Facebook Makes It Real

So, since I have finally posted my blog address on my Facebook profile, I guess this blog is officially "live," subject to being read by friends and family, or something like that...

So since it is now more than just my ramblings to myself (or is it?...), I should probably explain the purpose of this blog and what my journey and service in Senegal with the Peace Corps will be like, though in reality I'm walking in blind faith to an uncertain future...

Time frame: Well, my last day at Modern Times is Tuesday, my dad comes into town on Wednesday, and we pack me up and leave DC on Thursday morning. I will be back in IL for roughly 10 days before flying off to Staging (aka US orientation) in Atlanta early the morning of March 10. There, I will meet up with fellow Trainees to fill out paperwork, talk policies and logistics, and get vaccinated before flying to Dakar, Senegal, on March 12. From Dakar, we will take a bus to Thies for roughly 3 months of mainly language, culture, and safety training before being sworn in as a PC Volunteer. After officially becoming a Volunteer, my time commitment officially begins and I will travel off to the village that will be my home for two years. After spending some time in my village and assessing the needs, I will receive more specific technical training in order to help me become a more effective Volunteer. Over my two years of service, I will get together with fellow Volunteers as possible to plan community events and workshops, receive more training, travel, and help train new Volunteers and Trainees. Since everyone keeps asking me, I may or may not be back in the US during my two year commitment...if it is able to be worked out, it will probably be sometime during Summer 2009, roughly halfway through my term of service.

Projects: My official Peace Corps assignment in my Invitation packet "Preventative Health Educator" for the Rural Health Education Program. According to the PC website, my assignment is "Health and HIV/AIDS," while an email from PC Placement earlier this week generally described my program as "Public Health." Whatever the title is does not matter, because basically it could involve HIV/AIDS, general health education, maternal and child health education and workshops, or whatever. The goal is to work with local community health liaisons to work towards capacity building and overall improvement of healthful practices by community members. It's a very vague invitation, but that's ultimately desirable because it allows me to work with my host community to develop a program that is needed and hopefully effective.

Contacting me: I will have occasional internet access, but will not know how frequent it will be until I am In Country (another PC term, meaning "in Senegal"). I plan on posting here when possible, sharing stories, emotions, frustrations, and praises, as well as talking about the work I'm up to and how you can get involved. I have posted my mailing address from March-May 2008, when I move to my village and receive a new mailing address (P.O. Box basically). You can send me mail (standard letters are $.90, I believe), care packages (I will keep a running list here of things one can send my way), good thoughts, and prayers. ALSO, I will have a cell phone, so you can Skype me! While I will not have frequent internet access, cell phones are big in Senegal and Skype-ing to a cell phone is not nearly as expensive as a regular call. The world is becoming so small, much to the benefit of the PC.

Well, that's all I will post for now. Always feel free to post any questions you may have for me and I will try and respond in a timely matter. In the near future, I will also post more about the PC and general info on Senegal. Until then, I have just a few more days in the lovely District of Columbia. Time for some sweet nostalgia...