"…but soil is a refuge for dispersed seeds."
The faint recollection of chaos sprawling lingers as the Bamako pseudo-metropolis fades into a monotony of brown on the road to San. The land is flat as Illinois, the horizon interrupted only by stocky trees, branches jagged against the cloudless, … Continue reading
So, I have big news! I found out my permanent site! And I met my counterpart from my village who I will be working with for the next two years. And tomorrow, I go there!
At age 11, I started an anti-bicycle chapter of my life that would go on to last 13 years.
The first time the white Peace Corps bus drove me through S New, my eyes were wide, full of anticipation, knowing many questions would soon be answered in my new home. Which house would be mine? Would my family be … Continue reading
I sit in the small sliver of shade that my house provides as an escape from the midday sun. Six boys play unsupervised to my right, ranging in age from two to eight. They alternate between rough housing, actually fighting, … Continue reading
Fifteen years ago, for reasons yet unknown, some of the people of S Village decided to relocate 2 kilometers to the South. They named their new village after the old, thus creating S Old and S New. The old village … Continue reading
I have made it to Mali. It’s very surreal. I started questioning myself as we landed in Bamako, but the instant I got off the plane, the smells, the air, the sounds: it was unmistakably Mali.
After a rushed few weeks full of friends, family, packing, and goodbyes, I finally became a Peace Corps Trainee. My last few days in Chicago consisted of final purchases, packing, and a lovely going away party thanks to Muffin Pie, … Continue reading
In an effort to provide some background into my decision to join the Peace Corps, I thought I would post the essays I sent in with my application. The application is quite long and detailed, and the topics that are … Continue reading
Next week, I will become a Peace Corps trainee. After over a year of application, and many more years of casual consideration, I will finally embark on a journey so grand that it will take over two years to complete. … Continue reading
