Reactions

So now that I'm safely on the other side of the Atlantic, I'd love to share some of the reactions I heard from people when they found out I would be moving to, well, Africa. Some of these are indicative of how little people know about the continent of Africa in the US, but many of them are just plain funny. Enjoy!

"You're doing what?"

"Is Uganda near Africa?"

"That's the coolest thing ever."

"How can I become a volunteer?" (I still get this frequently. Check out peacecorps.gov!)

"Oh you have to have a degree to do that?"

"Why would you do that?" (The answer to which is so much more complicated than it should be.)

"Can you ever come back?" (Why, yes, they fly me home after two years. And if I want to visit home earlier, I have vacation days.)

"Are you going to marry some Africa guy?" (And have cute African babies?!)

"They speak English?!"
"Yeah, well they were a British colony until recently."
"But still...."

"Uganda has been independent for more than 50 years!"
"Only?"

"Luganda is the language spoken in...Uganda...?" (One of more than 50!)

"You can't go." (Break my heart....)

"Can I fit in your suitcase?"

"WE CAN VISIT YOU?! THAT'S AN OPTION?!" (YES PLEASE VISIT ME.)

"This will absolutely change your life." (That's what I'm hoping for.)

"I'm so excited for you"

"Can I still call you?" (Why, yes, because internet.)

"You'll have a cell phone?!" (Yes, Uganda skipped landlines and went straight to cell phones.)

And my absolute favorite, from my grandma: "Are you still going to go if you don't have internet?" (Well isn't that ironic now?)

Staging!!

Staging is finish! WHAT?! Legit! As of November 7, I was no longer an Invitee, but rather I became a Peace Corps Trainee (PCT), which is what I will be until I swear in during January. The emotions of the last couple of days have been quite intense emotionally. As stoic as I have had to be, trust me, my mind has been riddled with emotions.

Saying goodbye to my parents at the airport was possibly the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Unfortunately, my sister wasn’t able to go because she is sick, but my parents saw me off. The sheer amount of tears, mostly from their side, was impeccable. My mom walked me through checking my bags in, something I desperately needed because I just have no idea how this whole air-travel thing actually works. She hugged me, gave me much-needed words of encouragement, we cried, and I said goodbye. As she walked out and I walked toward security, an immense feeling of sadness overwhelmed me. I stopped before getting into the super-short security line to get my electronics out, and then I went ahead through security. While waiting, I heard my name and looked over to see my dad standing outside of security to see me off. He had been forced to stay with the truck while they dropped me off because unattended vehicles are not allowed. I waved goodbye, cried a little, and went through security fairly painlessly.

When I got to my gate, my dad had posted this prayer to Facebook along with a selfie my parents and I took that morning that made me cry for like ten minutes in the middle of complete strangers. Let me tell you, that is insanely hard.

Waiting for my plane was crazy boring other than that because I got to the airport 2+ hours before my flight left, and I really didn’t need to get there that early. There was just no one flying early on a Saturday morning. Our flight ended up being delayed a bit because they couldn’t get the cockpit door to lock, but we still landed in Philly about 15 minutes after we were supposed to. Getting through the airport was pretty overwhelming because I had to lug everything around by myself, and once I picked up my checked bags, that was a terrible feat. (I actually ended up being able to check one of my carry-on bags for free because they were concerned about luggage, which was pretty cool in my opinion.) I found the best configuration for my bags, eventually found the desk I needed to stop at in order to get a ride on a shuttle, and off to the hotel I went.

Once I got to the hotel, I took a bit to rest and got a hold of one of my fellow trainees to do some sight-seeing. We had been in touch over Facebook, and we headed out. While we didn’t get to see Independence Hall due to time, we did get to see the Liberty Bell and get a Philly cheesesteak sandwich off the street! Plus we did it all on public transit, and I always feel accomplished riding around on public transit. :)

Registration was Saturday night (can you tell just how long of a day it was?) from 6:00-8:00 pm, come and go as you can. I went with my friend who I had been sight-seeing with, and it was no big deal. We had to sign a couple of things, we got funds to get us through our time here in Philly, and we took a pre-staging survey to test our knowledge of things about PC. I met a couple of people at registration, and when my roommate got here (MY FRIEND WHO I TALK TO ON FACEBOOK ALL OF THE TIME!!), she and I went for a light dinner at TGI Fridays (it was late) then made a run to Target BECAUSE OUR HOTEL IS RIGHT NEXT TO TARGET.

