about half way through the drive. I kind of just figured I was car sick, and I would feel better once I got back to Tsevie. So, I got back, and while being a little cooler, the nausea continued to get worse as the night progressed.

So, by about 3:00AM my body had effectively rid itself of everything that could have possibly been in my stomach. I will spare you all of you the intimate details, but let’s just say that was by far the worst I have ever felt…EVER. I started to freak out a little when I couldn’t keep any water down and I called the medical unit in Lome. So, they had me come to Lome to get checked out. Fast forward a couple of days, and the results came back that I had an intestinal parasite. The good news is, I survived! The medical unit gave me a load of medicine, and I am happy to say I am feeling much better now, and am back in Tsevie.

Other than all of that, everything else is pretty normal. We are going on a little field trip this week which I’m really excited about. Thank you to everyone who has sent me emails and packages. I couldn’t make it here without your love and support. I miss everyone so much and hope everyone has a great Thanksgiving! Eat some pie for me (but don’t tell me about it, unless you want to hear me weep with jealousy)!

Hey everyone! So, here I am in my fourth week in Togo! The weeks are starting to go by a little faster as we get further into our technical instruction and my French progresses. In the past two weeks we have been to observe a few classes in the Togolese schools to see the ratio of girls to boys and watch the participation of the girls in class. Tomorrow two other trainees and I have to go teach a club activity to a group of about 80 (gasp!) middle school students about setting goals and how to achieve them…oh and did I mention it’s in French! Eek! We have also had many hours of French instruction, and we have a mid training test in two weeks to assess our progress.
The kids around the village are starting to grow on me. Everywhere I walk, I have about twenty kids following me and wanting to hold my hand, and they are all just precious. They are all starting to learn my name too, which is better than being called “yovo” (means white person) all the time. Sometimes, though, there are the kids who are just terrified of me. I went to buy a coke the other day, and the baby behind the counter saw me and just starting screaming and crying with terror, haha. I guess the white skin freaked him out a little. His mom thought this was hilarious.
I am now very comfortable at home with my host family. I really enjoy coming home and spending time watching them cook, eating dinner with them, and just generally asking them a billion questions about Togolese culture and families. Today my host sister made me this awesome peanut butter candy (think Butterfinger) since she knows how much I love it. She also showed me how to make it, so hopefully I will be able to make it for myself at post. After living with Fernanda in Italy, I didn’t know how any host family was going to compare to her but I must say, they have stepped up to the plate.
In more exciting news… I found out my permanent site today!!! I will be in a large city in the Central region of the country. It is actually the post I wanted, but didn’t think I would get so I am thrilled! I think I will have the opportunity to work with several schools in the area, do some teaching, and there are several NGO’s in the area that I could work with. Our site visit is in a couple of weeks, so until then I won’t know specifically what I will be doing, but I have a rough idea.
Thank you to everyone for leaving comments! I love hearing from you all. The turnaround for emails from me looks like about two weeks. I go to the internet once a week and take the emails off of gmail and write responses during the next week. So if you have emailed me, fear not! I will get back to you in two weeks. Let me know if there is something you are curious about, or would like me to write about. Life here is starting to seem more normal to me, so I know there are things I am forgetting to write about! Also, as some of you know, Halloween is one of my favorite holidays so I would love to hear about/live vicariously through all of your awesome costumes this year! Send me your pictures please! Okay, no more exciting news, but I miss you all so much!

I made it!

Okay, so I apologize to everyone for the infrequent blog posts so far and I promise I will try to do better in the future. I had a lovely post all typed out on Sunday, but of course the computer wouldnt read it, and then I ran out of time and money to try to re type it. So, I will try from now on to type the posts on my computer and post them more frequently.

So, I made it to Togo! The last couple of weeks have been somewhat exhausting with all of the information I have been getting from Peace Corps and my ten hours of class per day. I am slowly adjusting to life here, and although I cant say it has been easy, its coming along day by day.

The first few days here were spent at a hostel in Lome with all the other PCTs (Peace Corps Trainees). IT was pretty much like summer camp except that instead of fun games and horseback riding, ze learned how to not get parasites and take a bucket bath. Then we moved out to our homestays a few days later and the real cultural adjusting began. My host family is really nice, and they are trying their hardest to teach me how to be Togolese. Needless to say, there have been some awkward moments, but I tend to just laugh at myself in order to difuse the situations.

I wake up around five thirty every morning to the roosters crowing and African music blaring outside my window. I then go to the latrine and take my bucket shower, then I eat breakfast, and go to class. Every day I have language and technical training, which is all coming along pretty well. My French gets noticibly better every day which is very exciting! I then come home, eat dinner, and hang out with my host family. I get in bed and read every night around eight and go to sleep.

So, that is the simple version of my current life. Every day is full of surprises and challenges, but I am just taking things one day at a time.

I really appreciate all of the emails and support I have gotten so far. I hope that once I am done with training I will be able to respond to everyone in a more timely manner, but right now I have very little time and money. I love you all and miss you every day!

Oh, also, I have a cell phone! If you would like to call me, email me and I will give you the number and instructions. Its kind of expensive for you, but free for me so I would love to hear from everyone! I also got some advice about packages from a current volunteer. She said that in her experience the flat rate boxes are more likely to make it here than the padded envelopes so keep that in mind when sending things (sorry, I know that is contrary to prior advice I had recieved).

okay blog post to come... maybe tomorrow. I have to figure out this internet.

