Let's Break it Down (An Honest Reflection)

Hey all! (Bear with me, it's a long one)

I realize it has been quite a while since I have written and apologize for my lack of commitment to this blog. I have been quite busy in a number of different ways and my internet access has been limited since the unlocked smart phone I brought over broke. Africa really is hard on electronics! But, as of this week, I finally have internet at my site again! I'll fill you in briefly on the last two months and also vow to do a better job keeping those of you interested posted on my adventure – something that will be much easier now that life has settled down and I have reliable internet once more.

December brought an interesting dilemma as my school was shut down and the amount of free time I had was endless. After a few days lounging lazily in bed with Simba watching media, I vowed to use the month of December as an opportunity to integrate into my village. I made every effort to befriend my neighbors - cooking meals for them, sitting outside reading for a chance at small talk, leaving my front door open during the day (usually only kids wander in) and taking long walks throughout the village and stopping to say hi. In no time I was noticing my efforts were paying off. My neighbors started coming over to check me and inviting me to events. I spent every single weekend of December at braiis (BBQs) and really began to feel like I was a part of my community. Two of the teachers at my school took me under their wing and made the month of December a lot less lonely and a lot more fun.

Things continued to look way up for me as Katie and Brian made their way from Kenya, through Uganda, down to South Africa and up to Bots! We spent eleven glorious days doing absolutely nothing (luckily their trip coincided with school vacation, otherwise I would have been hard pressed to leave them everyday). We made the decision to save our funds for our upcoming South Africa trip and spent our time in Bots nursing them back to health, playing cards, writing music and cooking a lot of delicious food! They got to see what my life is really like here and that is something I know I for one really value.

Following their visit, I went immediately to a three week In-Service-Training, where all 58 of the volunteers from my intake group got to stay in a hotel, meaning we got to live in luxury with wi-fi, air-conditioning and all our meals prepared for us. It was such a nice treat from the village life and came at a good time with the scorching summer temperatures – I'm not kidding when I say I swam three times a day (lunch break, after sessions and late night). We left that conference with some more training under our belts and a lot of ridiculous memories made. Not to mention I got to skype with family and friends. My spirits were at an all time high.

Two days after the conference ended I boarded a 26 hour bus ride to meet Katie and Brian in South Africa. I'm not even going to try to describe all the magic of this trip but let me just say that South Africa is the most beautiful place I have ever been full of the most interesting, diverse and welcoming people I have ever met. Every day I would wake up and say “This is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen”. And then the next day I would change my mind and say, “No this, this is the most beautiful place I have ever seen.” Katie, Brian and I traveled along the Garden Route and then spent our last few days in Cape Town. The highlight of the trip for me would be night one; we were staying at a backpackers and Brian played a show on a deck overlooking the mountains. Afterward, a group of people staying there decided to go on a night swim that was rumored to have some great bio luminescant water on this specific night. We almost opted out as we were tired (I had just spent more than a full day on a bus) but decided to go. That may have been the best decision of my life. We got to the beach and the entire ocean was glowing. Each wave looked as if it were lit up by a thousand black lights. As we ran toward the ocean, the water splashing out of the sand from our footsteps was also glowing. Even though it was a bit chilly, we ran forward into the water and what happened in that water is something I will never be able to adequately describe. After recalling the night every night for the past few weeks, my best description is that it looked as if our bodies had been dipped in glowsticks. The water was glowing all over us, trickling down, each individual drop looked like a twinkling star. We played in that water for hours, laughing and screaming like maniacs, astounded at this site. The rest of the trip was full of more beautiful scenery, delicious food, amazing company and lots of thoughts about continued travel. I am so grateful to have been able to take a trip like this with Katie and Bri, exploring the country footloose and fancy free.