The first day of Staging was great. We did several ice breakers, most of which were fabulous, and had a BUNCH of activities. By the end of the day, I knew most people’s names, had formed several inside jokes with everyone, and had gotten into the strange habit of saying “I’m Bethany” before everything I said. Just for fun, I’m going to post OUR version of PC’s core expectations. You can find the real version somewhere on peacecorps.gov, but I don’t have internet access at this moment, so I can’t hyperlink it.

1. Drop everything and go

2. Commit to caring-sharing

3. Go and serve flexibly

4. Integration is key

5. All day, errday

6. HoCo fo’ sho’. ARETHA!

7. Follow levels of laws

8. Ownership of wellbeing

9. #AmericaRepresent

10. #UgandaRepresent

I also learned an awful lot about Uganda as a PC country. First of all, I learned that Uganda is the ONLY PC country to have the ad-bid process. (EDIT: I actually have found out since coming to country that although we were one of the first countries to implement it, we are not the only country using it.) That means we are the only volunteers in all of PC to have as much of a say in where we stay throughout our service as we do. Talk about cool! Another thing I learned was that Uganda is a Let Girls Learn (LGL) country. We were actually one of the original LGL countries when PC launched their LGL program in March. This means that part of our mission as PCVs in Uganda is to promote LGL and all it stands for, working toward gender equality, especially in access to education. HOW COOL IS THAT?!?! Seriously I am more excited about this piece of information than anything I learned these last few days. This means that not only CAN I work with empowering girls and women in my community but that I am HIGHLY encouraged to do so and that I have resources available to me in order to enact these projects that are not available to other volunteers. SCORE!!

My second day of Staging was today, and I feel so much closer to my fellow PCTs even just in the few hours we spent together. I know everyone’s name most of the time (Some of them still slip my name occasionally, but now we have a picture that I can practice with!), and we even finished Staging about an hour early! For finishing, we got our “lovely” brown shirts, and we got our first picture together as a cohort.

After we were officially finished, I went upstairs, fully intending to take a nap before our 2:00 am check out of the hotel. Instead, I re-re-repacked my bags, much less frustratingly this time, and went out for dinner with some fellow PCTs. Although I had already gotten a Philly cheesesteak, I decided to go with a group that wanted them just so I could mingle, mingle, mingle. (Inside joke. Sorry.) It may not have been my favorite meal in the world, but I took my first Uber cab ride (I still don’t quite understand it, but I also don’t really understand cabs in general.), and the company was hard to beat. I even got a really cool picture of the sign!!

I am feeling so much less anxious now that I have met everyone, that I understand what is expected of me, that I understand a bit more about what I am getting myself into, that I have ensured my initial support group. I know that some of us may not be the best of friends, but that’s okay because we’re all PCTs right now, and soon we will be PCVs, and that means we have each other’s backs. We leave in a few hours, together, without any PC staff to guide us. I still can’t believe that I am officially a PCT and that I will be in a whole other country in a couple of days, but I won’t let that get me down because I’m just so excited!!

Cold Feet

Well, I leave in ten days. How crazy is that?! Ten is such a tangible number - I mean, I have ten fingers for goodness' sake. I have to admit, I'm kind of starting to get cold feet. I really don't want to leave.

But here's the thing: I'm not getting cold feet about going; I'm getting cold feet about leaving.

This is all I have wanted for my life since I decided to look into it. I truly, truly believe that this is where God has called me to be for the next two years. It is the right step for me, and I am going to help so many people that I would not normally have the opportunity to help.

Except I don't want to leave.

Because here's the other thing: I have never been out of the country. I have never lived outside of Missouri. I have never actually lived on my own (because we all know living in a dorm isn't on your own). I have never been so far away from my family that I seriously can't just come home if I need to. I have never gone so long without seeing my family face-to-face, hugging them, petting my cat.

