Mail!

My days in the US of A are really winding down. Twelve days until I fly to Philadelphia, and thirteen until we board the plane for Conkary, Guinea! Holy moly.


Write me letters while I'm in Guinea! I'd love to hear from you, especially when I get to site (which will be in late September), as that's when I'll be plopped into my new home, alone, with presumably a great deal of down time (and no internet or television to serve as distractions). As you may have guessed, mail takes a lot of time to get to Guinea (it'll probably take roughly 6 weeks to get to me), but it's a huge morale boost for volunteers and it'll be like Christmas to receive letters or packages. 


Here is my address for the next 2+ years:

Adrienne Epstein

Corps de la Paix

BP 1927 

Conakry, République de Guinée

West Africa

IMPORTANT NOTES ABOUT LETTERS:

1. Write AIR MAIL and PAR AVION on the envelope.

2. If you are writing a post card, put it in an envelope (lessens the chance of the pretty picture being stolen).

3. I've heard that letters addressed in red pen are more likely to make it.

4. If you're writing frequently, number your letters so I know that I'm getting all of them.

PACKAGES:

Click on the link to this blog to read very detailed package instructions for sending to PCVs in Guinea. 

Basically, don't send anything super pricey. Food is always a good option (chocolates that don't melt, trail mix, granola bars, etc.) Note that I can get peanut butter in country.

E-MAIL:

My post-Macalester email address: a.e.epstein@gmail.com

I'll also be getting a cell phone early in service. Those of you with smartphones can get WhatsApp and text me fo freeeee!

Can't wait to hear from y'all!

FAQs

Most people don't know about the Peace Corps as much as I do. (That is... most people don't obsessively read Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) blogs, reach out to Returned Peace Corps Volunteers (RPCVs) and grill them on their experiences, and most haven't read the book The Insiders Guide to the Peace Corps cover to cover... multiple times.) So I am going to attempt to answer some of the major questions I get about what my experience is going to be as a PCV in Guinea.

How long is Peace Corps?

I'll be gone for roughly 27 months. Peace Corps service is a 2-year commitment, plus a 9-12 week training program before service begins.

Training? What is that like?

Training occurs in your country of service. In most countries, Peace Corps Trainees (PCTs) live with a host family and spend about 8 hours a day at a training site. The biggest portion of training involves language learning, but there is also safety and security, health, and technical training.

What will you be doing?

I've been invited to serve as an English teacher in either a high school or a university. That's all I know so far!

Where will you be living for two years? What will your living conditions be?

I don't know! I'll find those things out mid-training. I'll meet with the Peace Corps staff and discuss my skills and how I'll be most comfortable living in Guinea. That being said, most volunteers do not have running water or electricity. Farewell, creature comforts!

No electricity? How will you check your email (or better yet, update your blog)?

For most volunteers, they travel to their regional capital once a month to stock up on supplies and stop in the internet cafe.

Will you have a phone?

Cell phone technology is surprisingly popular in Africa. I recently heard a statistic that in 2 years, 100% of Africans will have cell phones. Nuts! I will definitely be getting a cell phone when I'm there, though I don't know if I'll have service at site yet. If I don't, I'll probably be able to bike somewhere every now and then to make calls. (Yes, I will have a mountain bike, yahoo!)

What language do they speak in Guinea?

Lucky for me, the national language is French. I'll also learn the local language based on the region I'm placed; either Susu, Pulaar, or Malinke. This is one of the aspects of PC that I am most excited about!

How many people are in your training group?

I think around 30. We have a facebook group and everyone seems lovely. I'll meet them on July 1st for staging, a 24-hour super speedy orientation in Philadelphia. Then we all fly to Guinea together!

Will you come back to the U.S. at all during those 27 months?
Maybe. I get 48 days of vacation, but flights are pretty pricey. We'll see.

How can we keep in touch?

SNAIL MAIL ME! I will post my address soon. Seriously, I will need some morale boosters from time to time.

This sounds crazy. Why are you doing it?

This requires a bit of a longer answer.

I have wanted to serve in the Peace Corps since 2007. I distinctly remember when I realized how amazing it is. That summer, after my junior year in high school, I traveled to Malawi with an HIV/AIDS education program through Putney Student Travel. One of my leaders was a recent RPCV from Malawi. His deep knowledge of the country, along with his incredible patience and language skills, blew me away. I returned to Africa twice more after that summer: to Ghana in 2009 to volunteer in a school, and to Mali for my semester abroad. Both times, I ran into and got to know several PCVs. Again, I was so impressed by how well trained they were, primarily in language and cultural understanding. I wanted that! At the end of my 4 months in Mali, I finally felt like I was getting used to living there, and it was heartbreaking to be torn away. The thought spending a full 27 months in a country, really getting to know it and living "like a local," is such an amazing opportunity. I will build relationships with both host country nationals and fellow PCVs that are unmatched. It is almost impossible for me to put into words how I've felt about my time in Africa, but I am itching to go back.

In short: I'm 22 years old. When else am I going to have this opportunity?

Counting down the days...

Most of you reading this blog are probably aware that I will soon be leaving the United States for 27 months to embark on my journey as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Guinea, working as an English teacher in either a high school or a university. I have been wanting to serve in the Peace Corps since high school so the departure is a long time coming, especially considering the year-long application process! But the day is finally approaching; on July 1st I fly to Philadelphia to meet up with my training group, and on the 2nd we bus to New York and fly from JFK to Brussels and then on to Conakry, Guinea. Reality is really setting in and I have been mulling over logistics like packing, farewells, etc. I've already had to say goodbye to my dad who is in France and won't return until after I leave. Oof.

The next few weeks I'll be tying up loose ends. Yesterday I got my wisdom tooth removed (I am highly medicated and icing my cheek as a write) and I'll be taking the GRE on the 20th. I'll spend one weekend in DC and one in New York, seeing family and friends. Beyond that, I'm trying not to obsess too much over my excitement/jitters, but that is proving impossible. I've also been contacting my host family and friends in Mali (where I studied abroad) to tell them that I will be so close by for the next two years. I'm hoping that the political situation calms down over there so I can take a trip and visit them.

Later this month I'll post my mailing address and instructions. My internet connection in Guinea will be very limited (especially after the first 11 weeks, which are spent in training), and snail mail will be really important to me. So let's be pen pals!!

Til next time!