Welcome to the Jungle

Just a quick note to let everyone know that I have made it to Theis, Senegal safe and sound. We landed at the airport this morning at about 6am and then made the two hour bus trip to the training center in Theis. We had some delightful Senegalese food for lunch; rice with vegetables and lamb served with some delicious spices. We all ate out of large communal bowls and used our hands so there's a new and different experience for me. 


At the training center, I'm sharing a room with three other girls. I'll try and upload pictures of that later. So for now all is well and I'm hoping it will stay that way. 

Asalaa maalekum, 

Rachel

3...2...1...Blast off!

"The time has come," the Walrus said, 
"To talk of many things:
Of shoes - and ships - and sealing-wax - 
Of cabbages - and kings - 
And why the sea is boiling hot - 
And whether pigs have wings." 

~ Through the Looking Glass, Lewis Carroll

Well everyone, it's that time. As I type this I am sitting In Dullas International Airport waiting to board my flight to Dakar, Senegal. This has been a long time coming and yet the experience feels unreal. I can't believe this is really happening and I'm wondering if the next 27 months will all feel this surreal. 

I arrived in Washington D.C. on Sunday afternoon with my parents. We checked into a lovely hotel and I can't express how touched I was when my mom expressed to me that she just wanted to make sure my last night was special. We went out to a lovely dinner which was followed by a sleepless and restless night. While I can't say that surprised me, it was frustrating nonetheless. Yesterday morning my parents dropped me off at another hotel where I registered and officially become a part of the "Peace Corps family." We had our staging event yesterday where a lot of rules and regulations were discussed and this morning we were all sent over to the Department of Health and Human Services where we all received are vaccinations for yellow fever. Just in case you were wondering, it hurt. And no, I'm not the only one who voiced that sentiment, so you can stop calling me a wuss in your head. Here's an exciting piece of information, I know have an official Peace Corps passport (makes me feel special) and a WHO yellow card that declares that I have indeed been vaccinated against the dreaded yellow fever. Also, my baggage was underweight. YAY! Shockingly enough, I actually have less stuff then a lot of other people (see SWK, I knew I'd make you proud). 

At staging yesterday, I decided that I would start things off on the right foot by volunteering to be a group leader for today's trip from the hotel, to the clinic, to the airport and then on to Senegal. While this seemed like a good idea at the time, in retrospect someone else may have been better suited to the position, seeing as how I can barely keep track of myself. However, so far so good. I think I may actually know a majority of all 47 people's names in my training group. 

Another interesting piece of news for y'all. As many of you might know, this year marks the 50th anniversary of the Peace Corps. Because of this, there have been (and will continue to be) celebrations and news specials dedicated to exploring the Peace Corps and its mission. One of the girls in my group is actually being followed by CNN. They were at our staging event yesterday and will be at the airport gate to see us off this afternoon. I'm not sure whether any filming will be done in Senegal, but if you're watching CNN be on the lookout for me and my bright pink and blue sneakers. 

Before I finish my last stateside post, I'd like to thank all of my friends and family for making the last three weeks so awesome. I never would have made it this far without all of you and I just hope that I will make all of you proud over the next 27 months. Please keep checking the blog and feel free to send me e-mails, letters and any other treats you might be able to spare. I love you all so much and will be thinking of you always. 

Asalaa maalekum (peace be with you in Wolof), 

Rachel

Me and all of my stuff for the next 27 months!

Packing List

It's been three weeks since my last post and for that I apologize. I'm sure you're all thinking, "if she can't keep this up now, how will she possibly be able to keep this up in Africa?" I'm sorry! The last few weeks have been extremely busy an I promise to try and do better.

I'm leaving for Washington D.C. tomorrow morning, so obviously I can't sleep. I thought I'd take the opportunity to post my packing list (from the exciting and extreme to mundane and obvious) to help any future PCVs. A huge thank you goes out to SWK, who trekked all the way to Westfield from NYC to help me shove things into two bags. I should also point out that after freaking out for weeks that all of my stuff wouldn't fit, I have extra space! Who would've thought? Not me, that's for sure. 

Clothing

• 1 pair of jeans
• 2 pairs of hiking pants (one long, one capri length)
• 2 pairs of yoga pants
• 1 pair of cotton sleep shorts
• 1 pair of longish soccer shorts
• 3 skirts
• 2 dresses
• 1 fleece jacket
• 3 tank tops
• 4 work-out type shirts
• 4 t-shirts
• 1 long-sleeve shirt
• 1 "going-out" shirt
• 2 bathing suits
• 20 pairs of underwear
• 6 sports bras
• 4 regular bras
• 5 pairs of socks
• Hats (1 baseball, 1 other)
• Jewelry

Shoes

• 1 pair of Chaco sandals
• 1 pair of flip-flops
• Nike running shoes
• Cheap black flats

Gear

• Sheets (1 set of full-size)
• Northface rolling duffel bag
• Osprey Hiking backpack
• Northface daypack
• Brown cross-body purse
• Laptop sleeve
• Pillow (packed in compression sack)
• Sleeping bag
• Headlamp
• Travel alarm clock
• Water Bottles (2)
• REI Bug Tent
• Thermarest sleeping pad

Electronics

• Ipod/charger/case/headphones (3)
• Portable speakers
• Kindle
• Batteries (8 rechargeable AAA, 8 rechargeable AA)
• Battery charger
• Plug adapters (3)
• Converter
• Macbook (w/ extra computer battery)
• Digital camera (2; one point-and-shoot, one SLR)/extra batteries/battery chargers/memory cards (4)/USB cord/card reader
• USB key
• External hard drive
• Solio Solar Charger (I just hope it actually works)

Health and Body

• Sunscreen (lots! I am most likely going to be the "whitest person in Senegal," at least that's what my mother says)
• Ibuprofen
• Hand sanitizer
• Facewash
• Shampoo
• Conditioner
• Loofah
• Body lotion
• Deodorant (3)
• Razor and replacement blades
• Toothbrush
• Toothpaste
• Hairbrush
• Hairbands
• Headbands
• Tweezers
• Nail clippers
• Q-tips
• Mirror
• Makeup
• Chapstick (4)
• Feminine products (please ask if you require more details)

Miscellaneous

• Copies of important documents
• Senegal/Gambia travel guide (Lonely Planet)
• French/English dictionary
• World Map
• Photo Album
• Tupperwear
• Ziplock bags
• Leatherman tool
• Duct tape
• Drink mixes (Crystal Light and Snapple)
• Plastic accordion file
• Notebooks/Journals
• Daily planner
• Pens/Pencils/Markers/Highlighter
• Luna/Clif Bars
• Beef Jerkey