There's so much about this journey that there's really no way to prepare myself for.

I don't know what it's like not to have running water or electricity. I don't know what it's like to speak a language other than my own more times than not. I don't know what it's like to cram myself into public transport because that's just the way it works. I don't know what it's like to cook on a sigri (charcoal stove).

That's what's exciting though! ...And where my anxiety lies.

So am I ready? I'm beyond ready to go. I am ready to experience a new culture, new way of living, new people, new everything. But I am far from ready to leave everything I know, everything I love, EVERYONE I love behind in order to do it. Regardless of whether I'm ready, though, I am leaving ten days from today. I am getting on a plane to fly to the biggest change in my life. And that is equally exciting and terrifying.

How Can I Pray?

With all the goodbyes I've been saying, many people are telling me they'll keep me in their prayers. I truly appreciate this, and if you're looking for something specific to pray about, I've given you a list below.

1. Pray that God will prepare a family for me in Uganda. When I got to Kirksville for school a couple of years ago, I basically fell into a family. I know God can do this, and this is what I want for my site.
2. Pray that God will prepare a church for me to go to. Uganda is a largely Christian nation, but not in the sense I'm used to, so I could use some guidance.
3. Pray for quick learning on my part, especially in language. I am usually a quick learner, but while I'm adjusting to a new country and culture, I am a bit worried about that.
4. Pray for a good adjustment. I'm sure you all are already praying for that, but just remember that I'll be adjusting for the first 3-4 months I'm in Uganda (until February or so).
5. Pray for my anxiety. The last several weeks, I can just feel my anxiety levels rising. I am excited about my journey, but I am also anxious as to the details of it.
6. Pray for low stress levels over the two years. One of the reasons I've joined the Peace Corps is to experience a slower, hopefully less stressed lifestyle. I know God can bring this to me.
7. Pray for God to show me how this fits into His plan for my life. I think I have a good idea, but I am still looking for clarity and details.


Thank you all in advance for your prayers!!

Pen Pals

So Peace Corps has this program called World Wise Schools in which you choose a classroom (or are assigned one if you prefer), and you are basically pen pals with that classroom in America. This can be executed in different ways, and I'll keep you all posted on how it works out. I already have a classroom chosen, though.

I will be keeping up with a teacher who is still very, very important to me. She was my gifted teacher through elementary school, and I still visit her at least once per semester. Of all the teachers I've had in my 17 years of school, she was the only one I invited to my going away party, she's that special. (And she taught me no two sentences [in a paragraph] start with the same word, just like in this blog post!)

Today I had the privilege of  talking one of the classes I will be pen pals with throughout my service. (Classes because of the structure of our gifted program. I'll be pen pals with K-6.) These kids used to be my kids when I was an A+ tutor in high school, and it was great to see them again. Most of all, though, it was great to share a little bit of Uganda with them and answer a WHOLE LOT of questions. Seriously, these kids probably asked me 100 questions over the hour and 15 minutes I was there.


So to my favorite classroom in the world: I am so excited that I am going to be able to share my experience with you. Keep the questions coming; I love answering them. Oh, and don't forget that Uganda is a country, not a state, and Africa is a continent, not a country. :)

Uganda or BUST

I realize that I don't leave for another three weeks, but I decided to have my going away party yesterday so that some of my Truman friends could come if they wanted to. I wanted to give everyone who came out, who wasn't able to come because of car problems or sickness, and who wanted to come but couldn't for any other reason a huge THANK YOU!!! I didn't take a whole lot of pictures simply because I was enjoying the company of those who came. :)

Genie's brother (who was visiting) made this sign for me!
Now I'm seriously considering taking it to the airport with me....

Genie thinks she's absolutely hilarious.

In particular, I would like to thank my friend Genie for letting us use her house, buying more than half the food we had there, and just being awesome. And as always, last but not least, my parents are amazing and supportive of everything I wanted for this party (which mostly consisted of the balloons to find Genie's house.)

