And so it begins...

As of yesterday, I have officially accepted my invitation to serve in Botswana! The application process was a long one, almost a year long, but it's finally over. Now begins two and a half months of preparation. Being the list fanatic that I am, I already have tentative packing lists and to-do lists. Some of the major things to do currently are applying for a special no-fee passport (different than a personal passport, as it can only be used for government travel), updating my resume, and writing an aspiration statement to send to the country office in Botswana- all to be done and submitted in the next ten days. I'm actually excited to begin all the paperwork and packing because it means that it's really happening. These last couple of months of waiting and wondering and putting life on hold have been terrible, and it's nice to finally have answers and constructive things to do!
For those who are unsure of what the Peace Corps does, or where Botswana is, or what I'll be doing for 27 months, I'll try to do a little explaining. For information about Botswana, I added a map and a link the CIA World Factbook page. After reading that and perhaps doing a bit of googling, you'll know about as much as I do about it. From what I've seen online, it looks every bit like the Africa I imagined. Botswana is considered a middle income, stable country, so much so that the Peace Corps actually withdrew in 1997. However, AIDS has ravaged much of the country (its HIV/AIDS infection rate is the 2nd highest in the world), and Peace Corps returned in 2003 to help the government build up its capacity to deal with the epidemic. My specific job title will be 'Community Capacity Builder',which means that I will be working at the community level in community health education, mother to child transmission prevention, and providing assistance to home-based and orphan care programs. For more information about the Peace Corps in Botswana, check out their site: http://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=learn.wherepc.africa.botswana.
For the first 3 months in Botswana, I will be in training with the rest of my group and staying with a host family. After that, I have no idea where I will be placed or what my home will be like. Peace Corps volunteers are stationed throughout the country, and live in many different ways. Some have nice houses with electricity and running water, and some live much more simply. I really have no preference- I will be excited just to be there!
I probably won't post again on this blog until much closer to my departure date, and I'm not sure what kind of internet access I'll have in country. I will, however, make sure to add some contact information once I'm there- keep an eye out for it!