Random Musings

It's been a full, busy week since I came home. I spent the beginning of the week in Chicago with my parents, visiting with my cousins and their kids, an undeniably precious and precocious bunch. We went to a reception with former and future Peace Corps volunteers on Wednesday night which made for a unique and illuminating experience. It was cool to talk with people who'd volunteered in the '60s and '70s, when the Peace Corps was both greener and more obscure, as well as more recent volunteers - all of whom had such positive things to say and whose service has obviously affected them in so many ways, from career choices and ongoing volunteer efforts to the most basic aspects of how they approach life and the world.

We spent today with a good portion of my dad's side of my (rather large) family - always a great time, but especially meaningful with my departure imminent. There's something unspeakably, fundamentally grounding about spending time with family who've been there your whole life (or theirs, little cousins) and who represent something so basic in your existence and experience. On top of that, the unflagging support and encouragement of people you love is worth more than anything I can imagine.

Back in E to the A

I don't know if it's sunk in quite yet, but I am no longer a resident of our nation's capital. East Aurora (ah, suburbia) seems a little bit like Mars after a year in DC but I guess I can't lament no longer having a Starbucks on my corner when I'm headed for two years without plumbing, electricity and other frivolous modern conveniences!

I had hope that my last weekend would be one to remember...

And that it was. I can't thank everyone enough for an altogether unforgettable going away shindig; Liz, the incredible party planning roommate, Jen, her party planning cohort, as well as all the Colgate girls who made the trip down from NYC and Chicago and everyone who partook in the fesivity. The rest of the week was equally enjoyable with lots of goodbye dinners and drinks as well as an excellent last day at Fabiani. I spent my last two days doing errands and shopping for Africa-appropriate duds. Needless to say, I got some pretty sweet climate-appropriate gear that will make me look cool and tough and hopefully withstand two years in the West African heat and dust. I also had the pleasure of my last haircut (*sigh*) with Rodney, potentially the best hairstylist I will ever have. I don't think he was too thrilled when I told him that cutting shears were on our list of suggested packing items...who knows, maybe I've missed my calling and cutting my own hair won't be as disasterous as I'm afraid (read: absolutely positive) that it might be.

Packing, on the other hand, was less than pleasant. Our 9 a.m. departure time quickly evolved to 11 a.m. (sorry, Dad!) but all's well that ends, I suppose, and we made it back to East Aurora in just shy of 8 hours.

I've spent the last day marvelling at how little here has changed, the odd sensation of driving on roads with curves and relatively few stoplights, and how good my mom's cooking is after 5 months of cooking for myself, ordering takeout, or eating out. Home is pretty fantastic for the time-being, although I am getting antsier by the second...itchy feet would be an understatement. Luckily, we head off to Chicago tomorrow to visit family, a nice distraction from the impending departure preparation.

That's all for now. I don't have anything else exciting to report other than hours spent updating my iPod and playing with my super-sweet solar charger...antithetical to the whole Peace Corps deal? Perhaps. But two years without music would be irreperably damaging, so it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make for the sake of my mental health.

Pictures from my last weekend in DC:

Burkina on the brain

Less than one month left in the States and only a week and a half more in DC. This past month has gone by so quickly between work and the visits from high school friends and my parents - I must say I've become quite skilled in the role of tour guide. This will be my last full weekend in DC, complete with a visit from some of my NYC/Chicago Colgate girls! I wrap up work at the lobby firm next Wednesday, leaving a few days to soak up DC in all of its springtime glory. I will certainly miss this city and the both the new and old friends that I've had the pleasure of sharing this past year with. It's been wonderful to have the opportunity to see so many people who mean so much to me in the last few weeks and the next week or so will definitely provide a nice sense of closure on an altogether excellent post-college year...thanks to all who were a part of it!

On the Burkina front...

I received my staging materials this past weekend. I leave home on June 4th, flying down to DC for our staging event. We fly to Paris on June 6th and then Ouagadougou on June 7th!

I had the opportunity to meet with Burkina's cultural attache in the Embassy this week - what a great experience. Mrs. Ziduoemba is the first Burkinabe native that I've met and our encounter only increased my excitement and optimism. We discussed some general aspects of Burkinabe culture but the most meaningful portion of our interview was our discussion of issues of gender equity and female education - the heart of my Peace Corps assignment. She was so enthusiastic and interested, sharing her insights as a Burkinabe woman and quelling some of my fear that, culturally, my undertakings might prove to be an uphill battle. The overall sense I got from our conversation was that Burkinabe culture is much different from that of other West African countries in that inter-tribal conflict is less of an issue and people tend to exist more harmoniously, despite differences in ethnicity and religious belief, than in other West African nations. She gave me the closest thing to a guidebook on Burkina Faso that I've come across to date (there's little published literature on the country, with the first independent published guidebook coming out in August 2006 - a little late, thank you!). It's a beautifully done guide that contains a broad range of substantive information on the country and has definitely given me a better understanding of Burkina's regional variation and its cultural complexity. At the end of our interview, Mrs. Ziduoemba assured me that, her bias aside, I was going to love her country...I think she might be right.