Well, as I said in my post below, one week from today I will have taken my oath of office (the same oath the president takes, btw) and will be living at my site. I still need to buy everything that I will need in my house, but I also think that I might live without too much the first couple weeks and see what I really need. Also, anything I buy I will have to take with me on the bush taxi from the bigger city nearby to my village. Just imagine trying to move a mattress or a gas tank and a small range for a stove on the roof of 15 passenger van, and you’ve got move in day. I’m actually lucky that I don’t have to take public transit with any of my stuff (like my bike) but instead I get dropped off right at my house by the Peace Corps. The down side of that is that I only have one day to do my shopping before moving, so I will probably have a shopping day once a week for the first month or so until I’m settled.
Our actual swear-in ceremony is next Friday, August 27th, at the US embassy here in Burkina. We were told there would be press there, so you should all look for pictures online next week! I also know that the Peace Corps Facebook page has been putting up pictures from the different swear-ins throughout the summer, so maybe keep an eye out for that. After that, I only have one day before I move to my site, so I’m not sure if I will be able to update or get pictures up before being in my internet- and electricity-less village, so it might be a while until the next update! Also, maybe check out some of the blogs I have linked on the side, because some of them will have a couple more days before move in. Or they will have internet at their sites…
For now, my address stays the same, but I might get a postal box in the nearest big town with one of the other volunteers. I’ll put it up if and when that happens. But the Ouagadougou address I have on the side will be a sure way to get things to me for the next two years.
As I mentioned above, I won’t have electricity at my site, meaning communication might be less frequent. I’ve been spoiled these last few weeks of model school because we had free access to a computer lab, but from here on out I hope to update only once a month or so. I also have a stack of letters I’m sending with a friend going to the US (because it’s cheaper to mail a letter within the states than from here), so hopefully you lucky friends will get those letters within the next couple weeks! I'm sure I will have lots to say as I get settled in at my house and in my village, but you will all just have to wait :) I really can't believe that Stage is finally done, but I'm excited to start this next chapter of service!!
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