We are about to leave our sheltered compound where we have all been living comfortably. In an hour I will move in with a host family in a village nearby and stay there for most of the 8 weeks of training.
During this last week I have had several moments of 'this is it,' or as my friend Immanuel likes to put it: 'this just got real.' Getting on the plane to leave Montana, going to Orientation in DC, leaving DC, and arriving in Bamako all felt like the start of my journey. Its been nice to slowly be eased into my life as a Peace Corps volunteer, but arriving at my training host village today will be a significant step forward and I can't say I am not nervous. It will be my first time seeing the realities of life in a Malian village. Though most my time will be spent in language class and technical skills class, I will be sharing meals and living space with my host family and it will be interesting to see how we interact.
This is it... until 8 weeks from now when I go to my post. Then that will really be it!
Hey Matthew, we're so happy to be able to follow along as you begin your new journey! Have fun and be safe. Maureen and Scott
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