I won't lie, coming home from that trip was incredibly rough for me. I had a solid six weeks spent with family and friends, escaping the realities of village life. The first week that I was back was a struggle indeed. Security issues at my site paired with a lack of purpose in my work and a tempting job offer in South Africa were pulling me in every which direction. I think the hardest part of volunteerism (and I do believe my fellow PCVs will agree) is the ups and downs in our moods. Some days you feel like “I got this, this is nothing. I love my life here.” And then other days you wake up and think “Why am I here? America sounds pretty damn good right now.” I have learned to tell people “Today I am doing great, but ask me again tomorrow.” Or vice versa.

I was closer than I would like to admit to calling it quits when things once again shifted for me. We had yet another (thankfully shorter) conference with every volunteer in country last week. 130 of us got together to collaborate, share best practices and celebrate Peace Corps 10 years of returned service in Botswana. The US Ambassador and the Country Director lifted us up and encouraged us. I had conversations with my peers that got me excited about the work I could do upon returning to my village and reminded me of why I began this journey in the first place.

I'm not sure if things just clicked for me or what combination of events set in, but this week was by far my best week in Kumakwane thus far. My students are warming up to me and coming to me for advice, even checking me at home. I am in the beginning phases of starting some exciting projects that have great potential to assist my students. My colleagues are coming to me with ideas that they want assistance on. All in all, I feel rejuvenated and focused. I am hopeful that I got all the uncertainty out of my system (although just having finished a memoir of PCV in Ecuador, something tells me that's not the case). At the end of the day (and this incredibly long blog entry) I just want to thank all of you for sticking with me through all my ups and downs – for lending me your listening ears time and time again. Peace Corps wasn't kidding when they said the most important part of your service is the support system you have back home. So thank you, most sincerely, to all of you -especially my family. You keep me grounded and remind me why I'm here day in and day out. Missing you in a big time way.

All my love, always,

Sarah

Let's Break it Down (An Honest Reflection)

Hey all! (Bear with me, it's a long one)

I realize it has been quite a while since I have written and apologize for my lack of commitment to this blog. I have been quite busy in a number of different ways and my internet access has been limited since the unlocked smart phone I brought over broke. Africa really is hard on electronics! But, as of this week, I finally have internet at my site again! I'll fill you in briefly on the last two months and also vow to do a better job keeping those of you interested posted on my adventure – something that will be much easier now that life has settled down and I have reliable internet once more.

December brought an interesting dilemma as my school was shut down and the amount of free time I had was endless. After a few days lounging lazily in bed with Simba watching media, I vowed to use the month of December as an opportunity to integrate into my village. I made every effort to befriend my neighbors - cooking meals for them, sitting outside reading for a chance at small talk, leaving my front door open during the day (usually only kids wander in) and taking long walks throughout the village and stopping to say hi. In no time I was noticing my efforts were paying off. My neighbors started coming over to check me and inviting me to events. I spent every single weekend of December at braiis (BBQs) and really began to feel like I was a part of my community. Two of the teachers at my school took me under their wing and made the month of December a lot less lonely and a lot more fun.

Things continued to look way up for me as Katie and Brian made their way from Kenya, through Uganda, down to South Africa and up to Bots! We spent eleven glorious days doing absolutely nothing (luckily their trip coincided with school vacation, otherwise I would have been hard pressed to leave them everyday). We made the decision to save our funds for our upcoming South Africa trip and spent our time in Bots nursing them back to health, playing cards, writing music and cooking a lot of delicious food! They got to see what my life is really like here and that is something I know I for one really value.

Following their visit, I went immediately to a three week In-Service-Training, where all 58 of the volunteers from my intake group got to stay in a hotel, meaning we got to live in luxury with wi-fi, air-conditioning and all our meals prepared for us. It was such a nice treat from the village life and came at a good time with the scorching summer temperatures – I'm not kidding when I say I swam three times a day (lunch break, after sessions and late night). We left that conference with some more training under our belts and a lot of ridiculous memories made. Not to mention I got to skype with family and friends. My spirits were at an all time high.

