Things should be REAL interesting...

Okay, I'm beginning to think that most people think that I am crazy for willingly moving to a third world country. I can tell that people think that it will be an interesting experience, but I can also tell that most people will never have the nerve to actually do something like this. Deciding to join the Peace Corps, and making the commitment to move to The Gambia, West Africa, is by far the most random thing that I have ever done, but I can't wait.

Why the Peace Corps?
It would be a wonderful story if I could say that throughout my childhood and teenage years I dreamed of serving overseas in the Peace Corps, but that's not the case at all. I'm often asked, "why the Peace Corps?" I then give my standard answer: "oh I wasn't ready for graduate school, and with an undergraduate degree in Psychology there wasn't much else to do." Some how that standard answer sounds so much better than what really happened.

The summer before my senior year (that is a year-and-a-half ago), while most of my peers were deciding what graduate school they wanted to attend, I began to wonder what I was going to do with the rest of my life. The only real decision I had previously made was that I was not at all ready to attend grad school!!! After spending 17 of my 22 years of life in school, I was ready for a break!!! I knew that I wouldn't be able to find a job with my degree, so I was left with the option to teach school (sorry for downplaying that Mom, teachers really do rock), or figuring out something else. I looked up AmeriCorps because I heard about other people in my situation joining while they "figured out what they wanted to do with their lives." I then discovered the Peace Corps, read all about the incentives, and then said, "why not." I wavered back-and- forth for months. Okay, confession, I actually didn't even apply until an entire month AFTER I graduated, but this was a HUGE decision, and I was really intimidated by the application. About one week after I submitted the application I had my interview, and then all of the craziness began!!! Getting through the application, medical clearance, and assignment has got to be more time-consuming and stressful than serving will ever be!!!

Africa... that must be exciting.
I never really had a real passion about going to Africa either. (Are you seeing a pattern forming here?) Africa came about during my interview when my recruiter told me that I had to pick a place that I would like to go.
Me: Um… Africa. Okay, sorry, that's really general, you probably want a country.
Recruiter: No, that's great, I can work really well with continents, give me another.
Me: Um… South America.
Recruiter: Great, and another.
Me: Asia.

Shortly after the interview I got a call from my recruiter informing me that I was nominated for a program in my first choice, Africa!!! She was so excited, and all I could think was um okay, oh yea!!!
At this point, I really truly am excited. Sure, I'm being sent to the one continent in the PC were 46% of the Volunteers are without electricity, but since the writer's strike will probably continue for some time, I really won't miss too much in the world of TV. And sadly, I really think that I will only miss TV. Okay, and air conditioning, and refrigerated foods.

You won't have electricity???
I could share pictures of living conditions, but I think that it's better for everyone if I wait and "show them off" after I get there. I won't have electricity, or even running water, but it can't be that hard, right? People lived long before any of these "luxuries" were available. I’ll also be sure to share all of the “interesting” things that I eat along the way.

I’m too stressed out to be nervous!!!
I'm often asked "how do you feel about all of this," or something else along those lines. Honestly, I really have no real emotions at this point. I'm extremely stressed out about getting my things onto the plane (who has ever heard of linear inches anyway?), and I really cannot wrap my mind around what this entire experience will be like. Thankfully, I'm not going into this with the feelings that I am going to save all of the people of The Gambia. I really just want to be a productive member of my community, and hopefully that I can make some sort of contribution to the place that will probably change my life forever.

I still have a little more than two weeks (Feb. 4th) before I leave, and I still have so much to do. Because I've made the decision to apply for graduate school while I'm in The Gambia (that should be a blast), I have to take the GRE before I leave. Rather than getting the GRE out of the way in the fall (like a normal, level-headed person would have done), I finally made the decision to take the GRE in the middle of the night while I was freaking out what I would do after I completed my service as a PCV. (If you know me at all, the fact that I sat up late at night worrying about something that is two-and-a-half years down the road makes perfect sense!!!)

Keeping up with this blog
I promise to update this thing once I’m in The Gambia whenever I have the chance. I still have no idea where I’ll be living, or what my internet situation will be like. I plan on going to internet cafes, or if I’m close enough to ride my bike there, using the internet at the PC house.
I’m sure that I’ll have more to say before I leave, but that probably won’t be able to “blog” until after I take the GRE. There is a PC tradition of posting a packing list, so once I’m all packed up, I’ll be sure to include a list. (In a few months I’ll post another list of all the items that I bought that I never use) In the next couple of weeks if you hear a story about a girl weighing luggage on the scale at Publix, you can smile knowing that that was me.

How to send things to Katie

I "borrowed" these recommendations from PCVs that are already serving in The Gambia. I'll add more to the list when I have a better idea of what is going on.

• Purchase international postage (approx. 90 cents for a letter, or 3 regular stamps) and write "Air Mail/Par Avion" on the envelope.
  


• Padded envelopes and small/medium boxes work best for packages (large boxes may take a long time to reach me). If you're sending a lot, the post office has a flat-rate box for $37.
  


• Label the green customs forms with "school supplies," "religious materials," "food," "personal health supplies" etc. DO NOT write down anything valuable (like batteries, solar radio, etc.) even if they are in the box. You can use generic terms like "electronics."
  Avoid sending expensive items, cash or checks.
  


• Number your letters, it will let me know if I've missed one.
  


• Packages may be subject to intense heat, small mammals and theft.