Here goes nothing..

Hi everyone and welcome to my first ever blog! Although I haven't been one of the keenest or most knowledgeable about the blog world, I thought it was only fitting to have one while I am gone. As most of you know, I am leaving on July 20, 2010 for my Peace Corps Service in Zambia, Africa. I will be serving as a "Community Health Development Extensionist" which involves educating rural Zambians about HIV/AIDS. I am so excited for this journey to begin as it has been a long time coming.

I began applying to the Peace Corps in April 2009. After many medical reviews, shots, tests, appointments, legal clearances etc., I was finally medically cleared on June 9, 2010. On June 10, 2010 I got the call I had been waiting on for over a year. I was officially offered an "invitation to serve" in Zambia. Since then it has been a whirlwind of researching Zambia, reading blogs, watching youtube videos and talking to everyone who has ever been to Zambia or knows anything about Zambia (thanks to mom!). So now I am two weeks out and finally back home in Greensboro, North Carolina. I will be spending time with my family and getting ready for this incredible journey ahead of me.

Although there is still a lot of unknown details about my Peace Corps service (what village I will be living in, what language I will be speaking, how close I will be to the surrounding volunteers, etc.) I will find out all of these details after my first 9 weeks of training in country. However this is what I do know so far:

1. I will be living in a mud hut with a thatched roof and no electricity or running water. Yes, I know you all think I am crazy but I am really looking forward to living a life completely opposite of the one I have always known.

2. I will be living with a host family during my first nine weeks of training. During training my days will be filled with Language training (there are six languages throughout the country which you get to choose once you get there), health education and cultural education.

3. My main mode of transportation will be an off-road bike which Peace Corps provides for me. I could be as far as 40-60km to the nearest village or town so I am thinking I will be a fantastic biker by the end of my service!

4. I will be getting a cell phone once in Zambia with texting abilities being the cheapest way of communication. However I probably will only have Internet services once every few weeks (also not completely known until I get there). So the best way to contact me is by writing me the old fashion way! My address during training is posted on the side of my blog and I will update it with a local one once I get to my village.

I think that is all of the details for now. So I hope everyone enjoys the blog and are able to get a little sneak peak into my new Zambian life!

Love to everyone who has been with me on this rollercoaster of a journey. There will be good blogs and sad blogs I am sure, so hang in there with me and enjoy the ride!