The Countdown Begins

On a frequent basis, the Peace Corps publishes a book titled "A Life Inspired: Tales of Peace Corps Service". This book contains several excerpts from Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCV) during their time of service. When I was twelve years old, my mom brought home a copy of this book from church. I read it in an afternoon and since then have dreamt of joining the Peace Corps. My immediate family and closest friends can tell you it's something that I have always spoken of.

It's a crazy feeling now to realize that the countdown has begun for my (almost) 10 year old dream to become a reality! As the date of my depature (September 21st) draws scarily close there are a million emotions running through me. There are days when I am very scared, anxious, unnerved, and unsure. Equally, there are days when I am excited, confident, and seemingly bursting at the seams. Despite how well I am getting to know my emotions lately, I'm very thankful for them. The feelings of insecurity assure me that I am aware that these next twenty seven months will be full of challenges I can't quite imagine. The feelings of excitement remind me that I am making a dream come true.

My summer has been an absolutely wonderful one! I have spent the majority of my summer in Boston. Here, I spent some time with the kids I nanny, studied for (and passed!) my nursing boards (scary to think I am a Registered  Nurse in Massachusetts, huh?!), and adjusted to post-graduate life. Mostly though, the biggest blessing of my summer has been quality time with people that I love and will miss dearly over the next couple of years. I had an amazing experience backpacking through Europe with Karen and Kelly (two of my best friends from highschool), spent two wonderful weeks with Dave and his family at the Jersey Shore, and had my older sister, Alison, come visit with me in Boston for a week. In a couple of days, my mom and I will head down to Mexico to visit and spend some (much needed) time with my abuelitos and the rest of the family.

Good-byes have been hard and have made me realize how much I will be missing in the next couple of years. I am unsure of what my communication will look like once I arrive in Cameroon. I am not sure how often I will have internet access, phone access, etc...(or how good the connection will be!) I hope to use this blog to update you on the happenings of my life. However, I plan to exercise my hand plenty by writing letters = ) For anyone who would like to communicate, please know that your letters will be very welcome and that I can't imagine how much it will mean to me to recieve news about your life!

The address which I will be using for the first three months (while I am training) is:

Amanda M. Russell, Peace Corps Volunteer
La Paix du Corps
B.P. 215
Yaounde, Cameroon
AFRICA

(I read in a book written by a RPCV from Cameroon that if you write on the envelope in red ink, draw religious symbols on it, and address it to "Sister Amanda M. Russell" the mail is less likely to be intercepted! It has something to do with superstitions I believe.The mail will also have to have "AIR MAIL" written on it. Also, because the mail system is not (NEARLY) as reliable as the good ol' U.S. Postal System, I have been told that it helps if you number your letters in case they arrive in non-chronological order.)

For the first three months of my service I will be in Bafia, a province of Cameroon, about an hour north of Yaounde (the capitol of Cameroon). In Bafia, I will go through 11 weeks of training with other Peace Corps Volunteers (PCV). We will learn and be tested on language skills, cultural skills, health, safety, policy and procedure. To help us integrate into the culture and into the language (80% of Cameroon is French Speaking, with multiple dialects) we will be living with a host family and reporting to headquarters for classes. I've heard from various PCV that these three months are intensive, exhausting, and challenging (I can't wait!). If all goes well, at the end of these three months I will officially be sworn in as a Peace Corps Volunteer (currently, I am considered a trainee) and recieve my actual placement where I will serve for two years!

As I begin these next two years of my life, I am keeping the title of the Peace Corps book close to my heart. I have always imagined myself entering the Peace Corps. Starting the application and accepting my invitation seemed the most natural thing in the world for me. However, I have no idea of where my life is leading me beyond this journey and my heart is open to the inspiration these next two years will bring......