Getting Ready

At this point I feel like there is still so much to get done but I'm not really sure where to start. So far I have gotten the most important things done. I have applied for my Peace Corps passport and visa, I have gotten my yellow fever shot (which I now have a huge red mark from), and I have tuned in my  media release forms. This basically means that I am done with all the paperwork that needs to be turned in before I get to the staging event in Washington DC. There I will be getting the rest of the vaccinations that are needed to enter South Africa, my passport, and my plane ticket to Africa. The fact that I wont get the majority of the paperwork needed to enter the country until two days before I leave the US is kind of freaking me out, but at this point I guess I just have to go with it.

After all the paperwork, all I really need to do now is decide what I'm going to take with me. The packing process has been a lot harder than I thought it would be. The information that I was given said that in my main job as a teacher I would be required to wear dresses and skirts that cover my knees as well as my shoulders. Once again being tall is a curse. Girls in the US obviously don't dress to cover their knees because it has been so hard trying to find things that are long enough for me. I am also pretty unsure what is visually appropriate in South Africa. Right now all the styles are very bold colors and prints, which I don't know if that is ok to wear there. So at this point I have gone with neutral colors and will get new clothes there if what I have brought isn't right.

Other than packing I'm not really sure what else to do to prepare myself. I have started walking at least two miles a day to prepare myself for having to walk to school regardless of the weather, but other than that I'm not sure what to do. I guess that from here on out I will just continue doing research on South Africa and try to gain as much knowledge as I can before I am thrown into their culture.

Official Invitation

Well it is finally here. I finished my application in August, I was interviewed in September, nominated in November, and finished my medical check in February. After months of waiting patiently I have finally received my official letter of invitation to serve in the Peace Corps!

I have been invited to be a school teacher in the Republic of South Africa. Now South Africa is one of the more wealthy African countries, however I will not be in those areas. South Africa is one of the most racially diverse and economically diverse countries in Africa, and I will be teaching science and HIV/AIDS prevention to primary school children in the rural areas, and I couldn't be more excited.

I will be leaving for orientation in Washington DC July 10th and meet the other volunteers I will be traveling and training with. From there we will travel to South Africa on July 12th to begin our pre-service training. Assuming that I pass the language and training I will begin service in my assigned village September 14, 2012!

Now that I finally know where I am going the hard part begins. I have two months to get everything that I need and be ready to go. Hopefully I can get everything done with as little stress and freak outs as possible, but I will keep everyone updated on how it is going.