Dear Kirksville

Dear Kirksville,

Thank you for everything. I may have only lived there for two short years, but those were the two best years of my life. Everywhere I went, I found family. Through the ups and the downs, I learned that I am stronger than I ever thought. I learned that sometimes the things we're most afraid of bring the most growth into your life.

Thank you for providing me with a place to grow. I was terrified to move, knowing almost no one in the entire county. How could I make any friends with my awkward social skill set? Ignoring my anxiety, I trudged into the unknown, found a family, and made for myself a home. When I visit, I am reminded that I have a place to return to again and again, a place I will always belong.

Thank you for helping me learn to let go. All the stress of school was the perfect place for me to learn how to relax, how to go with the flow. I learned that life doesn't always go exactly as planned, and that it's okay when it doesn't. Sometimes the better choice is the unprecedented, the random idea from a conversation that just "stuck." Most times I should just trust myself.

Thank you for teaching me that even through all I have done to bring myself away from God, I am still loved and cherished by Him. He will always be there for me, and He had already paved my way through Uganda before the idea even came to me.

Thank you for turning me into my parents. I cannot make it out of Walmart without running into at least one person I know, let alone across campus, and I love it. I love being the person everyone knows they can turn to in a crisis and the person they come to because they just need some laundry detergent. Becoming my parents has shown me that one cannot truly live without giving one's all.

Thank you for being there for me. Knowing you have support is half the battle when something goes wrong, and at least ten people come to mind every time something bad happens. When I do turn to someone, I have my choice of who would help the best; I can get varying opinions even. This kind of belonging is priceless. It's what we all crave.

Thank you for making me miss you. You have been the source of many of my tears, including the ritual sobs all the way to Macon. You have shown me so much good about the world, about myself, and I will forever be grateful.

Until 2018,

Bethany ♥





*I purposefully have not posted much on Facebook about my trip to Kirksville last week. This is because I wanted to channel all of my sentiment into this blog post. For those who don't know, I graduated from Truman State University in May, which is located in Kirksville, MO. I transferred up there after two years (and an Associate's) at the local community college, so I was only up there for two years. Two years can be a lifetime, though. In fact, two years is the amount of time I will be in Uganda....

Typhoid and Other Questions

I finally have an answer, in writing, to the most burning question of my entire time as an invitee. The CDC recommends you receive two vaccinations before going to Uganda, at least above the normal vaccinations: typhoid and yellow fever. I got my yellow fever vaccine, but even as rigorous as medical clearances was, it didn't include getting a typhoid vaccine. I have asked current PCVs, our country desk officer (CDO), searched reddit and the Facebook group, all to no avail. Cue the conference call.

We were invited to a conference call with PC/Uganda staff (like, the ones actually in Uganda), and we had half the call to ask questions. What was the first question I thought of? DO WE GET A TYPHOID VACCINE?! It's such a simple question with a simple answer.








So there you go, folks. We will receive a typhoid vaccine when we arrive. We were asked NOT to get a flu shot before leaving, as they will give us one more specific for Uganda when we arrive. I'm sorry poor child who cannot afford a vaccine, but I will not be getting my flu shot from Walgreen's before I leave.

Another thing I learned was that Uganda has 23 different languages. (I had thought it was more than that, actually). All of us will learn at least some Luganda, the language spoken the capital of Kampala, so that we can get around Kampala. When we get our site assignments, we are, by default, broken up into four language groups and regions. The languages are part of both the Bantu and the Acholi families: Lusoga, Runyakore/Runkiga, Runyoro/Rutooro, or Acholi.

Also contrary to what I had believed, we will only be allowed to visit Kampala when necessary, not every month. We have to request special permission to go to Kampala outside of days when we're required to be there. Apparently Kampala is more dangerous than I had previously thought.

