Holiday Season

Hey everyone, it's Adam here. I would like to start this post by saying thank you to everyone that was able to attend the going away festivities. Jess and I were so happy to spend some time surrounded by our friends and family.

That brings me to what I wanted to talk about in this post: time. Being in the thick of the holiday season with the countdown to Christmas having begun, I am all of a suden accutely aware of exactly how much time Jess and I have left with family and friends, or rather how little time we have left. And as I have been thinking about this almost constantly over the last week as we enjoyed an amazing two day long Thanksgiving, I felt that I would put fingers to my keypad and let it out.

I can not begin to express to all of you how anxious and excited I am to depart for South Africa. There is the joy of knowing that our dreams have at last come true. There is the relief that all of our work and sacrifice have paid off. But there is something more that makes me anxious to leave. There is a drive deep inside of me to be in a culture entirely dissimilar to my own, to reach that state of culture shock that makes me wonder what it is I am doing there. It is those moments that I can hardly wait for. In those moments I will know for sure that all of this is really happening.

Though a part of me is so anxious to depart, there is the other part of me that is thinking of all the things I would like to do and all of the people that I would like to do them with before time runs out. Every decision that I make about what to do with my time has become a an important one. I don't want to waste a single moment that I have left. With dates already scheduled throughout December time feels shorter still. There is, in a more urgent way than ever before, so much to do and so little time. I am trying to spend as much quality time with my family as I can. Also, I am trying to make time to spend with friends, almost like stocking up on memories and coversation to last me through the coming drought. There is research and language lessons for the Peace Corps as well as slowly but surely assembling the stuff we need to bring with us. Then there is getting ready for the holidays with decorations and outings and such. Finally there are the tasks that suddenly seem mundane or almost pointless in light of the situation, like paying those last few bills.

It is an interesting paradox where every day taht passes takes away time that I desperately need in order to fit everything in and yet I am also exited that I am another day closer to departure. Even now I want to say that I hope departure comes quickly so the inner turmoil will end and yet I want time to slow a bit so that I can catch up. I think that at this point I can only begin to seize every oppurtunity to spend time with people and live like time is up, because I know that soon it will be.

On Our Way To Being Truly Official

Hey everyone, it's Adam. Just wanted to make a final update before the going away party. Today Jess and I sent of our applications for Peace Corps passports and South African visas (thanks to K.C. for dropping them off to FedEx for us). Not the most exciting thing but it is another, and very important, step towards departure. We also sent our resumes and aspiration statements to the South Africa country desk. This is the first thing that the country directors will learn about us, so it's kinda like our new bosses meeting us for the first time. So that's kind of exciting. Of course the most exciting news is the going away party tomorrow. We are both so excited to see all of you that can make it. We are truly looking forward to spending the day celebrating with you. Stay tuned for more updates.

It's Official...

Yesterday afternoon, Jess and I received our Invitation Kit from Peace Corps and, FINALLY, it's official! We will leave for 27 months of service in South Africa on January 28, 2010!!!!!!!!

SOME RANDOM SERVICE DETAILS (because we know you'll ask)...

• We will be stationed in one of the following provinces: 1. KwaZulu Natal (province on the eastern Indian ocean seaboard, bordering Mozambique & Swaziland), 2. Limpopo (northeastern province, home of Kruger National Park, bordering Mozambique, Zimbabwe & Botswana), Mpumalanga (between the previous two, bordering Mozambique only), or the Northwest Province (fittingly, in the northwestern region, bordering Botswana only).
• We will be working in the HIV/AIDS sector, doing outreach with our assigned communities. More specifically, we will be focusing on work with youth, CBOs (Community Based Organizations), and NGOs (Non-Governmental Organizations).
• Important dates (locations):
  Staging Dates: Jan. 28th-29th, 2010 (Washington, D.C... we think)
  Training Dates: Jan. 30th-March 29th, 2010 (Pretoria area)
  Service Dates: March 30th, 2010-March 29th, 2012 (To be determined during Training)

SOUTH AFRICA DETAILS (because you might be interested)...

• South Africa is 1,233,404 sq. km, slightly larger than California & Texas combined (Lonely Planet, Africa Edition)
• South Africa is home to "one of the most magnificent groupings of wildlife anywhere on the planet" (Lonely Planet, Africa Edition), including over 800 types of birds. More specifically, South Africa is best known for "The Big 5", which are: 1. Black Rhino, 2. Cape Buffalo, 3. African Elephant, 4. Leopard, 5. Lion. As well as some other favorites - the Hippo, the Giraffe, the White Rhino, and the Cheetah. In addition, South Africa is less famous for another animal grouping, "The Little 5", which are: 1. Rhinoceros Beatle, 2. Buffalo Weaver, 3. Elephant Shrew, 4. Leopard Tortoise, 5. Ant Lion. (He he he!!! We like those!)
• Unfortunately, South Africa also plays host to the world's worst HIV/AIDS pandemic. South Africa is ranked #12 (out of 222) for countries with the highest death rates, with HIV/AIDS as the #1 cause of death in the entire country (CIA World Factbook).

SOME RANDOM RELATED LINKS (because you'll be bored at work sometime)...

• Lonely Planet (South Africa Page): http://www.lonelyplanet.com/south-africa
• CIA World Factbook (South Africa Page): https://www.cia.gov/library/publications/the-world-factbook/geos/sf.html
• Peace Corps (South Africa Page): http://www.peacecorps.gov/index.cfm?shell=learn.wherepc.africa.southafrica
• Peace Corps Wiki (South Africa Page): http://www.peacecorpswiki.com/South_Africa
• Peace Corps Journals (South African Volunteers): http://www.peacecorpsjournals.com/?showcountry,sf@blog

Well that should keep everyone busy for a while, but we'll be sure to blog again soon! Keep in touch and don't hesitate to comment or email before the departure!!