FAQs

GO USA!!!

Now that the final (hopefully!) Wal-Mart run is out of the way (yes, there have been 4 in the past 4 days), I figure it's time to update.

So I thought I'd re-cap 95% of my conversations over the past month:

Congrats on graduating! What's next?

I joined the Peace Corps!

Wow, where are you going to be?

In Tanzania, a country half way down the East coast of Africa. It's known for Mount Kilimanjaro (highest point in Africa), the idyllic 'palm-fringed beaches' of Zanzibar (an island off the coast in the Indian Ocean), national parks that cover 1/3 of the country (full of lions and tigers and bears, oh my! well, actually just lions, elephants, leopards, and cheetahs among other big game animals), and a very welcoming population (including the Maasai tribe that's known for drinking blood, giant earrings, and red-checkered loin cloths). Have I sold you yet??? COME VISIT ME! (ps The pictures above and below were taken in Tanzania)

**I won't know specifically where in Tanzania I'll be posted until August but my fingers are crossed for Zanzibar (hahaha)

What are you going to be doing?

My official title is "Health Education Extension Worker." I'll be working primarily with HIV/AIDS programs in a rural village somewhere in Tanzania. Basically a glorified sex-ed teacher who is expected to teach sexual education to a foreign population of all ages in a brand new language (Swahili) to a culture that regards sex as quite a taboo topic. Whoo awkwardness! Side projects could include programs on maternal health, nutrition, and water sanitation.

For how long?

I will be in Tanzania for 27 months (I'll return August of 2012... bring on the culture shock!). I hope to come home for a brief visit at least once although that date is yet to be determined.

When do you leave?

I'm leaving for King of Prussia, Pennsylvania early Monday morning. We have informational meetings all day. On Tuesday I'll be watching my fellow PCTs get shots (thank you SIT Kenya-- I've got all mine!), and taking the bus to JFK in NYC. My flight to TZ leaves at 6 pm with a brief stop in Zurich and Nairobi. 33 hours later I will arrive in Dar es Salaam and then the real fun begins!

We'll spend 10 days in Dar getting accustomed to Tanzania and stocking up on any essentials. Then we'll be split up into small groups of 4 or 5 and taken to rural villages where we will live with homestay families, have 10 hours of Swahili instruction 6 days a week, and on the 7th day we learn how to farm, cook, make wine, etc. to prepare us for when we live alone.

On August 18th I'll (hopefully) be sworn in as a Peace Corps Volunteer (PCV) and given my placement in some rural village somewhere in Tanzania. Most likely I will be living by myself but hopefully there will be other PCVs within short traveling distance.

Are you excited/nervous/scared?

I am excited! I am nervous! I am terrified! but I suppose the more pressing matter is that I AM NOT PACKED!

What's the best way to reach you?

Well, excluding the much preferred personal visits, the best way to reach me will probably be by cell phone. Calling cards can be purchased online for cheap (www.callingcardplus.com) and I will have a cell phone with me at all times (email me for the number, there is an 8 hour time difference). Next, I should have access to email at least a couple times a month so don't let me be disappointed when I finally make it to an internet cafe (katiemorris828@gmail.com)!! Finally, for the romantic in all of us, letters can be sent by AirMail to the address posted on the left of this blog. If you would like to send a package (i will be FOREVER grateful!), I have heard that to give it the best chance to get to me unopened, you should use a padded envelope instead of a box, make sure you don't declare anything important or over $10 value on the customs slip, and cover the outside in religious symbols or Bible verses... if all goes well it should reach me in less than a month!

Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers! This is certainly an exciting step in my life and I could not have done it without your support!

Now on to actually packing my bags...

Love,

Katie