Bye Bye Bluegrass

Well folks, the time is drawing uncomfortably near to say "see ya later." I have a 9:30ish AM flight tomorrow to my orientation in Atlanta, where I will likely complete a mountain of paperwork and meet my fellow volunteers for the first time. Anxious doesn't even begin to describe it. My brain is just racing with anticipation. I've still got a few errands to run and final odds and ends to throw in the bags. For the most part though, I'm packed and can't wait to get this show on the road.


Here's a quick timeline for how my 26 months will unfold:

July 10: Staging in Atlanta
July 12: Fly as a group to Johannesburg
July 12- September 5: Pre-Service Training (PST) at Ndebele College of Education
September 5: Swearing-in ceremony where trainees become official Peace Corps Volunteers
September 5- December: Move to permanent site and begin to observe my classes, acclimate to my community, etc.
December: Begin teaching and implementing projects
...
September 2014: End of service

I have several other training workshops throughout my service and surely some vacation time in there, but that's the gist. I will be staying with host families throughout- one during PST and a different one during the remainder of my service. All those pressing questions (which village? electricity? running water? language?) will remain utterly unknown until the latter part of PST.

Next order of business: my mailing address. This will permanently be posted under the "What Am I Doing?" tab of my blog, as well as on the "About" section of my Facebook page.

Katie Raynor, PCV
U.S. Peace Corps
P.O. Box 9536
Pretoria 0001
South Africa

This will be my address through PST. After that, I will move to my permanent post and open a P.O. Box close to where I live. So check back in a couple months, as I will update the address when I get it.

*Helpful Mail Hint #1- Number your letters. This way I know if one doesn't get delivered to me.

*Helpful Mail Hint #2- It might help to write religious scripture on the envelope. Sounds strange, but mail theft is apparently not uncommon. People are less likely to tamper if they think the letter is for a religious official.

*Helpful Mail Hint #3- If you choose to mail care packages, try to do so in a padded envelope rather than a box. Boxes are taxed heavier and look oh-so-tempting to steal.

*Helpful Mail Hint #4- If you write me a letter, I solemnly promise to translate any word or phrase of your choosing to Zulu (pronunciation guide included).

PLEASE write to me! I want to stay updated on your beautiful lives.


I will have very limited electronic communication for these next couple months, but hopefully it will pick up some after training. With any luck, I'll be bloggin' again in no time!


Finally, a big, huge, heartfelt thank you goes out to everyone who has stopped by, called, written a letter, etc. to show your support these past few weeks. I am overwhelmed by how much care and love you all have shown me. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.

Yep, I'm a list-maker

Mostly for my own sanity, I am compiling this list of things I need/ want to do before I'm gone for-ev-er (Sandlot, anyone?). They include the following:

Needs:

-Buy lots of stuff (funds permitting):

· Kindle

· Functioning iPod

· Functioning tablet computer

· Teva or similar sandals

· Cold-weather gear (...because I'm arriving at the peak of the South African winter, in which I may encounter below freezing temperatures at night with no central heating. Everyone's mental image of Africa, right?)

· Culturally appropriate summer clothes (long skirts and dresses)

-Do something with (i.e. sell) my car
-Talk to my bank about international fees, etc.
-Finalize student loan deferments
-Mail a copy of my final transcript and teaching certificate to Peace Corps (easier said than done)

Wants:

-Spend as much time as possible with the people I love

-Learn more about South African history, culture, languages, music, etc.
-Go camping one more time in good ole Kentucky
-Memorize a bunch of ukulele songs to whip out at any given moment while fraternizing with fellow volunteers or easily amused children of South Africa (which may or may not be productive, depending on if I have enough room to pack my ukulele)
-Have a tie-dyeing party with friends, to add to my existing plethora of psychedelic T-shirts

Phew, I feel better now. Despite all the loose ends I need to tie up, I'm getting more excited by the day. I've been doing lots of reading- everything from South African fiction to current Volunteer blogs, which have been super helpful. I've also made some connections with people who have lived/ will be serving in South Africa with me. It puts my mind at ease to know that there are other people going through exactly what I am right now (if you're reading this, hi SA26!!). Looks like I have a busy couple months coming up!

Livin' the Dream...

Hello, my friends!

As you may have heard, I recently accepted an invitation to serve with the Peace Corps in South Africa. It has been a looooong, slow, and frustrating application process, but it has been so worth the wait. What started almost a year ago as an unlikely possibility has become a real, life-changing opportunity. I am so, so grateful for everybody that has been there to support, encourage, and simply listen to me as I have tried to figure it all out.

I leave for a 27-month assignment in South Africa in July, returning to the US in September 2014. I will be working mainly as a teacher, providing English instruction to primary school students. My job will also include promoting HIV/ AIDS awareness and other secondary projects to address the specific needs of my community. I will live with a host family. I may or may not have electricity, and I will probably not have running water. I will stay in touch by writing letters and occasional internet access. Aside from that… your guess is as good as mine! I’m really excited to start to learn more details about my placement.

I can’t possibly name all the reasons why I want to do this, but I can tell you where it started. I remember reading an article in a magazine about orphans in Africa when I was a freshman in high school. I was 14 years old and I didn’t understand why I got to live in a way that was so completely different from another human being, just because of where I happened to be born. I thought to myself, “I have got to do something about this.” Shortly after that, I began researching ways to get involved in volunteering abroad. Peace Corps was the clear winner. That dream never faded, and now I get to live it. I am anxious, scared out of my mind, and more excited than I have ever been in my life. I have thought long and hard about this decision. It’s one that I just can’t pass up.

I hope this blog serves as some kind of communication to the outside world as I spend the next two years in a mud hut on the other side of the globe. I have less than two months left in the States at this point, which is not nearly enough time to express to everyone how much I will miss them, but I’m gonna try! Send questions my way and I will try my best to answer them. Much love to you all!