I’ve caught a boleia to make my way back home. After loading the two new bikes and settling on a price with the driver I climb aboard the truck and sit with two young men amongst the fruits, chairs, and bicycles. After exchanging pleasantries one of the men tears off a hunk of soft bread [...]

There is no better remedy for a hard week than wine and cheese. We set out Friday evening in the hopes that we might nurse ourselves back to health with the best vinho and quejo Mozambique has to offer. As we waited by the roadside trying to flag down passing trucks, Alice and I swooned [...]

I don’t know which is worse. The fact that I haven’t updated my blog in roughly four months or that what I am about to write is completely and utterly inadequate to capture all that has happened in that time. First, the basics. I spent the first several months in training and I am happy to [...]

We had a wonderfull gathering at Miller and Jordan’s this morning complete with quiche and cocktails.  I don’t typically enjoy big crowds at 8:00 AM on a Monday, so it means a lot when I say that it was a pitch-perfect send-off.  There were tears, to be sure, but I dare say the atmosphere was down-right festive.  Noone [...]

Where to begin? Let’s start with the basics. I’ve been in five states and driven over 3000 miles (props to mamaw for the van) since I last posted. We figured that if we weren’t leaving the country in June as planned, then we would at least leave the state and gather some [...]

As you may have noticed, my banner at the top of the page has changed to reflect my new assignment to (drum roll, please)…Mozambique!  Now instead of telling people to picture a beautiful beach without the water I can simply tell people to picture a beautiful beach.  The photo above is a bit misleading.  It [...]

So there’s this guy and this girl.  One day they wake up and decide to go into the Peace Corps.  A year and a half goes by as they eagerly prepare to go to Mauritania, where it is wicked hot and you still have to wear pants.  Three days before the brave young couple leave [...]

You know that feeling you get when you board a roller coaster and the safety bar clamps down on your shoulders? Your senses are heightened and time slows down. You can’t shake the feeling that maybe you shouldn’t have gotten on, but at the same time, you are gleefully anticipating the unknown dips, twists, and [...]

Well, it’s official.  Today Alice and I received our invitation to serve in the Peace Corps!  It has been a year-and-a-half process involving many essays, shots, and piles of paperwork.  As I look at my invitation to serve in Mauritania, Africa I can’t help but feel a sense of pride.  It is an honor to [...]