Two days after the conference ended I boarded a 26 hour bus ride to meet Katie and Brian in South Africa. I'm not even going to try to describe all the magic of this trip but let me just say that South Africa is the most beautiful place I have ever been full of the most interesting, diverse and welcoming people I have ever met. Every day I would wake up and say “This is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen”. And then the next day I would change my mind and say, “No this, this is the most beautiful place I have ever seen.” Katie, Brian and I traveled along the Garden Route and then spent our last few days in Cape Town. The highlight of the trip for me would be night one; we were staying at a backpackers and Brian played a show on a deck overlooking the mountains. Afterward, a group of people staying there decided to go on a night swim that was rumored to have some great bio luminescant water on this specific night. We almost opted out as we were tired (I had just spent more than a full day on a bus) but decided to go. That may have been the best decision of my life. We got to the beach and the entire ocean was glowing. Each wave looked as if it were lit up by a thousand black lights. As we ran toward the ocean, the water splashing out of the sand from our footsteps was also glowing. Even though it was a bit chilly, we ran forward into the water and what happened in that water is something I will never be able to adequately describe. After recalling the night every night for the past few weeks, my best description is that it looked as if our bodies had been dipped in glowsticks. The water was glowing all over us, trickling down, each individual drop looked like a twinkling star. We played in that water for hours, laughing and screaming like maniacs, astounded at this site. The rest of the trip was full of more beautiful scenery, delicious food, amazing company and lots of thoughts about continued travel. I am so grateful to have been able to take a trip like this with Katie and Bri, exploring the country footloose and fancy free.

I won't lie, coming home from that trip was incredibly rough for me. I had a solid six weeks spent with family and friends, escaping the realities of village life. The first week that I was back was a struggle indeed. Security issues at my site paired with a lack of purpose in my work and a tempting job offer in South Africa were pulling me in every which direction. I think the hardest part of volunteerism (and I do believe my fellow PCVs will agree) is the ups and downs in our moods. Some days you feel like “I got this, this is nothing. I love my life here.” And then other days you wake up and think “Why am I here? America sounds pretty damn good right now.” I have learned to tell people “Today I am doing great, but ask me again tomorrow.” Or vice versa.

I was closer than I would like to admit to calling it quits when things once again shifted for me. We had yet another (thankfully shorter) conference with every volunteer in country last week. 130 of us got together to collaborate, share best practices and celebrate Peace Corps 10 years of returned service in Botswana. The US Ambassador and the Country Director lifted us up and encouraged us. I had conversations with my peers that got me excited about the work I could do upon returning to my village and reminded me of why I began this journey in the first place.

I'm not sure if things just clicked for me or what combination of events set in, but this week was by far my best week in Kumakwane thus far. My students are warming up to me and coming to me for advice, even checking me at home. I am in the beginning phases of starting some exciting projects that have great potential to assist my students. My colleagues are coming to me with ideas that they want assistance on. All in all, I feel rejuvenated and focused. I am hopeful that I got all the uncertainty out of my system (although just having finished a memoir of PCV in Ecuador, something tells me that's not the case). At the end of the day (and this incredibly long blog entry) I just want to thank all of you for sticking with me through all my ups and downs – for lending me your listening ears time and time again. Peace Corps wasn't kidding when they said the most important part of your service is the support system you have back home. So thank you, most sincerely, to all of you -especially my family. You keep me grounded and remind me why I'm here day in and day out. Missing you in a big time way.

All my love, always,

Sarah

High heels, Nose Picking and Tap Water

Greetings all! I hope you spent your Thanksgivings warm, well-fed and in the presence of loved ones. I assure you that my Thanksgiving was definitely warm, I was more than sufficiently stuffed and enjoyed every minute with my new Peace Corps family. I also brought in year 24 and felt an overwhelming amount of love from you all back home. I can't thank you enough for always making me feel special and never letting me feel forgotten. I am hopeful that this year will be my best one yet, full of learning, traveling, meeting new people, fostering relationships and helping my community. Oh, and lots and lots more laughter.

