Well I made it

I am in Mamou which is where we are having our orientation. Its about a five hour drive from the coast on a very crouded bus...my training group is wonderful and so far our teachers seem just as great. We dont acctually start classes till Friday so right now there is a lot of logistics and hanging around. We are staying in the Fouta which is the mountainous region and the days are really warm but the nights and mornings are cool. However on the coast it was quite hot.

So when we arrived on Saturday we were wisked away to the Peace Corps main house in Conakry which resembled a compound not unlike the ones seen in the movie Hotel Rowanda but there was a/c and showers. Yesterday we had a breif orientation at the PC house and then piled into the busses for a VERY long drive. The land is beautiful and the people are really friendly...even though I can not say more then hello. Very little electricity or running water threwout the whole country...so thank you mom for the solar powered iPod charger.

So on our drive here the funniest thing happend....well at least I thought it was. You have to picture us driving along at a fairly good speed on a main road...that would pass as a busy country road in the states...and there are huts and families and livestock peppered everywhere. Im twards the front and we hear a big bang and you can feel we have hit something theres a collective gasp and someone in the back calls out: someones eating chicken for dinner. At which point everyone spins around in time to see the biggest feather explosion ever.....I cried I was lauging so hard.

Im sure there will be plenty more of that to come. Thursday we are traveling to Forecareia to have our adoption ceremony into our host families and thus the real start of our training. Internet is far less available then I had origionally thought but I will do my best.

Cheers
Rasa

7 Days and Counting

When I spoke with my friends Josh and Andrea Waldman a few days prior to their wedding I asked how they were doing and all the regular stuff you ask your friends before they get married and I don't remember who said it but one on them mentioned that they are no longer "wishing days away" and instead just riding the wave of the last week before all of the parties started.

Well that's exactly how I feel. Since I've moved back to PA I have been wishing things to go faster so I could get to Africa and move forward into the next big step in my life. And now with 7 days till I leave I'm just taking everthing one hour at a time it seems.

I'm almost packed I have a few errends to run still but the really great thing is my Dad and Stepmom are comeing out this weekend to say goodbye. I'm most definatly looking forward to having my whole immediate family together.

So in addtion to being absoultly thrilled to be going I'm getting a few nerves about it now too. Which is to be expected. I do appreciate all of you whom are reading this and please stay tuned for mere to come b/c I promise some exciting stories.

On a business note...some folks that have posted I don't have your email addresses, maggie and amanda could you email me at rvella7@hotmail.com

Also I don't have many physical address for folks so if you are intersted in reciving regular mail from me please email me or post your address.

Love you all,
Rasa

Disclaimer

The Peace Corps has requested I have this:

The contents of this website are mine personally and do not relect any position on the U.S. government or the Peace Corps.