I'm Here!

Salut tout le monde!

So I am in fact here, in Yaoundé, the capital city of Cameroon!!! My other trainees and I have been living in a bit of a Peace Corps bubble, going only between a hotel and the Peace Corps Office, in Peace Corps vehicles, taking language proficiency tests, filling out paperwork, and attending seminars on safety/security and such. But last night we went to a tribal dance ceremony (in a gym!) and was so aaaamazing. their costumes were beautiful and the dances we're fantastic. they did this sweet move where they convulsively shook just thier torso. I tried to replicate (they called all the observers on stage to join). I failed. pretty miserably. but it was super fun!

Don't have much internet now, hoping to have more when we settled into our training village of Bafia on Tuesday. So more to come then, but in the meantime, just wanted to let you all know that I'm alive, here safe, and missing you!

Love from Cameroon!

La Préparation

So, my bags are all packed! I think... All I am taking is a giant black suitcase (thank you Grammy and Pop for the hand me down that is in fantastic shape!), a Kelty hiking back-pack, a North Face day pack and a purse (as carry-on items). The suitcase is wayyyyy too heavy, but hey, I'm going for two years! I keep thinking of last minute items I simply NEED to have and adding them to the seemingly never-ending expanding suitcase. Hopefully I can get everything there without giving myself a hernia!

Quick itinerary for anyone interested:

Tomorrow!!!! (Wednesday, June 2nd): Staging, which is a mini-orientation in Philadelphia

Thursday, June 3rd: Vaccinations in the morning, bus ride to JFK in New York, flight to Brussels 5:35 pm

Friday, June 4th: Arrive in Brussels at 7:40 am, flight to Yaoundé (capital of Cameroon) at 10:50 am, arrival in Yaoundé at 4:35 pm. (Cameroon is five hours ahead of Eastern Standard Time)

Thanks everyone for all your support in the days leaving up to me grand departure! I'll keep you posted as best I can over the next few weeks to let you know how the initial transition goes (and hopefully there were be some more exciting news to report other than baggage weight!!)

much love to all!