In lieu of a heavy blog post about the challenges I am facing here (boring) I thought with school being shut down for the next 5 weeks now is as good a time as ever for a more light-hearted post. So, below, find a list of all the random things that have surprised me since moving to Africa. I'm four months in and it still hasn't subsided.

1. Since day one, I have been drinking tap water wherever I go. I definitely thought I would be filtering my water and steering clear of the tap, but I drink 5 liters of liquid goodness a day (at least) and have yet to face any problems.

2. MOST women here wear sky high heels every day and walk through sand and thorns like it's nothing. They often ask me why I don't wear heels and I tell them that that's a scene I'm not willing to share. They then ask me if my family can ship my high heels for them since I am not using them.

3. I don't see giraffes, lions, zebras and monkeys in my every day life. I have seen one giraffe, a handful of rhinos and a herd of zebra since arriving in country, but most of the wildlife is concentrated up north and I live in the southern region. What I do see every day, however, are more cattle, donkey, chickens and goats than I can count. Simba (my puppy, for those of you who somehow haven't heard me obsess over him yet) plays with donkeys and goats like they are other puppies. I have also had scorpions, lizards, camel spiders, millipedes, and every other insect co-habitating with me.

4. It is completely acceptable to pick your nose here. Mid-conversation, during a presentation, while teaching a class. No shame at all.

5. Being white attracts a lot of attention here. In my village of 5,000 I am the only white person living there. This strikes up conversation everywhere I go. Sometimes, a 5 minute walk takes an hour because everyone wants to say hello. Most days, it's nice to have people to talk to. Somedays, its frustrating when you have to plan to leave an hour in advance in preparation. Anyway, when people ask me where I'm from and I say America. They automatically assume a lot of things, but one of those things is that I know every famous person from American pop culture. "Oh, I love Lil Wayne, can you give me his number?" "What's Beyonce like?" Or, even more simply, "I once knew a John from Boston, do you know him?"

6. For children under the age of 5, my name is only "Lekoa", meaning white person. They shout it outside my gate waiting for me to come out and play. No matter how many times I tell them my real name, it just won't stick.

8. When it comes to giving directions, the most detail I ever get is a vague hand gesture followed by "it's that side" That side is a term that can mean the other side of this building here or it can mean the other side of the world, like America. Usually, when going somewhere I am unfamiliar with, I stop about every five feet to make sure I am still heading the right direction.

I hope this list is somewhat interesting and I am sure it is a list that will continue to evolve as this adventure unfolds. Always feel free to ask me any questions you have about my life here and please keep me updated on your lives back home!

All my love, as always.

A Simple Kind of Living

Hello world! I hope this post finds you all well, enjoying the start of the holiday season, the cold weather and the hustle and bustle this time of year inevitably brings. It is difficult for me to imagine that busy world and the holiday craze. As I sit here, thinking about what I want to write and share with you all about my new life, the overarching theme that comes to mind is the simplicity that has overtaken my world. Time moves in a different way here. The days pass slowly and productivity has become a relative term. I had heard of Africa time and now I am living and breathing that time. At first, I felt ineffective in my village but as I adjust I am learning to celebrate the small victories. It is nice to appreciate the small things and to take time EACH day to reflect on what I am experiencing. Every day, I feel stronger. I feel more confident being here, I am able to cope with my homesickness in more effective ways and I am learning to find joy in the small things - a cloud covering the sun and giving me relief from the heat, turning my tap and water actually coming out, having a successful conversation in Setswana, cooking something delicious to eat for dinner, coming home to kisses from my puppy. The longer I spend here, the more okay with the slow pace I become.

