I leave for Botswana (by way of Philadelphia, New York, and South Africa) in less than 2 days! Eek! I'm currently trying to tie up loose ends and make sure my luggage isn't overweight.
As soon as I figure out a mailing address during training I will post that here. For the time being, e-mail is the best way to reach me, although I won't have a lot of access to that during training. Assume for a while that no news is good news :)
The adventures and day-to-day life of a Hokie that enjoys traveling, nature, people, and public health.
Mary, take care!!!
ReplyDeleteGodspeed in your travel to Botswana! It's a magical time, setting out for a new country: the interesting limbo of a long trip, the foggy arrival in a new place, and the first few days and weeks of figuring out how to do the most basic things, and the relief of beginning to have repeat experiences. Congratulations on making it all happen, and prayers for safety in travel and equilibrium as you begin to learn about and adjust to Botswana.
ReplyDeleteIn my experience, the Peace Corps cross cultural orientation and reflection process is one of the best anywhere, so I encourage you to take the exercises seriously and rely on them throughout your time in Botswana to reflect and go deeper in your cultural learning and cross-cultural adaptation. One of the things that most surprised me somewhere between studying in France at 20-21 and doing research in Indonesia at 29-31 was that no matter how many times you move to a new place, and no matter how many countries you live in, there is no way to avoid the roller coaster of culture shock. For me, the only comfort has come from recognizing the pattern and learning to be gentle with myself when I go through each stage, knowing that my reactions are normal, unavoidable, and will pass or lessen with time.
But that's all getting way ahead of where you are now. Here's to new friends, new food, new sights, and giraffes! Lots of love!
I am the only person in the family who can picture (some of) what you will see in Gaborone and Kanye, and I am envious. Such a WONDERFUL place and people! My thoughts and prayers will be with you. And remember to have some fun. . . Love you, Uncle Charlie
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