In the beginning...

Although I have yet to leave for the Peace Corps, there are several things that I can inform you about now. I fly out of Syracuse on Wednesday morning, 22 September, to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. There is staging (orientation) that afternoon and evening. The whole group of us leaves the next morning for JFK Airport in New York. We fly out Thursday evening (23rd) and arrive in Zurich the next morning (because of the time change). With very little turnover time, we fly out to Dar es Salaam, Tanzania via Nairobi, Kenya.

I will be in Dar es Salaam for a week before we are moved a few hours away to the training center. It is at this time we will be placed with a host family that we live with for the 9 weeks of training. Most of my training will be in a small village with a small group and the large group will only get together once a week (Friday).

Swearing-in (like the military) is scheduled for 24 November if we pass our language proficiency review/test/thingy. That is when we become official volunteers, not trainees. So I have 2 months to learn Swahili! Exactly too, since we arrive on 24 September. Crazy, I know!

After I swear-in, I will be placed in a village or town somewhere else in the country. That is when I am on my own and will start teaching secondary Chemistry (ie high school). After training, I will have a 'local' address that I may receive mail at. However, during training I may receive mail at the following address:

Amanda Schulz, PCT
Peace Corps Training Site
PO Box 9123
Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

PCT - Peace Corps Trainee
PCV - Peace Corps Volunteer

This address is mostly valid for the duration of my time in Tanzania. After training, just change the PCT to PCV and take out the "Peace Corps Training Site" line.