Warning, this is going to be a really gushy blog post, so beware. :). And be warned as well, my English spelling has slowly slipped away so I apologize in advance for any misspellings.

Peace Corps has these awesome posters all over the PCTC and their offices that are really inspirational:

The corner office can wait, some corners of the world can’t.

The difference between a career and a purpose is about 8000 miles.

For dreamers that do.

Cultivate fresh ideas and help them take root.

The smallest change can make the biggest difference.

There isn’t an app for this.

Each has it’s own photo that makes it so more special and near and dear to my heart.

In just under two weeks, I will be sworn in as a Peace Corps Volunteer into this amazing country called Madagascar. As so many PC employees have told me and my Stage, “you have hit the Peace Corps jackpot.” They are not lying. This country is absolutely beautiful and I feel lucky to be have picked to help the Malagasy.

Since Tech Trip, training has been so fast paced. I’m learning a dialect for my region, Betsileo, and while it is the closest to Standard, I find it difficult at times. We spent the first month learning Standard Malagasy, what’s spoken in the capital, and since we have been assigned our villages, we have been divided into classes so we can learn the variation spoken in our region. Mine, we like ‘sh’ sounds so all s’s are pronounced with as a ‘sh’. It’s actually quite amazing. And we have our own sound effects too.

With each technical section, my list of projects I want to do at site increases. Accomplishing all of them is impossible, but for right now I just want to dream.

-Try to teach farmers SRI, a method of planting rice that greatly increases the output meaning more income for the farmer.
-English club (started by my predecesor)
-Youth IT classes (same as above)
-Development of the community website (same as above)
-WID/GAD (Women in Development/Gender and Development; not really at site but a committee in which I have already joined)
-Fruit drying
-MFI support (micro-finance institution; they offer small loans to IGAs, income generating activities, for the community and most don’t seek them out because they lack trust in the bank.)
-Basic accounting education
-Basic health education (handwashing, nutrition, Malaria prevention)
-Ecotourism

Not to mention things I want to do for my own personal benefit and interest.

-Container gardening
-Composting
-Fruit drying
-PC baking
-Charcoal making
-Construction (as in furniture…possibly)

Not what you expected from me right? ;).