A big part of the call was to learn about the Ad/Bid process. PC/Uganda is unique in that they give their volunteers the opportunity to be part of the decision process for where they will live. (If I had a dollar for every time I've explained that....) Many, if not most PC countries don't allow you to have a voice in where you live. I think this is changing throughout countries, but it is not standard across PC. Anyways, about a week before staging, PC/Uganda will send us "advertisements" for the sites available to us. We will then come up with our top three and bottom three choices, as well as explanations for our choices. When we choose our sites, we are also choosing our positions. More reason for me to procrastinate on deciding whether I want to be a Teacher Trainer or a Primary Literacy Specialist.

Speaking of, I learned that Teacher Trainers will be working with kids aged 18-21. I had thought they would be 16-19, since the Ugandan education system is based on the British one, but apparently I misunderstood. It would be quite interesting to be teaching someone who is 21 when I'm only 22, almost 23......

For those worried about my safety, please know that the PC/Uganda people are watching very closely the stability of things with elections coming up soon. They don't expect for there to be problems with it, but we will be told more about the procedures to follow if something were to happen during PST.

There were a few other things we talked about, but these are the interesting bits. I'm so thankful that PC/Uganda gives us all of these resources to prepare us for our time with them. Next time I'll just make sure to use my home phone instead of using 70 of the 100 minutes that was supposed to last until I leave....

Support for YOU GUYS!

So in Peace Corps, support is a big deal. You are a support for your fellow volunteers, them for you, the staff for you, you for future volunteers, etc. etc. But how can you get support if you are just a family member or friend of a PCV? Well, I have the answer for you! FACEBOOK!

There is a Facebook group designed specifically for friends and family of PCVs, and I think it is even run by them as well. If you're interested, I'm sure they'd love to have you! https://www.facebook.com/groups/509963132481253/

There is also a bunch of information on peacecorps.gov just sitting there, waiting to be read and digested. Check it out! http://www.peacecorps.gov/resources/faf/

One Month?!

I can hardly believe this day exists. I am leaving in one month. I will be in Uganda a month from Sunday. How is this possible?

Currently, I'm sitting on the dorm room floor of one of my friends, making my last visit to Kirksville before I leave. The day I got here, today, is one month from when I'll leave for Philadelphia and the day I leave, Sunday, is one month from when I'll be in Uganda for the first time. Everything is surreal right now.

Realistically, I'm closing in on everything. When I get home on Sunday, I will have a little less than a month to finish up buying everything, getting things settled with my phone, arranging personal property insurance... Oh, and y'know, packing. The more stuff I buy, the more I doubt that I'm going to be able to fit my entire life in two suitcases, at least not being able to have space for the food that everyone keeps telling me to bring. But that battle is going to be fought in a few weeks.

Speaking of, I have a busy schedule coming up! Well, busier than normal at least. I have a going away party being thrown for me up here on Friday, then next week I'm throwing myself a going away party, then the next week I'm going to a concert and then a wedding reception for my roommate...and then I leave.....

In case you can't tell, I can't quite grasp that I'm leaving in a month.

On the bright side, we got an email about PST! I was hoping for a staging email, but this email told us that we will be arriving in Uganda on November 11, then taking a 3 hour bus ride to our first training location. We have to turn in site bids on November 13, then we find out where our sites will be November 14! On the 15th, we will get a tour of Kampala, something I'm actually super excited about.

From November 30-December 11, we will be living at Shimoni Core Primary Teachers’ College doing Teachers' Bootcamp, learning how to do our jobs! Then from December 13-15 we have site visits!! (SO EXCITED) The last stint of PST is our homestay from December 19-January 17. The last week of PST is back in Kampala, with swearing-in on January 21, 2016!! (MARK YOUR CALENDARS!!!) I can't wait to travel Uganda, see all there is to see, learn how to do my job, learn a new language or two,

Excited and terrified. Some of my best experiences in life have begun like this, most of them even. Everyone keeps asking me if I'm ready, but see I don't honestly think you can ever be ready for something so big in your life. I think Hugh can take this one away.

What Camp Has Taught Me

I'm a bit late in the day because it's been a busy one, but I'm officially six weeks out from my departure date! It has been a hard week for me, realizing that I'm actually going to be leaving my friends and family... Man I'm leaving everything I've ever known. I've never been out of the country even, so what am I really getting myself into? This week I have felt a switch from "I'm just so excited to be taking this huge leap into my Peace Corps life!!" to "Holy crap I'm leaving everything behind." I don't know why, but six weeks just feels so much more real, so much more terrifying, than seven did.

