Namibia?

Some exciting news! I received an email today from a Peace Corps volunteer in Namibia, Liz. What makes the news exciting is that there are some significant similarities between her current assingment and my nomination (some key dates and the program description).

It could be that I am headed to Namibia...

Here is a link to her website: Liz's blog

Tech or No Tech

Well, I have been thinking about what I will take when I go. I am contemplating two different approaches:

• some "key" technology items
• no technology items

I can imagine all the ways my technology items could help and entertain me. I can also imagine worrying about losing them, spending too much time maintaining them, and being set further apart from the host country nationals (HCNs) I am living with because I have wonderful things they do not have...

I am a self-procaliamed technology guy, still there is something very romatic about leaving all of that tech-gear behind; bringing only a harmonica and an old-fashioned leatherbound notebook.

Medical Clearance Update -- Well Sort Of

Well, it looks like it will be a while before I hear anything about being medicaly cleared..

My nurse is currently reviewing medical applications for those people that are leaving in late spring and early summer -- I'm leaving in winter.

Even though the Peace Corps medical review staff is very busy, they replied to my email the same day I sent it -- within 3 hours. This tells me they are doing their best to keep applicants informed.

It feels good to still be in the process! I could have been rejected many times already.

Have a great week!

This is the Only Build I Have

I want to lose myself helping this world.
I know now that it is what I am built for.
Those things that make me who I am (experiences, genes, inhibitors, chemicals, neurons...) are aligned in such a way that there is no other option.

I want to lose myself helping this world.
Some FOD (foreign objects and debris) has built up around me over time.
There are things from this culture that I have used to cover up parts of who I am, and they are difficult to shake loose. Those things will find it difficult to follow me.

I want to lose myself helping this world.
I have so much and others have so little.
I have had more than my share, and now it is time to pay my rent.

I want to lose myself helping this world, because in the process I will become more.

Not Much Action

Not much action here on the Peace Corps front. On the 21st I get to call the medical review center again and find out when they think they might review my medical records.

If everything goes well, I will be leaving for Africa in 9 months -- that's actually that far away....