Site visit

Carrie reports that her site visit "went great". Many thanks to the Carrie that hosted her. Tomorrow she gets her language assignment and home stay information (where she will be staying during training). I am sure Carrie will report more about the living conditions in the village. Now that she has some decorating ideas it will be interesting to hear what items she will want sent to her from the Potter Barn- "Mud Hut Edition" catalogue. Thanks all - Carrie's Dad- Rick

Spelling Corrections

Even from half a world away I find a way to embarrass my daughter. Upon further review the capital of Zambia is "Lusaka", cite visits are really "site" visits, and the language of the village Carrie will be visiting is "bemba" and not bomba. Carrie would not have been so careless. Speaking of Carrie, she received a cell phone and was able to send and receive texts. Can't wait to hear if she will have reception in the remote villages. To Brittany's Dad,Brian thanks and I will e-mail you to share stories. Thanks all, Rick Navin

Made it to Zambia!!!!!!!!!!!!

Carrie asked me to be her ghost writer until she has access to a computer that allows her to log on to her blog. After a few blips in getting final approval (ugh) Carrie was allowed to attend the Peace Corps "staging" in Washington DC and to board the plane to Africa last Wednesday. She is glad to report she arrived and that she finds everything to be "amazing". Tomorrow she departs for her "cite visit" and will be staying with another Carrie, the Carrie of "Carrie in Zambia" blog fame. Check out her blog to see what our Carrie will be experiencing. She will return to Lasaka on Thursday to begin language training- I assume she will need to decide on a future location since different areas of Zambia speak different languages. The village that "Carrie in Zambia" lives in speaks bomba. Her blog describes some of the difficulty she has had learning and implementing it even after two years. Our Carrie faces many challenges but I have no doubt she will succeed. It will be interesting to find out if our Carrie elicits screams of fear from the small children in the village like the other Carrie still experiences. Will she be able to bathe herself with that half full glass of water with villagers standing around? How big are the bugs? Stay tuned for her updates. ----Carrie's Dad

Finally?

So. After a couple of the most stressful days EVER. I am pretty sure that I will actually be flying out on Wednesday and going to Zambia. My Aunt worked miracles and I owe her so much!

So I am all packed (one bag: 47 pounds, other bag: 34 pounds) Guess I will have to see if they weigh the same on the airlines' scale and if they make me get rid of the extra pound (although I have no idea what I would get rid of!)

Thank you everyone for your well wishes and being so supportive. Peter, I am really sorry about all the different answers you put up with, you are the best.

Update

Ok, Well a lot has happened this weekend and I won't write it all up here since this is public domain (you can call me and ask for more information if you are worried or interested.)

Basically after having a routine but last minute medical test my results were not great (nothing really wrong with me, just that procedure requires that I be tested again in 4-6 months to make sure that I am healthy.) Peace Corps officials told me that I would be unable to go to Zambia, but that I could be placed again. Long story short, I will attempt to get the full test results which could possibly (but slim chance) get me to Zambia, but more likely I will not be able to go and will have to go through the entire process again.

It is really hard not knowing what the result is until tomorrow, when staging is supposed to start. But either way...hopefully I will make it back to Africa. I would love, if after all my hopes of going to Zambia are crushed, to make it to Francophone Africa where my French skills would be used. Who knows...I am trying to keep my chin up. Thank you to everyone who has been so supportive!

One Week! Ahhhh

Wow does time fly! I have already started packing (hopefully my scale is right because the charge for an extra pound is $65!!!)

I got to speak to my old high school today to the 1945-Present history classes. They were really great and asked really good questions. I was really happy to get the chance to do that and hopefully I will get to write to a class or to Mrs. Gesek.

My music is pretty updated, thank you Barun for all the great Indian tunes. And my going away party was amazing!

So all that is left is packing, my last day with Lindsay, Andrew's birthday, Valentine's Day with Peter, then the last two days with my family and the drive down to DC (and hopefully seeing some friends down there for lunch!)

Ahhh. The butterflies in my stomach have definitely started.

PS. I got a sleeping bag that only weighs a pound, and it was on sale!!!! I am so lucky!