But this post isn't all about doubting myself! I'm back at camp for the week, making a bit of money because we all need a bit. I've only been back for a few hours, but it brings back how unprepared I was for "roughing it" at the beginning of the summer. I was absolutely taken aback by the mouse poop on the floor, appalled at the state of the bathrooms (with running water and electricity, nonetheless). Now that I'm so close to departure and have learned so much more about what day-to-day life is like in Uganda, I'm constantly comparing the two.

Story time: When I first got to camp at the beginning of summer, I was in a cabin with a mouse problem. I was kept up several nights of that first week just listening to the scuttling feet, afraid of something that can only hurt me if either it is sick and bites me or I ingest some of its poop, neither of which sound appealing. I even had some granola bars eaten out of my backpack, a thought that still grosses me out to this day. Through reading blogs of current and recently returned PCVs, as well as being friends with many of the current ones on Facebook, I know that cockroaches are common in Uganda, and this fact was brought swiftly to my memory when recollecting the mouse incident from my first week. I'm not sure I won't be kept awake in terror of the small things, but at least camp has taught me that I won't die from something small uninvitedly sharing my living space.

I also won't die from the gunk in the sink right now from the cabin not being lived in for the last who knows how long, even if it is gross and I don't want to touch it. Neither will I, nor have I as of yet, get bedbugs from sleeping in a bed that's not my own or sleep under a mosquito net. I could go on and on about how much more developed even camp life is compared to what I'm expecting in Uganda, but I think it's a moot point, especially considering I don't have firsthand experience.

But if camp taught me one thing the whole summer, it taught me that just because something is gross or uncomfortable does not mean that it's not worth your time. Sometimes you make the biggest impact in those places, impacting the ones whose normal it is.

But I'm still going to keep everything off the floor while I'm here....

Power of..Whaaaaaa?

Something that is highly recommended that you set up before you leave is Power of Attorney (POA). Depending on what type of POA you have, your attorney-in-fact can manage your accounts, file your taxes, or make important decisions should you become incapacitated. I have decided to have a POA especially for my taxes, since my summer job took taxes out of my check and I would like that back. Thus began a seemingly simple journey.

I Googled how to draw up a POA, and found it to be exceedingly simple...for everyone except the perfectionist I am. You just have to have a document stating that the person who you want to have POA is going to be your attorney-in-fact and then have it notarized. Realistically speaking, it truly is that simple. There are even free templates online. I was just very, very afraid I was going to somehow manage to screw it up so that my dad wouldn't be able to file my tax return for me. I also just basically felt like a minion trying to understand all the legalese.

My dad is a professor at our local college, and also he has been a Phi Theta Kappa (the international honor society for two year colleges) advisor for many years. Through this, he has gotten to know many students that have gone on to fulfill many, many different roles in society. Thankfully, he knows an accountant and a lawyer well enough to ask them the favor of figuring this out for me. The accountant informed me that I should file some forms with the IRS and MODOR (MO Dept. of Revenue), and the lawyer drew the forms up for me for free. Without these women, I would probably still be worrying about screwing up majorly. Now I have the POA ready to be notarized and the forms ready to go out in the mail!!

To any fellow PCVs looking for how to appoint POA, here is the form I'm using, obviously minus all my personal info. Please make sure you look into your state's laws about POA and only use this as a template!! :)

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B6dsK_C1T5twMFJRMTFTd1F2Zm8/view?usp=sharing

Uganda Be Africaing

It's taken me a while to write this post because I have been dealing with a great mish-mash of emotions. As I'm sure most of you know, last weekend was Labor Day. For most, it was a great weekend of grilling, hanging out with family, and just plain being outside and HOT. For me, it was all of that, but it was also the last chance I will have to seen a large majority of my extended family. We live about a four-hour's drive from them, and without another 3-day (or longer) weekend for all of us before I leave, this was the last chance to go down home and visit.