Right now, we are in the integration phase of our service. We are not supposed to be starting new projects but working to integrate into the community and figure out what our role will be. The schools will be shutting down this week for the year and reopen in mid-January. This time has been crucial for me to figure out what projects I want to start as well as building relationships with the staff at my school. So far, I am most excited about implementing a Big Brothers/Big Sisters club between the Junior and Primary school here. The goal is to pair an older student with a younger student to serve as a mentoring program as well as making the transition from Primary school to Junior School easier. Luckily, the staff at both schools are on board and eager to assist me - come January it looks like the club should be up and running! I will also work to revive the PACT club, which is a club that trains the youth to counsel and lead other youth through example. In addition, last week I was marking exams with the teachers and was incredibly discouraged by the results. I was unsure if the results were a reflection of the students efforts or the teachers or a combination of both. I was able to convince the teachers to let me run a data analysis on the students performances in order to revamp the curriculum for next year. I am hopeful that I will be able to make a positive impact on my students' lives and become a trusted resource within the community.

As December approaches its hard to believe that life will slow down even more. The country tends to shut down for the month and I will have even more free time than I already do. Its a hard time to be away from home without distraction and doesn't feel much like the holiday season without family and friends and in this excruciating heat. I know that this time will continue to teach me invaluable lessons and help me to appreciate home more than I ever thought possible. I ask that you all take the time this holiday season to hug your loved ones tight and be thankful to share this time with them. Think of me and know that I am already daydreaming about rejoining in all the Thanksgiving and Christmas traditions that are making me miss home in such a way. A big group of volunteers is getting together for a Friendsgiving this coming weekend and while it won't be the same, it will be nice to celebrate together and allow ourselves a weekend to relish in our Americanism. Cheers, until next time!

Settling in in Kumakwane

Hello all from my home in Kumakwane! There is so much to share that I am not quite sure where to begin. Life has been nothing short of hectic as we wrapped up our Pre-Service Training, held our final LPIs (Language Proficiency Interviews which we had to test at a certain level in order to move to site - imagine the pressure), said goodbye to our host families, packed up our belongings once more, swore in and not even 24 hours later moved to our new villages! My apologies for a delayed blog post but I am just now unwinding from it all and feeling slightly settled in my village.

A few words on swearing in - the ceremony was really special, a lot of prominent political and social figures came to share their words of wisdom, encourage us in our work and welcome us on behalf of the Botswana government. Standing up and placing my right hand in the air while taking my Oath of Service really reminded me of my initial desire to join the Peace Corps and filled me with so much pride on finally becoming a volunteer. I cannot begin to express how tough the last two months were. The culture shock, adjusting to living over 8,000 miles away from home, the long and tiring days in the classroom and the severe missing of loved ones. In that moment though, swearing in and committing to serve for two years, I did not think of those hard times. Instead, I thought of all the friends I have already made, the experiences I have already had, the lessons I have already and still will learn, the people I have yet to meet but soon will and the work I will hopefully accomplish. After the ceremony, we shared a lunch with our host families and then all the volunteers celebrated our achievement! This was my favorite and most joyful day in Botswana thus far.

The next day, my School Head came to pick me up directly. Turns out a lot of other people didn't have transportation to their villages so we crammed five volunteers and all their luggage into a khombi (a van-like vehicle) and turned what was supposed to be a four hour journey into an eleven hour day, dropping everyone off on the way. We found it comical that we were moving five people with one vehicle when the same task would take multiple U-Hauls in the States. Simplicity at its finest. Needless to say, my School Head is someone I am looking very much forward to working with. He is helpful, patient, kind and even managed to maintain a sense of humor troughout what was an even longer day for him. We did not arrive in Kumakwane until nearly 9:00 pm and upon arriving and tracking down my landlord (we were so late he thought we weren't coming) I was finally given the keys to my very own home! The compound itself is very beautiful and well kept with a giant tree right in the center. There are also two dogs that are sweet to me but protective and guarded toward strangers. The real beauty though was what I saw when I opened the front door! Not only did this house represent the regaining of my independence but the start of a new and much anticipated chapter. My house has beautiful tiled floor, a large sitting room, a kitchen, two bedrooms and a truly amazing bathroom that I feel guilty for having. Not only do I have a large bathtub and a working shower but HOT running water and electricity. I still think my favorite part, Dad this is for you, is that when I am tucked away in my bedroom at night, eight locks separate me from the outside world! Safety first, fun second, right Dad?

