Well, I guess I better catch everyone up to speed. Yesterday I flew out of Erie, PA, to Philadelphia for our staging event. Staging is basically like a 2-3 day event where everyone gets to know each other and a bunch of ground rules are set before heading off to our host country (Benin for me). Needless to say, the goodbyes were THE most difficult part of the day. How could anyone knowingly say goodbye to all of the love and comfort they have at home? It wasn't easy, but I just had to keep telling myself that this was the right choice. Otherwise, I probably would have gone home with the fam.

Then I arrived at staging. My luggage was so heavy that I had blisters by the time I arrived at the hotel. But I was pretty happy anyway, because my shuttle driver was from Nigeria, and his uncle had been a PC volunteer in Benin, so I heard lots of neat stories. Apparently his uncle was so respected in his village (because he was from America) that they considered him to be the village chief, and always came to him for advice. His uncle was so humble, and never really got used to the excessive attention that many Westerners face if theyr'e in Africa.

The rest of the day was pretty standard-- lots of paperwork and stuff. My roommate (who's sweet) and I went and got supper at Cosi, then headed back to the hotel. I wrapped up the evening with lots of tear-soaked phone conversations and a hot shower.

Today was better though. The training was more specific, and dealt more with cultural sensitivity and stuff. We even got to watch a video... and even though it was probably made 15 years ago, the sights and sounds depicted of Africa made me a little more excited. I also managed to find a FedEx to ship some of my stuff home so that I could manage carrying my stuff later on.

I also got the chance to hang out with a great group of folks tonight for dinner. We all went to a nice tavern and had burgers and cheese steaks and beer. It was our last all-American dinner, and we all had a VERY fun time. Everyone that I've met seems so open-minded and laid-back. It's great. =)

Tomorrow we head to the health clinic early in the morning (7 am to be exact) for our malaria meds and yellow fever vaccinations (although thankfully I already received that shot, so that's one less thing to worry about). We check out of the hotel by noon, then leave for the airport around 1. We fly to Paris, then Benin. From what I've been able to gather, I should be able to purchase a cell phone soon after I arrive in country. Once I get a phone number, I would be more than happy to send it to you guys so that you can call me (using an international calling card of course. Here's a link to purchase an online calling card. You just need a debit/credit card number. I've used it lots of times so don't worry, it's safe. http://www.phonecardsmile.com/search/Benin_-_Cellular/-.html) So yes, send me an e-mail if you'd like to get my number, and I'll send it to you once it becomes available. Deal?? I will also try to call yall, but don't count on it being as freqent, because I don't know if I'll have the money or reception. I will also be able to receive text messages.

Sorry I couldn't post any pictures- I'm using a hotel computer and it's not liking my camera.

Well, that's all for now I think. Good night to all and to all a good night... I love you (you know who you are) and I miss you all dearly.

"Je voudrais manger les gateaux avec mes amis" ;)

I'm still figuring out how this whole blog process works, but I'm happy to finally get this up and running! I've wanted to start my own blog for a while, but I never had anything worth writing about... at least nothing that others would find interesting enough.

So here we go- for anyone who doesn't already know, I'm moving to Benin (a small country on the coast of West Africa) for the next two years with the Peace Corps. There I'll be teaching English as a second language to high school level students. Yes, I'll be working, but I also plan to use every spare moment to take in the culture like a sponge, learn French (and hopefully some Fon and Yoruba as well!), and basically... live the life of my dreams. =)

My scheduled date of departure is July 1. Considering I found out my assignment less than a week ago, I'm still wondering how I'll manage to take care of all my obligations before I leave. I still have to GRADUATE (first priority), take care of all of my financial obligations, figure out what to bring, shop, pack it all, say my goodbyes, etc. Yep... these next couple of weeks are sure to be a whirlwind. But dear Lord, it is so worth it.