It was a great weekend. Between my family, I have nearly everything I will need except small items which I'm planning to pick up in October. We had a fish fry (complete with pork roast for those of us who aren't so fond of fish) on Sunday evening, which also doubled as a goodbye party for me. (I was only half surprised, but that's only because I know my family loves me too much to not throw me a party.) I was genuinely surprised when my grandma handed me a card, complete with money my family had put together for me.

Obviously this card was homemade, something that I genuinely appreciate. I literally laughed aloud when I read the front of it. I could not stop smiling at the little notes everyone wrote me, knowing that they come from the heart. And what's even better is that they didn't spend $5+ on a card like they always complain about!! (It's a thing. My family will understand.)

So now I have supplanted my number one item on my packing list, previously my back-scratcher, and replaced it with this lovely card. Although I am sad to leave you all behind for two and a half years (maybe longer by the time I get back down there), I will carry you with me, literally, all the way Africaing.

Kitten Cats

My mom thought I was crazy for having flea collars/drops on my packing list. I don't think she realized just how serious I am about having a cat when I'm abroad. I have always loved having cats growing up, and I absolutely hated not being able to have one while I was living in my dorm for two years. Now, while I'm living at home, I love being able to pet Addie to death, knowing she loves it even if it means she dies. :P

Every time you see multiple interviews with PCVs about what to have/do when you are in country, it includes having a pet. They help to stave off loneliness and lower stress levels. For me, I'm sure it'll help with homesickness at least a little bit, having a baby to take care of and love.

If you still don't believe me -- Who wouldn't? -- here's an article from PC on why having a pet is great!
http://passport.peacecorps.gov/2015/04/09/5-reasons-to-have-a-pet-in-the-peace-corps/

What is it That You're Doing Again?

So I realized that I never actually posted what I will be DOING in Uganda.... I keep getting this question when I tell people I'm MOVING TO UGANDA IN NOVEMBER (not that I'm excited), so here it is!

"The primary literacy project focuses on three goals; improving teaching, increasing pupils' success, and improving the school community. Thus, as part of the primary literacy project, volunteers choose to serve as either a teacher trainer or a literacy specialist. While both roles utilize approaches to capacity building that include model and co-teaching, assessment, and engagement in national literacy initiatives, such as National Drop Everything and Read (DEAR) Day, the my language spelling bee, or literacy month, there are distinct differences int he day to day job activities. Children with learning disabilities are often undiagnosed, and learners with physical challenges, visual impairments, and who are deaf or hard of hearing, are typically main streamed. While we support the inclusion model for these learners, they are often included in the general classroom without modifications and accommodations that help them access learning.

"Teacher Trainers are placed at Primary Teachers' Colleges (PTCs). They deliver conten based instruction in math, science, English, and/or ICT [I don't know what this is right now.] to pre-service teachers, in addition to training future teachers on the best practices for teaching literacy, instructional approaches, innovative instructional materials, engagement strategies, resource room or library development, positive behavior systems, and alternative discipline. [Caning is still very common in Uganda.] Teacher Trainers also provide instructional coaching for pre-service trainers during their school practice, small group remedial classes, and collaborate departmentally with faculty.

"Literacy Specialist are placed at Primary schools. They work with in-service teachers to build their capacity for literacy instruction by leading professional development on teaching phonemic awareness, alphabetic principle, fluency, vocabulary, and comprehension. Additionally, they collaborate with head teachers to create positive school culture and staff climate, implement resource room or library development, and design positive behavior systems and alternative discipline. Literacy Specialists also implement school-based reading intervention programs for early readers. Literacy specialists serving in primary schools implement reading intervention programs to help support pupils who are reading below grade level through various approaches including multiple modalities and small group or one-to-one instruction that support struggling readers.

"There are many opportunities for collaboration across the PTCs and the primary schools. The education programming staff will also provide support and guidance for Trainees as they determine which role is the best fit.

