Countdown

Akwaaba! (Welcome!) It is now less than two months before I am on a plane to Ghana.  It has been difficult concentrating on school work the last couple of weeks. For now it seems more important to mentally prepare myself for this journey. I have been spending my weekends traveling to visit friends (Miami, NYC and Philadelphia coming up).  The love and support I am getting from those around me is way beyond what I ever could have imagined. It is those people who are going to get me through this lone journey.  My biggest battle right now is self-doubt, and when everyone tells me that I will be able to handle anything that will happen lifts my spirits every time. I will forever be grateful to my friends and family.

I am trying to learn Twi right now, but it is a slow process. I will most likely learn another language or two while abroad since Ghana has  over 70 spoken languages. I will be able to get a tutor after the training ends so I will be practicing and learning for the entire 27 months.  This will be a skill that will make my experience. I did not sign up for the Peace Corps because I thought it would be fun to prance around a village and use all my American undergraduate education to "help" the people.  My assignment will be physically and mentally demanding and I wouldn't want it any other way. I will learn more than I am able to teach. 

There is a program called Correspondence Match run by Coverdell World Wise Schools, which allows me to connect with a classroom, scout troop or boys and girls club while I am away.  I signed up to be matched with a random classroom, but I am allowed to correspond with more than one group. If you have any ideas let me know. I am very open to speaking with our youth. You can go to www.peacecorps.gov/wws/correspond for more details.

Lastly, as most of you know I love to read. Since I am only taking 80 lbs of belongings my mother bought me a Kindle. This and a camera will be the only electrical devices that I will be packing since I probably won't have any electricity in my home.  If you have any book suggestions Mepa wo kyεw (please) let me know!

“People take different roads seeking fulfillment and happiness. Just because they are not on your road does not mean they have gotten lost.”- Jackson Browne