Here it goes...

I realize that many of my family and friends are curious about what it is I'm going to be doing over the next two years while serving in the Peace Corps overseas. So, I thought I'd try and keep up this blog as a way for everyone to keep up with all the goings- on. I don't know as of yet how often I'll be able to update it but I'll definitely try to get around to doing so whenever I'm near a computer. I've never been much for writing but I think this is a good/ simple way to both keep an account of my experience and a way to stay in touch with everyone.

Over the last couple of months I've been doing a lot of research on Mali and trying to get some sort of idea of what the Peace Corps does over there. There are numerous projects that volunteers work on, including education, water sanitation, agriculture, small business enterprise, and youth development, among others. As of now all I know is that my official title is Health Education Extension Agent and over the next three months I'll be going through rigorous training to help me adapt to the Malian way of life and prepare me for my work. I think a majority of what I'll be doing consists of prenatal care, nutritional information, prevention of malaria and other diseases, family planning, and HIV/ AIDS education. Mali has a very high infant mortality rate, mostly due to poor nutritional practices and lack of vaccinations. The overall goal is to design and implement a project based upon my villages specific needs and work with them to get it done. However it is very common for volunteers to collaborate with others in different fields on secondary projects.
Mali is a large land locked country in the northwestern part of Africa. It's bordered by Algeria and Mauritania to the north, Niger to the east, Burkina Faso, Cote d'Ivoire, and Guinea to the south, and Senegal makes up the western border. French is the main language spoken throughout the country, but there are numerous other languages spoken in various sectors as well as Arabic in the northern cities. I've been teaching myself French for the last 6 months so hopefully I 'll be able to get by. I'll also probably have to learn one of the native languages during my training.
The geography is typical of most north African countries. The Sahara desert stretches deep into the heart of the country and is steadily growing, while the south is mostly savanna. The Niger is the main river that flows through the country and splits off forming numerous deltas throughout the south. The temperature is hot and dry from Feb- June rainy and humid from Jul- Nov, and cool and dry from Nov- Feb.

Believe it or not Mali is actually a very frequented tourist attraction. The desert is home to the fabled city Timbuktu, which also happens to host one of the most prominent music festivals in the world, the Festival au Désert. Music in Mali is heavily influenced by the west, and plays a big role in Malian culture. I bought a few cd's from famous artists and it actually sounds like a hybrid of American folk and blues combined with traditional African percussion. It's really good. If anyone wants to check it out I would highly recommend Ali Farka Touré's album In the Heart of the Moon or Amadou and Miriam Bagayoko's Welcome to Mali. Malians are also extremely friendly and fun- loving people and are very welcoming to foreigners.

My lifestyle as far as I can tell is going to be extremely bare. No running water or electricity is a given, and I'll probably be staying in some sort of adobe hut in a remote village. During my training, and possibly afterwards, I'll be staying with a host family, which usually means a lot of kids and zero privacy. From what I've read, typical villages consist of anywhere between 500- 1000 people. Other volunteers have recommended that I bring a few simple comforts from home to help keep my sanity, such as an mp3 player, laptop, etc., and I bought a solar charger that will hopefully live up to its reputation. However, I'm almost entirely positive that these items will end up broken/ stolen or conveniently misplaced. Food and other supplies I'll be able to pick up at the local market, which may be up to 10 mi away but easily accessible by mountain bike (which they provide me with). Other than that I've been buying supplies that other volunteers have recommended and trying to get everything together. From what I've heard, current volunteers do a lot of traveling throughout the country, so I hope I'll be able to do some long distance hiking and overnight camping excursions. I also accrue 2 'official' vacation days a month which I can use at my discretion. I think it adds up to almost 3 weeks total over 2 years. I haven't decided whether or not I'll come home or do a bit o traveling but I'm leaning towards a bit o traveling.

So that's about as good a summary as I have right now for what I'm expecting. I know its going to be hard work, but I've always felt that most things worth doing are seldom easy. The PC might be a pretty extreme example of this but the overall experience will definitely outweigh any hardships. "True security is not a measure of what one has, but what one can do without." I can't remember where that's from but it seems to apply.

As far as care packages go, they will be greatly appreciated. Mail travels slowly in Mali (anagram!) and I think it could take up to several weeks for anything to reach me, so nothing perishable. I would also love to get a book here or there (not picky), as I think I will have a lot of downtime. I also heard that its best to postmark any packages as gifts worth 0$ to help avoid theft. I'll post the mailing address and other various contact information (cell phone, skype, if available) after I get there on Feb 2nd. Feel free to leave me any comments, questions, grammar critiques, suggestions, etc. on my blog. I'm leaving Jan 31st for DC and then leave to Paris Feb 2nd. I've tried to visit everyone I can before I go and I'll be free the last week before I leave to make more visits. 

I love you all and will miss you a lot. I don't want anyone to worry about me but be excited and keep me in your prayers! Remember, life's either a daring adventure or nothing! (one of my favorite quotes ever, by Helen Keller).