Here I Go!

So, I am sitting here in my room in Philadelphia trying to put into words what the last couple of days have been like. I had been surprisingly calm up until yesterday morning when I woke up and the fact that I was leaving hit me like a ton of bricks. I then went to get my hair cut which is never the most pleasant experience since I don't like cutting my hair at all. So, now I have my new short hair which will probably be easier to wash and manage once I get to Togo. The rest of the day was filled with high points of excitement, and low points of sadness about leaving all my friends and family. I had a nice dinner with my parents, and tried to get some sleep.

Today, the day of departure, I got up at 3:15 AM to shower and leave for the airport. It was such a surreal feeling driving to DFW and then saying goodbye to my parents. After the tearful goodbye, I boarded the plane and began the next chapter of my life.

Staging today went well, and I definitely feel like the Peace Corps works very hard to take care of us in every way. I have met some really cool people already, and I can only imagine that we will get much closer as we experience the next two years together.

I miss everyone so much already, and all of the love and support I have received from everyone means the world to me. Please email me and keep me updated on your lives!

As of Late

So, for those of you who may be wondering what I have been up to this summer, here is your quick update!

Plans for Togo are still good! I just booked my plane ticket to Philadelphia yesterday and I will be leaving at 6:15 AM (!!!!!!!!!!! TOO EARLY!) on September 17. Once I get there, I will be filling out paper work and listening to a lot of information about Peace Corps and Togo. The next day, we will be getting shots at 7:15 AM (are these people really morning people? this may be a long two years), checking out of the hotel, and going to the airport to catch our flight to Togo! Once in Togo, we will have a week orientation and then it's on to being a PCT (Peace Corps Trainee).

I am really excited about GEE, and recently was sent a really great article that made me even more happy to be working with girls education. If you have some time, take the opportunity to read through it!

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/23/magazine/23Women-t.html?_r=2&hp=&pagewanted=all

In the meantime, this summer has been full of fun traveling to Peru, San Francisco, and Cancun! I have also gotten to spend some time with my family while living in Dallas and being in Peru, and I have to say it has been so nice. Only a few more weeks and I won't see them for a while! Anyway, that's all for now, but feel free to call or email me if you want to get together before I leave!

No more RIM, hello Togo!

So, as some of you may know, last Wednesday the Peace Corps called to inform me that our training class for Mauritania had been canceled. They said that they were still not able to obtain the visas, and they were not optimistic that they would be able to get them any time soon. So, rather than have us wait until August and then cancel, they went ahead and canceled us so that there would be a better chance of reassigning all of us to different projects. I was a little sad, but I know that it is out of my control, and I was happy that the Peace Corps made this decision so that I could get placed in a more stable program.

After this conversation, I called my new placement officer to find out what the odds were of me getting reassigned soon, and she said that she would probably know something in the next few days. She also asked if I was flexible about where in the world I was going and about my job description and I said yes.

So fast forward to Friday. I get an email with my new placement and it's in TOGO! I will also no longer be a Health volunteer, instead I will be a Girls Education and Empowerment volunteer which I am so excited about. My new departure date is scheduled for September 16 (give or take a day or so). I will still be speaking French and probably another local language there, so I am continuing to practice that.

I am really excited about my new placement, as I feel like the job is a great fit for me and I have heard great things about the Togolese people and the country. This new placement makes me feel like all of this waiting and problems with Mauritania was for a reason, and patience pays off. I will be making a new blog, as this one is obviously not relevant anymore. When I make that in the next couple of days, I will post the link on here for the two of you who are reading this :)

Slight change of plans...

So yesterday, I got a call from someone in the Peace Corps office with some bad news. Due to unknown reasons, the Mauritanian government is not processing American visas at the moment and therefore, our departure has been delayed until August 10...hopefully. They are not really sure why the visas are not being processed, but the bottom line is that it's out of my hands so I'm trying to make the best of it. Mauritania is also scheduled to have elections in July, so they figured we should probably go after the elections are over and things have settled down a bit.

I can't say that the news didn't shake me up a little bit. It's been hard saying goodbye to everyone, and now it seems that I will get the great joy of doing that all over again in two months! Oh well. At least now I may get to go to Machu Picchu with my family in July which would be AWESEOME! Other than that, I am now staring two months of free time in the face, so if anyone has any good suggestions about how to spend this time just let me know!

A week and a half!

So, I just set this blog up as a way of keeping up with friends and family while I am in Mauritania for two years. I will try to post stories and happenings in my every day life while in the Peace Corps. On June 15 I will fly to Philadelphia to meet up with the rest of the new Mauritania volunteers. Then, June 17th we all fly to JFK, then to Dakar, Senegal (I think this should be about a 9 hour flight) and then we will make our way to Nouakchott, Mauritania. I still cannot believe I am actually leaving so soon. After such a long application process, this time really seemed like it was never going to come! I'm excited/nervous/scared/hopeful/(fill in whatever other adjective you think I may be feeling because I probably feel that too).

In these last couple of weeks, I am just trying to finish packing, and spend as much time with friends and family as possible. Please feel free to write me, email me, call me (hopefully I will have a working cell phone soon enough), or send me packages :) while I'm gone!

Okay I think that's enough for now. Hopefully I will be able to post some more interesting information once I get there!