Friday, September 28, 2007

I'm here in The Gambia safe and sound!

Hello to you all. I'm having an amazing time with all the new scenery, food and language. It is so beautiful! I can't write for long because others are waiting for the computer but I will write more later. I can say that the urban wildlife is fun...lizards on the walls, big beautiful spiders, African vultures circling over head and I've already stepped out in the middle of the night to experience my first rain storm. I am very safe and I'm well looked after. I have no worries what so ever and already feel at home. The people are very friendly and smile easily. I have a feeling that my job will be to write and teach wildlife curriculum. I'm so in love with the idea but we will see if it's to be soon. I'm going to The Gambia coast on Sunday so my B-day will be one to remember. Again the people in my group are all wonderful and I'm happy to have them as piers. Big hugs from Africa!!! Write again soon.

Monday, September 24, 2007

Hello to you from Philly!!

Peace Corps training has officially begun and I have met the other 24 environmental volunteers that I'll be training with, all of which have a good sense of humor and seem like wonderful people. Tomorrow is the last day of orientation and Wed. we start our immunizations and our journey to The Gambia. Wednesday afternoon we will be driving to JFK airport where we will begin are way across the Atlantic, with a stop in Brussels, then we make are way to Banjul. We will all stay a week in the capital where we will continue with training, go on field trips and embrace culture sock. Then the 24 of us will split into smaller groups of 4 or 5 and venture to a training village up country for the following 2 months.

As for me... I am surprising myself for I am clam, cool and collected. I'm very excited but with hardly any anxiety (I'm sure this will change soon), instead I have this "lets get this show on the road" attitude.

As for now my fellow trainees and I are getting to know each other (they come from all over the US with various backgrounds and ages) and have been soaking up the last pleasantries the US has to offer. It is also wonderful that the Peace Corps has set us up in a nice hotel so we can thoroughly enjoy our last days in the good old US of A.
Big fat hugs to you all.