Made it Safely!

 I am officially in Mozambique! And have an official Peace Corps Passport and Mozambique visa! Woohoo J We’re staying at the Hotel Cardoso in Maputo, the capital, until Saturday. The flight was 15 hours and thankfully they did feed us lunch, dinner and then breakfast this morning. We had a fantastic view of a thunderstorm during our flight and got to watch some newer movies for free too.

When we arrived at the hotel today we met some of the Peace Corps Mozambique staff and then ate a huge buffet lunch. We did do some paperwork as well as get our first round of shots. I’m pretty sure we’re getting more tomorrow and during our PST (Pre-service training). All the other 55 volunteers I’ve met so far are incredibly nice. Also, 12 other transfers from Cape Verde are meeting up with us later tonight and will be joining our training class. I think we’re going to be a great group. 

On Saturday afternoon we leave Maputo to travel to Namaahca, which is about an hour and a half away. Once we get there we will meet our host families, take a tour of the city and our training villages. I just found out today who my host family is and I’m super excited to meet them! In my family there is a mom, 2 older girls, a 10yr old grandson, 4yr old boy, and 1yr old grandson. The family speaks both Portuguese and the local language, Changana.

I’m nervous to be fully immersed into the language but I think that’s the best way we will learn. After I move in on Saturday I won’t have Internet access for about 3-4 weeks. During training we will get cell phones and if you don’t get one with internet you won’t be able to go online while during training. Most likely I will get one with internet just so I can get emails and keep in contact with friends and family in the U.S. I’m anxious to get started with training and learn Portuguese! The view from our hotel is amazing but I can’t post pictures yet because I can’t find my camera cord. Hopefully I’ll find it once I officially unpack everything this weekend but we’ll see.

P.S. Reading cards from my friends and family tonight and it made my day! Thank you guys!! J

Packing. Repacking. Weighing. Packing More.

Less than a week left and I have one bag packed! I know that doesn't sound too good but I don't have the best track record of packing early. I'll give you an example...the night before moving to Missouri for college I had not packed ANY of my clothes. Thank goodness one of my best friends came over and with some motivation we packed everything up in a few hours. So, having packed 1 out of the 2 checked bags I feel pretty accomplished. 

With a 50lb bag limit I was a little worried how I was going to fit everything. But with help from my grandma and mom we took everything out of boxes and put them in ziploc bags in order to get the air out and create more space. Below is a picture of everything I had to pack...well everything but the clothes. :) 

Surprisingly I fit all this plus my clothes! (Couldn't have done it without my wonderful mom and Sittee!)

One more bag to pack and lots of things to cross off on my to-do list before I board the plane. I'm getting so excited, nervous, happy, sad, and am feeling much more prepared now that I'm almost done packing! Now I just have to hope that they don't weigh my carry-on bags since I'm stuffing a lot of stuff in there! :) 


Quick Portuguese lesson: 

Eu sou Voluntário do Corpo da Paz.

I'm a Peace Corps volunteer. 

So excited that I can finally say that! I'm going to miss my family and friends so much while I'm gone but I'm excited to be making a change in the world. 

Love you guys! 

Big changes to come

With only 2 weeks left in the United States life has been crazy: visiting friends, working, getting stuff together, packing, etc. Just today I put my car up for sale online and I thought it would take a week or two before someone would want to buy it. (Let's just say I didn't have the best car...it was a 2 door with only 1 handle.) I'm still working this week and running errands so I was really not thinking it would sell. After only ONE hour on craigslist someone paid cash for my car and I am officially without a car.

It feels odd to be without the car I've had since I was 16. Not because I'll have to share my mom's car with her this week and revert back to my grade school days of getting rides from my mom...but instead because this shows me how close I am to getting ready to start this new journey to Africa!

I'm getting so excited but at the same time am a nervous wreck thinking about packing and leaving my amazing family & friends. At least now with 14 days before I leave I can say that I have 99% of the stuff on my packing list! That itself is amazing because I'm not one to get things ready early or even packed early. I always wait until the last possible minute to pack for trips. I'm really hoping I can motivate myself this week to pack both my bags and see if they are overweight. I'm pretty sure with everything I have in my room now my bags are bound to be overweight...I wonder with all the toiletries, teaching stuff, household items and kitchen stuff if I'll even have room for my clothes?? I guess we will just have to wait and see, Wish me luck!

These next 2 weeks are going to fly by with visiting family & friends, eating froyo, and enjoying nice warm showers and bathrooms that are not outdoors. Got to go study my portuguese! (I need to really buckle down considering I can say hi and good morning but still have NO clue how to say "My name is..." I better get started with those next few lessons!) :)