Featured Creature: Bats Galore!

For my next Namibian creature, I've chosen the bat. Truthfully, Namibia is home to more than 30 different species of bat, but there's not very much information about them individually, so I've lumped them together into one post for your reading pleasure. :)

The majority of bat species live on a diet of insects, while some thrive on fruit. They are nocturnal, harmless to humans, and range in size from 30 mm (wingspan) all the way up to 1.5 meters (wingspan)! They are also the only mammal that can achieve true flight (as opposed to animals like sugar gliders who merely glide). A baby bat is called a pup, and the average litter size is just one. Bats are very social animals, they live in large groups called colonies. They do sleep upside down and when it's cold they even like to cuddle together for warmth.

Here's an example of a fruit bat:

A baby pipistrelle bat:

A long eared bat:

Fortunately, I have plenty of experience living with bats (along with everyone who has ever lived on the 4th and 5th floors of the freshman dorm at my university!) and look forward to living side by side with these pest-eating beauties!

Featured Creature: The Wheel Spider

In the spirit of the upcoming Summer Olympics, I've chosen a talented acrobatic animal... the wheel spider!

Also known as the Golden Wheel Spider or the Dancing White Lady Spider, this little creature has developed quite a defense mechanism to escape it's enemy - the parasitic pompilid wasp. These spiders do not build webs, instead they burrow in the sand. If this technique fails, and the spider is unable to fight the wasp off, it will cartwheel away at speeds of up to 1 meter per second! It's pretty amazing...take a look:

* Special shout out to Websta for informing me about this eight-legged friend! :) *

Featured Creature: The Klipspringer

I've decided to start doing some posts more regularly... I'm not sure of all of the topics I'll cover, but I've decided to start with the wildlife of Namibia. :) So...here is my very first featured creature...the klipspringer! 

Now...some of the creatures I might meet in Namibia may not be be very friendly... So I decided to start with a really, really cute one :)

Klipspringers are a very small type of antelope, standing about 58 centimeters tall (side note... I'm making the switch to the metric system...so dust off your conversion guides and put on your thinking caps!). They, unlike a lot of other antelope, do not live in herds - they live in pairs and mate for life. They're very nimble little guys, they walk on the tips of their hooves and easily hop around mountainous terrain. Actually, their name literally means "rock jumper". Klipspringers are herbivores and they get all of their water intake from succulent plants in the mountains, so they never need to drink water! Pretty cool!

A Most Peculiar Mademoiselle.

It occurred to me the other day that, had I lived in the 1800's, I would have been drawn to the west. I would have wanted to farm the plains, or join the gold rush, or in general just go places that people around me wouldn't normally go. When I was younger, I didn't play house or have tea parties... my playtimes usually consisted of pretending I was either an orphan (stowing away on a ship) or stranded in the woods (making myself "dinner" out of wild berries mashed up in pine needle baskets).

However, from what I hear, the adventure of using a latrine and sleeping under a mosquito net wears off fast. So I surely hope there's something deeper than a desire to lead an adventurous life propelling me towards this next step. And there is... but it's hard to put my finger on it. 

To put it simply: I don't think I can be satisfied if I don't go. I'm not content to be "here"...and never experience what it means to be "there". Not just as a tourist, but as a member of a different community. I want to take on a new culture, to allow it to rub off on me. I want to give myself the chance to develop in ways that would never be available to me if I didn't go. Because part of me does believe that no matter how small of an impact I may make on the grand scheme of things, I can still facilitate change. Call me disillusioned, call me unrealistic... but if I can teach one child one thing that somehow changes the course of a life... then it will all be worth it.

And that...is why I'm joining the Peace Corps.

Two months to go!

Two months from today...I will be leaving for Namibia.

Oh my!

Okay...literally, I'll be leaving for staging (the Peace Corps' two day orientation) in some yet to be determined city....but still!

To say I'm pumped would be the understatement of the year. It's becoming more and more real by the minute. I've been slowly adding to my packing list and subsequently checking things off of it. I have an ever growing pile in the corner of my room with things that are meant to come with me. I am NOT thrilled about the idea of actually packing it all. Luckily I happen to have a best friend who has instilled lots of sound packing advice in me throughout the years (such as: always wear your bulkiest shoes! pack things inside your water bottle! wear layers on departure day!) so I'm sure I'll manage, one way or another. :)

There have been those sad moments too, the ones where I realize how much I'm leaving behind, and how many things will be different when I get back. It's difficult to comprehend what that will be like. So instead, I'm focusing on taking things one step at a time, concentrating on the day ahead of me, and doing my best not to stress about the inevitable "what if's".

Really, I'm just incredibly blessed to be surrounded by such amazing friends and family who are supportive and excited with me. A common phrase for people to use is that they are excited "for me". But there is nothing quite like having people by your side (physically or figuratively) who identify with what you're doing and why you're doing it enough to be excited with you. So this post is for you... the ones who are there for me through all my crazy plans, and love me anyways.

Check back soon for more information about Namibia and a follow-up post (from a while back) on why I've decided to join the Peace Corps (*cue intense music*)

Good night!

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 :)

Medical Clearance!

Less than 24 hours ago I was despairingly considering the fact that I might graduate without being any closer to an invitation... which made me feel very directionless, very much like I was just going to turn into a wayward drifter.

However, this morning as I rubbed my sleepy eyes and checked my email, I was propelled into a victory dance at what I found.... Medical clearance! Yes!

So... everything is done. The next time I celebrate it will be the rejoicing of a woman with a placement :) And hopefully not very far in the future...