Tuesday, May 14, 2013

32 days

Hi, to whoever is reading this!  I feel I should warn you that I have never had or followed blogs before.  That being said, this might be really painful to read, but I will do my best.  I decided to do a blog because I am leaving for Peace Corps in Sierra Leone in 32 days!  I thought this would be a good way to periodically let people know how I am doing and that I'm still alive.  I have been told that I will rarely have access to internet so this seemed like the best way to let interested people know what's going on.

More than anything else I have received this question, "why are  you doing this?".   OK, so Peace Corps, here's how it started.  I have been interested in doing this ever since I got home from Argentina in 2006, and I have been seriously dedicated to trying to get in for the last 3 years.  It seemed like the most exciting, challenging way I could pursue a humanitarian career.  In February 2012 I submitted my application.   In the year that followed I gave Peace Corps what felt like EVERY piece of information about myself and my life.  When I received my nomination for Central or South America last summer it was amazing.  I was a little disappointed that it wasn't Africa, but stoked to have gotten through the first part of the process.

Finally after filling out many, many more forms on January 9th I woke up and, as usual, checked my email for news from Peace Corps.  It was there, my invitation to serve as a volunteer in Sierra Leone!!!  I was in shock, not only did I get in, I got Africa!!!  The feedback I got from family and friends varied from person to person,  but I am lucky to say that I had everyone's support.  The more I have looked into Sierra Leone, also known as Salone, the more sure I am that there is no better place for me to go in the world.  Recently Sierra Leone adopted a pubic education system, which is very impressive for a less developed country in Africa.  This means that the classes I will teach, which should have no more than 30 kids, could have anywhere from 60-100.  They also have started trying to get more girls in school, again, extremely impressive for any country no matter what part of the word.  Since I hope to one day have a career working towards the education of women and girls in less developed countries, I couldn't be more thrilled to be a part of this effort. The other volunteers and I will be the fourth group to go to Sierra  Leone since the end of the civil war.  I honestly feel that I am going to the perfect place for me, and a place where I might be able to make a real difference.

Since my invitation I have had numerous vaccinations and purchased many surprising things to prepare for this experience.  I booked my flight to staging in Philadelphia today, I leave Utah at 9am on June 16th.  After staging, a one day preparation event, I will be flying to Sierra Leone with the other volunteers on June 18th.  Between now and when I leave I will be having as many good times as possible with the people in my life.  I am very lucky to be having so much family coming out to see me before I leave.  I would like to say thank you so much to those people and the rest of the family who have shown me their support in so many ways.  Doing big things is so much easier when you have such an amazing group of people cheering you on.

Hope that wasn't too bad... I'll write again when something worth writing about happens.