One of the many challenges about Peace Corps Botswana is the varying accomodations that volunteers have. Some do not have electricity or running water, some houses are only one single room and some are the likes of what we have in the states. That being said, I plan on opening my door to other volunteers and sharing in my good fortune at every moment possible - something that will not be tough as I live only 15 minutes from the capital which happens to be where Peace Corps Headquarters is located.

The extremity of the difference in my life in less than one week is once again difficult to describe. I went from living with a host mother who kindly wanted to do everything for me, seeing the other 58 volunteers all day every day and having every moment of my day mapped out for me to having complete freedom, a lot of down time and no guidance. To top it off, we are supposed to spend our first three months at site on "lockdown" meaning we can't leave our villages, unless to grocery shop, in order to better integrate into our communities. Unfortunately for us, lockdown this year includes Thanksgiving, Christmas and my birthday. Talk about a recipe for some serious bouts of homesickness.

Imagine for a minute being dropped off at your new home with no car, no GPS, no map, never having been there before and not knowing a single person. I decided immediately to welcome the adventure and have been busy exploring for the last five days. My first day, I made it to the capital by myself to do some shopping for my new home using public transport. I did not get lost, scammed or scared! One thing I am trying to live by here is celebrating the small victories. Life moves slowly here and it is important to be proud of even the seemingly meaningless things - let me tell you I sure felt accomplished after that trip! I have also been visiting the local stores and tuck shops and introducing myself to try to get to know as many people aa possible. I have been spending everyday at the school developing a programming outline for my work with my counterpart, a kind and ambitious woman whose name is too long to even attempt but prefers to go by Lala. I am quickly getting to know the staff at school, all who are very helpful and welcoming. On Friday, my gas and electricity went out. Within an hour the school delivered a gas tank from the Home Ec Department to my front door and even set it up for me! I am additionally lucky to have a supportive team that I already feel part of. Tomorrow, I am meeting with the village Social Worker to map out our plans for working together. Perhaps most excitingly, on Friday I will be formally introduced to all my students at Assembly.

I realize that this is information overload, hope you stuck with the whole post! Like I said, life moves slowly here and I find myself missing home in a new and startling way without the constant distractions of a busy schedule and the company of friends. I know that I am simply in another transitional period and ready to tackle yet another set of challenges. If you have the time, I ask that you write me. I think I say this every post but hearing from home is te greatest pick-me-up I could ever ask for. Now that I have more free time and am near a Post Office I can write back too! I am collecting all the cards, letters and pictures (an awesome and easy thing to send) I have received and making a wall of them on the back of my bedroom door. That way I never have to feel completely alone. My new and permanent address is:

Sarah Pagenstecher
Peace Corps Volunteer
Kumakwane JSS
Postal Bag 00290
Gaborone, Botswana

Missing you all and thinking of you every day, as always.

Xoxoxo

Listen with Your Ears, Hear with Your Heart

Hey all! I am well aware that I am way overdue for a blog post. Life is moving along quickly here in Serowe as we prepare to wrap up training and move to our new sites. Hard to believe that we have been here nearly two months and our intensive training is almost over. 

First things first, I'd like to share with you more about the village I will be living in. Two weeks ago, we had a large site announcement ceremony where we found out where we will be moving to. We were called up one-by-one, read a proverb that announced where we would be going and then placed our name on a map of Botswana so we coulld see where everyone was going. My proverb read, "Listen with your ears, hear with your heart in.... Kumakwane!". I was second to be called up and shaking so badly that I dropped my envelope. It was a weird sensation holding in my hands where I will be living for two years but having had no say in that decision. Talk about placing your fate in someone else's hands.

