Shadowing

Sorry I have been so out of touch but I had no idea that when we left for Sao Domingos (the site where me 2 months of training is held) I would have no Internet! I just had two days of Shadowing, a term which basically means that another trainee and I shadow a current volunteer and see their site, eat and work with them. I was lucky because I was with the volunteer who has the most rural site and she has no running water, electricty, etc. and lives in the middle of NOWHERE! It was fun though because we had about a 3 hour steep hike just to get to her house. Definitely an experience, lol.

Right now I am unfortunately trying to hurry because I have only a few minutes until I can get to a car to take me back to training where once again, I will have NO INTERNET...how sad. =) Its ok though, I will learn to live without it!

So far training has been great. I love my host family and have begun to learn Kriolu, the local language here. There is so much to tell but it will have to wait until I am sworn in as a volunteer and given an assignment. I promise as soon as I get a chance, I will write all about it. I miss you all back home and hope everything is well!

Lots of Love,
Brittania (the only way they can pronounce my name here) =)

Bridge to Pre-Service Training

Happy 4th!! It is my final day of orientation and tomorrow morning my group of 30+ trainees and I will catch our last glimpse of America - for many of us who do not plan to return to the States during service it will be the last time for two years. Our orientations have been informative, but I find myself wanting to stop "talking" about Cape Verde in order to just GET THERE to experience it!

From what I hear, the country has a vibrant culture with colorful surroundings, welcoming people and beautiful beaches. On the other hand, there is extreme poverty, lack of education, alchoholism and other issues that prompt Peace Corps involvement. Yet despite it's pros and cons (as every country has), I have taken it upon myself to believe that this country is one of the best places that Peace Corps could have assigned to me (a little biased, maybe, but I'm entitled, right?) =)

The next time I will be able to get Internet access will probably not be until I get to Africa in a couple days, so I will log on as soon as I can. If you don't hear from me for a while just assume I am adjusting to my new environment.

Anyhow, the breaks today are short and I need to get back to orientation. I hope everyone back home has a great 4th of July and know I love you...(happy omen/spears day baby!!)...

xo.

Capital Anxieties and Aspirations

Well, this has been day two of a 27-month journey for me. I am in Washington, D.C., right now for my staging event. There are 32 other trainees here and we have made it through our first day of intense orientation. Tomorrow it is shots, more info sessions and my last day in my nation, on my nation's holiday, in my nation's capital...what a send-off, right?

Our flight on the 5th is from D.C. to Paris, then to Dakar, Senegal, then to Praia, the capital of Santiago, and island in Cape Verde. I will life with a host family for about three months durng language, skill and cultural training. If all goes well, by September I will swear in as an official Peace Corps volunteer and then begin my service on one of the islands as a TEFL instructor.

Right now is a major time of transition for me, as I am saying goodbye to a perfectly good life and amazing people in trade for a nation now unknown to me full of strangers. I hope in time this temporary trade-off (if you can call 2 years temporary!) will begin to reveal this exotic nation and its people as home and a type of family to me. For now, it is a journey of excitement and anxiety rolled into a tight ball formed in the middle of my stomach. The unknown looms ahead and I can't help but feel an intense desire to experience it.

My greatest desire is to live this service right - to make the most of every situation and learn from the challenges. I can't wait for the future and miss those back at home with a passion I have never known (already!!).

So, as the last email subject that was sent to me states: Off, off and away... =)