The Art of Not Sleeping

Goodmorning! It is currently 5:20 am and I cannot sleep. I have been up since 2 am tossing and turning hoping that eventually I would drift off. No luck so far. Today we will be traveling an hour and a half to Namaacha to meet our host families. I will be living in neighborhood A with the other science teachers. I am very excited to meet my family, but quite nervous. My family does not speak English and I speak very little Portuguese, but this is the best way to learn- diving in with both feet.

We were warned yesterday that life would be very different while staying in Namaacha. Our families will be awake and the village will be alive by 4:30 in the morning. We are expected to help with household chores and will be tested on our skills during week 5. My mother will cook my breakfast, lunch, and dinner and will pack me a morning snack for school. According to Abby, a third year volunteer in Mozambique, the people in Namaacha will take at least two, maybe even three baths a day.

For the next ten weeks, my days will be packed with training. Language class starts at 7:30 most mornings and after four hours of language, cultural, and technical training, I will head home to spend time with my family.

Next weekend we will travel back to Maputo with our language teacher to apply what we have learned in our lessons. Our language teachers will take us to a cell phone store and help us buy phones. We will be responsible for doing the talking and buying- they are there only as guides. I am crossing my fingers hoping that my phone will work in Mozambique- if not, I will buy a new one next weekend.

Yesterday we had the privilege and honor to meet the U.S. Ambassador to Mozambique. She mentioned one program that is beginning in Mozambique that truly inspired me. Officials in Mozambique have selected some of the most promising high school students from the southern regions of Mozambique and are helping them prepare for college in the United States. Officials are registering the students for the ACT and SAT as well as finding scholarships which will make school much more affordable. I hope that I will be able to work with the ambassador on this program over the next two years.

I will try to update my blog as much as possible during training, but as mentioned before I will be extremely busy studying and adopting a new lifestyle.

For now, tchau (goodbye)!

Finally On Solid Ground

I arrived in Maputo, Mozambique this morning after nearly 20 hours of EXHAUSTING travels. Mozambique is BEAUTIFUL (I am trying to upload a few pictures I took from the hotel, but my internet is now in Portuguese and I'm afraid my two weeks in Portuguese class has not prepared me for this). After arriving this morning, we were sent to medical interviews and a vaccination session. Sadly, I got three shots and I believe I have at least one more coming tomorrow. After finishing with our Peace Corps business, most of us sat outside and enjoyed the breathtaking view of downtown Maputo.

Just before dinner I got a present delivered to the hotel- my bag arrived! It turns out that my bag was left in Johannesburg and was sent on the afternoon flight to Maputo.

Tomorrow we have a busy day of training sessions starting at 7 am. In addition to our training sessions, we must also give the Peace Corps one of our bags to keep at the office. This bag will be a little reward after ten weeks of extensive language and cultural training. On Saturday we take an hour and a half ride out to Namaacha to move into our home-stay families' houses. I cannot wait to meet my family and start my Portuguese training.

Sadly I will not be able to update my blog as often as I would like in Namaacha, because there are only two computers at the Peace Corps office.

On The Road Again

These first few days might be some of the most demanding days. Yesterday, I left Milwaukee for Philadelphia on a 7:40 am flight. As a result of delays and air traffic problems at the Philadelphia airport, I arrived late to the Peace Corps Staging Conference. The conference was very motivational and the leader, BJ, did a great job of reminding us why we signed up for the Peace Corps. One of my goals as a volunteer is to help promote mutual understanding among Americans and people from other cultures.
After dinner, repacking, and a two hour nap, I checked out of the hotel and boarded the bus for JFK. I made it through security and for now will sit in anticipation for the 15 hour flight to Johannesburg. I will write again when I get settled in Mozambique.

The Art of Packing for the Peace Corps

If I was interviewed and asked about the hardest part of joining the Peace Corps, I would say that the greatest challenge has been packing! Forget the 12-month application process, the multiple mini-applications, and the much anticipated interview- packing has been the greatest challenge thus far.

For all of my readers that are not and have not been Peace Corps volunteers, I will give you a brief guideline of the packing rules and regulations.

I am only allowed TWO checked bags with a total of 80 pounds. (Neither piece of luggage can weigh more than 50 pounds). If I am traveling via a domestic airline in Mozambique, each bag must be under 45 pounds. (The catch? I will not know if I am traveling via a domestic airline until 3 months into my service). The total dimension of my bags must not exceed 107 inches. The most difficult guideline: I can keep ONLY ONE of my bags for the first three months of service.

Packing gets a little more complicated, because Mozambique has a tropical climate with two seasons, a wet season from October to March and a dry season from April to September. I am arriving in September and will only have one piece of luggage until December, during which the temperatures will range anywhere from 45 degrees to 80+ degrees!

Packing was quite a challenge, but with the help of my mom we got it done in a week! My advice for future Peace Corps volunteers- start packing early.