feels like...

So far, training has felt like vacation. I got to the hotel in Philadelphia late because of flight scheduling, and went straight into introductions and ice breakers. (So maybe that part felt like reslife, but whatevs.) Then there were fun times in Philly, and a bus ride at 2am so we could get to the airport SIX HOURS EARLY. I slept there, which was nice. At least, as nice as sleeping on a tile floor can be. That was the longest I slept at one time until yesterday.

Not sleeping on planes sucks. I even came prepared with meds to knock me out. They only worked for 2 hours. I went in and out of sleep after that, which made the 15 hour flight feel like it lasted forever. The airport in South Africa was neat, and full of shops that sold all kinds of thongs that I wanted. When we got to Lusaka, it was the middle of the day. We had a medical session and something else I can't remember because I was almost falling asleep. Not only that, but the entire back row was almost falling asleep.

But anyway. This feels like vacation because right now we're staying in a nice hotel. We have running (hot!) water, flushing toilets, and good food. We've all been getting together at the hotel bar at night to chill and get to know each other, which is fun. The weather is fantastic. It's 70-80 degrees during the day, and cools off enough at night that sleeping with the windows open is fantastic. And it's the wet season, so it's humid, but i get to fall asleep to rain! Sounds like vacation, right?

Tomorrow we go on our first 'site visit.' We'll stay with a current volunteer so we can see what it's going to be like once we're not in the (very modern) capital. I mean, I'm sitting in an Internet cafe in the mall. Speaking of which... This will probably be my last post for a while. We won't have Internet during for the next 11 weeks, and my computer will be locked up at the Peace Corps office. So, send me letters and things! Miss everyone, and can't wait to hear from you!

leaving on a jet plane

I'm leaving tomorrow! AHHHHH!

I had some tearful goodbyes yesterday, and will have more today, I'm sure. I'll miss everyone back here in Missouri. So let's talk communication. Email me! I'm sure this will end up being the quickest way to get a hold of me... but not till training is over. So in the meantime, you should send me letters! It will be slow, but again, I won't have email until April. I promise to send letters back, too. :) My address will be:

Kara Oberkrom/PCT

Peace Corps

P.O. Box 50707

Lusaka, Zambia

I'll be moving to somewhere else in April, but I have no clue where that is yet. I'll let you know when I find out. If you want me to send you something, and you haven't given me your address, you should either email it to me or send me a Facebook message, and I'll find it eventually. Or, you can just send something to me first so I can get the address from your letter!

3 Weeks and Counting

I'm sitting in my nice warm living room while it's freezing outside in Columbia, MO. There is so much mess around me as I try to get all of my stuff packed away. It's tough, because I'm packing away things I might need in the next three weeks (read: cold weather clothes). But when I stop to think about it, it's only three weeks. And that's scary! 

I am so excited to go to Zambia and learn to be a part of another culture. It seems a daunting task. Many of the people I've talked to have balked at the idea of learning a language in just a few months, but I look forward to the challenge. :) It's part of the reason I wanted to do this. 

So what am I doing to prepare? I just took the online safety and security quiz (which I had been putting off). I've mailed off all things I need to. I still need some passport pictures, and other pictures to show the Zambians. I need to decide on a few clothes to bring from the growing pile in my living room. And instead of going through that pile, I'm finishing books, watching Doctor Who, and talking to my friends. Fantastic preparation, right?