"One of the exciting parts of your professional work is to participate in the Peace Corps monitoring, reporting, and evaluation (MRE) process. [Oh I'm sure it's thrilling....] All Volunteers receive training on the MRE tracking and reporting system. Each Volunteer regularly reports MRE information, and this information is summarized to describe overall progress of the project. This important MRE system helps Peace Corps improve its programming and report its accomplishments. The opportunity to learn and practice professional monitoring and evaluation skills are some of the many valued benefits of Peace Corps service."

So there you have it. My official job description. Basically, I'll be working with the education system in Uganda, whether teaching future teachers or working with kids. From what I've read on other volunteers' blogs, I should get to choose between these two positions, though I have become nice and comfortable with the idea of being a Teacher Trainer like my invitation stated. Either way, I'll be working in Uganda!!

YAAAASSSSSSSSSSSS

Finishing off Medical Clearances

So I finally did it. This came in my email this morning to confirm it. I have submitted all of my tasks for review for final medical clearances!!!

I know I'm going to receive clearance. All of my tests came back normal (even the TSH one, which I was particularly worried about), everything is uploaded. As long as my nurse doesn't find something else I'm missing, I'm golden. I'M GOING TO UGANDA!!!!!

With how frustrating it has been to get all of this done while away at camp, let me tell you, this comes as a serious point of excitement. I have traded so, so, sooooo many messages with my nurse, bless her heart. Sure, sometimes she would miss the entire point of my message, but for her to have put up with all of the questions from my end, I love her to the end of the world and back. And as for my doctor, she is even more amazing. She has given me so much more consulting than she technically should have outside of an appointment. The ladies at the front of her office as well as her have printed so many test results out for me, so many orders for tests, etc. Without these wonderful medical professionals, this would not have been possible.

I am so incredibly thankful for everything my doctors, dentists, and nurses have done for me these last few months in order to get me to this point.

Now I guess I have to get a hold of the student loan people and figure out how to adult...



Aug. 17 edit: I just want to pop in and add to this post how frustrating it was to do and redo and redo some of these tasks. Seriously, bless my nurse, the number of times she had to send tasks back to me with MORE clarification or pointing out something that was already on the task that I missed. I'm sure it was frustrating for her as well. I got this same email three or four times because she kept sending tasks back to me. I kept yelling at the computer, but now I realize she was just doing her job, making sure that PCMO can take care of me while I'm abroad. :)

Staging Update

I received an email earlier today which shared that our staging date has even moved up a couple of days. Staging (in the US) now begins November 7  instead of November 9. I now have two fewer did to figure out how to pack my life away in two suitcases, but it'll be okay. I've changed my countdown accordingly.

Aug. 14 update to the update: I have read like 30+ blogs from current or recently-former PCVs, and it would appear every one of them had staging in Philadelphia, PA, then took a bus (at some ungodly hour of the "morning") to NYC to fly out of JFK airport. They then had a couple of different layovers, but they flew into Entebbe, Uganda, where they began their PST right away. Thus, it is a good assumption to make that this is what we'll be doing. :)

October 9 update to the update on the update: Yup. This is in fact what we're doing.

100

Today is a very important day. As of today, I have 100 days to prepare to move to a different country, continent, and culture. I can't even fathom what's in store for me, but one thing is for sure: I'm so close to medical clearance I can taste it!

Heat, Hot, Bleh

So today is one of those days in Missouri where the air temperature is close to 100F and the heat index is much, much higher. (Slightly off topic, I just relearned that a heat index is what it feels like IN THE SHADE.) The heat just has me thinking about what it's going to be like living in an equatorial country. Is Uganda humid? Well, Google has that answer.

Today in Kampala, the capital of Uganda, it is 70F with about 80% humidity. This is an average day in Uganda.

DID YOU SEE THOSE NUMBERS?!

I would KILL for that weather right now. Even though I work in the air-conditioned library during the day, IT'S STILL HOT OUTSIDE.

Anyways, here's some more information about Uganda's climate if you're interested. I found them interesting. :)

http://www.bbc.com/weather/features/18025180
http://www.mapsofworld.com/uganda/geography/weather.html
http://www.journeysbydesign.com/destinations/uganda/when-to-go


PS: Note to self- Learn how to interpret centigrade temperature and military time....