Kumakwane is only 20k outside of the capital, Gaborone, which means access to everything I need! As if I didn't already hit the jackpot, my house has electricity and running water which are amenities I really was not expecting to have. It's crazy how grateful I have already become for what are basic utilities back home.  I got placed in a junior secondary school there.  I got placed in a junior secondary school there. I really wanted to be in a JSS to work with kids that are at a vulnerable and impressionable age. My students will be ages 13-16 and I will be working with the guidance and counseling chair as my counterpart. Last week, we had a supervisor workshop where our counterparts and supervisors came for a two day workshop. The man that came from my school was eloquent, ambitious, laid-back and kind. He shared with me that I will not only be working closely with the students in the guidance department but I will also be working closely with the social worker in the village. In addition, they are currently working to open up a rehabilitation center and he wants me to have a strong hand in heading that up. I really believe that I got the absolute perfect placement possible for my experience and skill set. That being said, my spirits are HIGH and I cannot wait to get to site in just 11 short days! 

Leaving Serowe will be tough as it has really started to feel like home. Not only do I have a nice and comfortable home with a loving host mom but I get to see my friends who feel like family everyday. A few days ago, my mom (who speaks little English) and I were having breakfast and she randomly said "I don't like 15th of October. I don't like it." October 15th is the day we move to site. I will miss her and hope to visit her throughout my service but am ready to have my own space and regain my independence. 

On an unrelated note, I got a care package from home yesterday along with a handful of letters throughout the past weeks. I can't even begin to describe to you the charge and excitement in the room when we get mail. It makes us feel connected to our lives back home and reassures us that we aren't forgotten about. That being said, I hope to get my new mailing address within the next few days and will post it immediately. 

I'm hoping that moving to site will also grant me with some stability and routine and I can better maintain this blog. Thanks for your patience with me as I figure out how to navigate my new Botswana life.

Go siame (goodbye) for now! 

It's a Small World After All

Dumela!

I hope everything is going great for you all back stateside. I miss everyone and everything about home every single day! Please know that even though it is difficult at times for me to stay in touch, I think of you everyday and I love you all so much.

Life here continues to get better as we adjust and feel more at home in this foreign place. I spent the last week shadowing a current volunteer who is 17 months into her service and living in Jwaneng, a large mining village. Christina just so happened to graduate from Mentor High (the school my parents, aunts and uncles went to) and went to Miami University making my PC family that much more connected. That is my third PC connection to someone back home. One other volunteer is family friends with a neighbor of ours and another went to high school with my brother-in-law's sister went to high school with another fellow volunteer. Hence the title of this blog, it truly is a small world after all. Even though all 58 of us (down from 61 as 3 volunteers have already left us early) come from all over the US and every different background imaginable, we still find our connections. This group truly has already become a family.

Back to shadowing, Christina works at one of the only orphanages in Botswana and I got to see her day-to-day life and get a grasp of what my life will be like come October when I arrive at site. We ate the most delicious food I have ever had (probably a result of eating traditional Botswana food for the past month) and were able to regain some of the independence that we lose while living with a host family. It was also great to meet different volunteers and chat with them about what Peace Corps Service has meant to them. The overwhelming feeling I have after talking with them is that my service will be what I make it. I heard time and time again that low lows will come and you will question why  you are here, but high highs will follow. After my week away, I feel refreshed and ready to tackle the last half of Pre-Service Training. I feel more prepared than ever (not saying much) to take on the challenge of spending two years away from home, living remotely and doing my best to tackle my work.

Site announcement is this week. It is an extremely exciting time for us. I can't wait to know where I will be living, what amenities I will have (fingers crossed for electricity) and which friends I will be living by. Come Thursday, I will finally have some clarity. I can't tell you how much I am looking forward to it! Keep all 58 of us in your thoughts, if you can, as it will be both an exciting and challenging time.

For now, I will leave you. Enjoy that fall weather creeping in. It is only the start of summer here and today the high was 97.

Hugs and kisses from 8,000+ miles away!