I've been so wrapped up in school and birthday celebrations, sometimes I feel like I have almost forgotten about Benin. There just isn't anyway to reconcile in my brain the differences between my life now, surrounded by friends and family with all the chaos of school and graduation coming up and the perfect weather we've been having, with where I will be in a little 2 months! I have looked up the other people going on my program, they all seem far more on top of things than I am with researching Benin and practicing French and making packing lists and befriending each other and such. Luckily I can learn it all from reading their blogs: It's strange to think that I don't know any of them yet, but in 2 months they will be my new family for the next 27 months. Good thing they seem so nice and have similar interests (hello to anyone reading this now going to Benin with me :) )
ok back to studying. meh
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Saturday, April 19, 2008
BENIN!!!!!
so it's official I am going to BENIN!!!
I am so excited/ nervous / overwhelmed with all I have to do to prepare...
and trying to take advantage of internet while I still have it, don't know how I will survive 27 months without it.
The hardest part will definitely be being away from all my wonderful friends and family - I love you guys all so much! To focus on the positive, I can have visitors from Feb 1, 2009 til July 1, 2010.. so start planning now!
I know it's a huge flight, but I promise it will be an adventure you will never forget. I would love love love to have visitors..
Random kayak.com searches showed flights from SFO/ BOS/ JFK to COO (Cotonou, Benin) ranging from $2,700 (yikes) to $1,200 (and you can probably find even cheaper).......
I am so excited/ nervous / overwhelmed with all I have to do to prepare...
and trying to take advantage of internet while I still have it, don't know how I will survive 27 months without it.
The hardest part will definitely be being away from all my wonderful friends and family - I love you guys all so much! To focus on the positive, I can have visitors from Feb 1, 2009 til July 1, 2010.. so start planning now!
I know it's a huge flight, but I promise it will be an adventure you will never forget. I would love love love to have visitors..
Random kayak.com searches showed flights from SFO/ BOS/ JFK to COO (Cotonou, Benin) ranging from $2,700 (yikes) to $1,200 (and you can probably find even cheaper).......
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
benin?
So today I decided I would pretend it's Benin (since I have a pretty good guess that it is).
I do know that I will be doing health work, probably HIV/AIDS education, malnutrition, sanitation and prenatal care stuff. Apparently health care workers are the most isolated (as compared to the other volunteers that teach english or do small business development) Sometimes I wish I was going to do Small business development because it seems much more tangible to make a difference.
I don't know how I feel about rural isolation. On one hand, I feel so dependent on communication, I would much prefer to have internet access/ cell phone on a slightly more regular basis. I also don't know what it would be like not to have running water and electricity, I am also afraid of the heat. and the bugs. But mostly i am just so excited I can't quite believe it. I doubt anyone of my friends will want to read this blog, since I talk their heads off about it all the time anyway.
1) All volunteers currently in Benin blogs and pictures are available at: http://www.peacecorpsjournals.com/bn.html
2) There are 13 symptoms of peace corps withdrawal and a Former Peace Corps Volunteer (PCV) remembers her experience in Benin and talks about them at http://www.transom.org/shows/2001/200112.shows.africa.warga.html
3) Peace Corps volunteers seem to go off and do wonderful things after their service, at least the ones whose experiences get written up on the internet do. And it sounds like it helps get them into graduate school, medical school, etc. Peace Corps social entrepreneurs are on a podcast by social edge.
4) Stanford is 11th on the all time list of most peace corps volunteers sent! But I don't know anyone else who is going. Personally I think that nowadays would-be-Stanford-Peace-Corps-volunteers opt for Teach for America instead. Thoughts?
5) Magic trees! A former PCV from Benin started an NGO called GARPE that works with Moringa trees. Moringa trees have protein and vitamins and oils and all sorts of wonderful nutrition in them and they can grow in anywhere, super fast. The plant can also be ground up and purifies water! They really do sound like magic. They sound like Dr. Seuss' Truffula Trees from the Lorax. http://peacecorps.mtu.edu/resources/studentprojects/moringa.htm
I do know that I will be doing health work, probably HIV/AIDS education, malnutrition, sanitation and prenatal care stuff. Apparently health care workers are the most isolated (as compared to the other volunteers that teach english or do small business development) Sometimes I wish I was going to do Small business development because it seems much more tangible to make a difference.
I don't know how I feel about rural isolation. On one hand, I feel so dependent on communication, I would much prefer to have internet access/ cell phone on a slightly more regular basis. I also don't know what it would be like not to have running water and electricity, I am also afraid of the heat. and the bugs. But mostly i am just so excited I can't quite believe it. I doubt anyone of my friends will want to read this blog, since I talk their heads off about it all the time anyway.
1) All volunteers currently in Benin blogs and pictures are available at: http://www.peacecorpsjournals.com/bn.html
2) There are 13 symptoms of peace corps withdrawal and a Former Peace Corps Volunteer (PCV) remembers her experience in Benin and talks about them at http://www.transom.org/shows/2001/200112.shows.africa.warga.html
3) Peace Corps volunteers seem to go off and do wonderful things after their service, at least the ones whose experiences get written up on the internet do. And it sounds like it helps get them into graduate school, medical school, etc. Peace Corps social entrepreneurs are on a podcast by social edge.
4) Stanford is 11th on the all time list of most peace corps volunteers sent! But I don't know anyone else who is going. Personally I think that nowadays would-be-Stanford-Peace-Corps-volunteers opt for Teach for America instead. Thoughts?
5) Magic trees! A former PCV from Benin started an NGO called GARPE that works with Moringa trees. Moringa trees have protein and vitamins and oils and all sorts of wonderful nutrition in them and they can grow in anywhere, super fast. The plant can also be ground up and purifies water! They really do sound like magic. They sound like Dr. Seuss' Truffula Trees from the Lorax. http://peacecorps.mtu.edu/resources/studentprojects/moringa.htm
Sunday, April 13, 2008
invitation in the mail
Welcome to my blog about my adventures in the Peace Corps. My invitation that will tell me my exact day of departure and country is in the mail. I'll be leaving in July 2008, doing health education/development somewhere in Francophone West Africa. The possibilities are Guinea, Mali, Niger and Benin. Waiting is painful
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