Peace Corps Update

I'm going to SENEGAL!!!

For those of you who have been following this saga, you know that I've been waiting for a really long time (since last February!) to find out where the Peace Corps was sending me. I was trying my best to be patient, but with my expected departure looming in March I was starting to get a bit concerned. That combined with the fact that I was planning on leaving for a two week Christmas vacation prompted me to send a polite little reminder to my placement officer, which resulted in me receiving my invitation at the last minute before we left for the cruise. So, for all of you who have been holding your breath with me, here are the particulars:

Country: Senegal
Program: Preventitive Health and Environmental Education
Job Title: Environmental Education Extension Agent
Dates of Service: May 2010-May 2012
Date of Departure: 12 March 2010

I don't really know what exactly I'll be doing because a lot of that depends on the specific needs of the village that I'm assigned to at the end of training, but I'll do my best to answer the most common questions that I've been getting from people. Some of these answers come straight from the info packet that came with my invitation.

Where the heck is Senegal?
On the Western coast of Africa, near Mali.

What languages do they speak over there?
French, Wolof, Pulaar, Mandinka, Sereer. I'll be brushing up on my French in the next few months but I won't know what local language I'll be learning until Pre Service Training.

Where will you be living?
"You probably will live in a hut in a Senegalese family compound, reasonably close to your work zone. The hut typically will be made of mud bricks or cement with a grass, wood or metal roof and a private latrine...in most cases you will have neither electricity nor running water."

What will you have to eat?
"Staple foods in rural Senegal are rice and millet or corn with vegetables and fresh or dried fish. Most water comes from wells, and it must be treated before drinking. Meat is a rarity."

Will you have internet?
I'll probably have fairly regular access to it during pre service training, but once I'm out at my site I probably won't even have electricity so internet is out. Unless somebody wants to hook me up with a solar charger for my laptop and satellite internet (hint hint). From what I've gathered people manage to get online once every month or two, so I'll try to update this blog as frequently as possible. Apparently I'll have some sort of mail service, so letters and care packages will always be appreciated.

Is there climbing in Senegal?
Not that I know of...but maybe I'll find somewhere to put up some first ascents! Since I'll be over there for two years I'll most likely take the opportunity to travel to Morocco, Mali and maybe even Europe. It might be tougher to find a climbing partner than it will be to find places to climb, but I'm going to bring my rack and rope and hope for the best!

Can people come visit you?
Absolutely! Although there are some time restrictions so it might be best to check with me instead of just showing up in Senegal ;) Consider this your opportunity to broaden your horizons!

Thats pretty much all the news for now. I'll keep updating as I find out more information. If this all comes as a complete shock to you and you're wondering what the heck I was thinking applying for the Peace Corps in the first place the answers to that question and more are in this post.

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow!

We got the first real snow of the winter today! Perfect timing since we're leaving tomorrow for a 2 week cruise...Bring it on winter!

Pray Without Ceasing

On Friday my good friend and climbing partner Scott got into a pretty serious car accident. As of now he is still in a coma and there were some tense moments yesterday, but I have faith that he will pull through. If you have a spare second or two please pray for him to wake up and pray for strength for his family and friends. If you want to pray for something more specific his family has set up this website: prayforscott.org.

**UPDATE 12/15**

The past few weeks have been pretty tough. Scott's brain injury was a lot worse than they first led us to believe, and he hasn't come out of the coma just yet. There have been some baby steps toward recovery but nothing that the doctors are very excited about. Please continue to pray for a miracle, they are starting to talk about "long term" care and none of us want it to come to that.

Giving Thanks

Last Thanksgiving I cooked dinner for my parents at my apartment in Farmville. I spent about a week shopping, going over recipes and putting together a cooking schedule. It was a pretty big meal, but my favorite part was making bread from scratch and having it with apple butter from the Amish at the farmers market.

Last year I spent 4 hours cooking... this year I spent 4 hours driving. Due to a schedule change I had to work from 6pm-2am last night, so as soon as I finished my shift I drove straight up to New Jersey. I got home around 6am and went straight to the Turkey Row to watch my mom race. By the time I squeezed in a nap I had been awake for 24 hours! It was definitely worth the drive to get to come home and relax for a few days. At first I was pretty bummed about having to work the extra day, but really I'm thankful for the opportunity to work, especially in this economy.

Fashion Rewind

A few weeks ago Regina and I had the brilliant idea to pay tribute to the fabulous climbing styles of the 80s/early 90s, so we hit up the local thrift shop for some bargain hunting. Our goal was to put together the craziest outfits we could find and then proudly display them on a crowded day at Carderock. After weeks of weather watching and mental preparation we finally debuted our new style, affectionately referred to as "the get-up," and we even got Scott to play along. I couldn't find any lycra, but I still managed to put together the brightest outfit known to man.

I've got FRIENDS...

...and camalots and hexes and stoppers, OH MY!

I know I moved down here to try and make/save a little money before the Peace Corps, but when I saw 2 trad racks and some ice climbing gear come up on craigslist it was too good of a deal to turn down.

Here's just a sampling of the new goodies I have to play with:

2 - Grivel Rambo Ice tools with Hammer & Adze (1 bent & 1 straight shafts)
2 - Stubai Ice Ice tools with Hammer & Adze (+ spares)
1 - Pair Black Diamond Saber Tooth Dual Front Point adjustable Crampons
1 - Pair Grivel Rambo Dual Front Point adjustable Crampons
1 - Black Diamond (BD) Spectra Quick Place Ice Piton

12 - Black Diamond Quick Draws

2 - Trad Racks, w/ 2 sets BD Wire Stoppers, 8 SMC Friends / Camming devices, 8 Wild Things Hex Chocks, 6 Nautilus Chock Stoppers, 1 BD ATC & 1 Stitch Plate Belay Devices
12 - Assorthed Ice Screws & Ice Pitons

On top of that I've got 3 ropes, 2 pairs of shoes, some harnesses, a helmet and a whole bunch of biners and runners. A couple of the stoppers and one of the cams need to be retired, and the hexes need new cord, but other than that everything is in good working order. I had it checked out buy a guy at REI just for peace of mind and he agreed that it was a great find. Now, if only the weather would stay warm long enough for me to get some good use out of this stuff before the winter that would be splendid.

This is my intimidating face

Ok, so it needs a bit of work. Thankfully I haven't needed to intimidate anyone so far on this job...mostly I just patrol around or sit in my car at the entrance. I'm almost halfway through a 12 hour shift right now and the sunny 60 degree weather is torturing me with the temptation to run away and go climbing. Must. be. responsible! Since I can't be on the rock today I'm getting my climbing fix watching The Sharp End in between patrols.