What Brown did for me...

I truly cannot decide how to begin this post...typing seems such a poor way to express my excitement! I would rather be dancing and laughing and shouting from rooftops... I'M MOVING TO NAMIBIA!

Just after I had given up hope of my invitation arriving for today, UPS came through and delivered my beautiful packet, and I just finished officially accepting my invitation :) I will leave for training on July 25th...just 77 days from now. I can hardly believe it!

I've made a number of frenzied phone calls over the past few hours, delivering the news about my destination. The number one reaction has been: "You're moving where?" Admittedly, I hadn't heard of Namibia until I began reading Peace Corps blogs... so I'm not far removed from having no idea where in the world this country is. Here's a map so you can get your bearings :)

Here is what I do know... It's a fairly large country in southwestern Africa. Namibia gained independence from South Africa in 1990, and the Peace Corps sent their first round of volunteers there just 6 months later. It's mostly desert, with temperatures ranging from 120 degrees Fahrenheit in the summer to below freezing in the winter. It's a predominately Christian country. English is the official language, but I will also receive language training in at least one (probably several) native languages. I will be teaching science in an upper primary or secondary school (so in the range of 6-12 grade) with class sizes of 50-65 learners. My in-country training will take place from July 27th to September 20th, at which point I will be sworn-in as an official Peace Corps Volunteer.

So hold on to your hats, ladies and gents! It's going to be an incredible ride... and I can't wait to get to share it with you :)