Less Than A Month Out... Here We Go

     So here I am, a mere twenty-five days away from leaving for Burkina Faso. It is such a surreal feeling to actually be counting down the days before I leave. With my application being submitted in May 2011 and my final acceptance in July 2012, this process has been so long and draining that to actually leave seems almost like a dream. I've begun packing and stowing things together for when I leave. It's a strange thing; trying to figure out what is necessary to bring to a continent where cell phones are more accessible than clean water... I can bring a maximum eighty pounds, and with suggestions from the Peace Corps to bring only four-ish pairs of socks and underwear apiece, I feel I will be packing on my merits rather than using theirs. Packages take between one and four months to arrive, depending on where in the country you are, and it begs a lot of questions. Of the obvious ones, I wonder how many bars of soap to bring right off the bat. How many tubes of toothpaste? How many DVDs so I can stay sane as I go through a brutal culture shock and adjustment period? These are the questions that I ponder on a daily basis. I then immediately drown out these questions with television and consistent Internet, which I am taking FULL advantage of before leaving. Alongside these, I have been stuffing my face with all of the American garbage, MSG, and Chipotle I can fit in my gullet before I start eating rice, maize, vegetables, and unusual meat products (horse, goat, brains, etc).

     Forget all that. Everybody keeps asking me why? Why would you subject yourself to this for 27 months? To these people I respond with a question. Why not? Why deal with the garbage job market? Why go back to school after just finishing eighteen years of it? Why not travel, learn, and experience as much as I can while I still can? Sure it will be hard and arduous at times, and sure I will miss all of the amenities that all of us have come so accustomed to having; but at the same time, when we all have spouses and kids and careers, how many of us will be able to say that we actually did anything with our lives? How many of us will be able to say that we've gone truly out of our comfort zone? I know I will, and I know that living in luxury will be that much better after this experience. 

     Most importantly, and as corny as it may be, I feel like I'm doing something that can actually benefit other people that truly need it. Burkina Faso is one of the poorest countries on the planet. It is 134th in GDP, 171st in life expectancy (average age of death is just over 52), and boasts the 3rd worst Internet connectivity in the world. Electricity like we know it in the US is basically non-existent, and cleanliness standards are not exactly up-to-date. Often adults feed themselves and when they are comfortably full, the children and toddlers get the remainder. While I may not be a public health genius, I understand the importance of good hygiene, even when the "normal" resources are not available. I also understand the basics of business, and can certainly help people understand the easiest form of capitalism. While the changes will likely not be huge, over time even small changes become significant. 

     I have extremely high hopes for Burkina Faso and my experience in the Peace Corps. Through times of hardship, confusion, and hopefully joy, I believe that I will grow as a person and return to the United States a better person than when I leave. 

This blog will be my main communication technique with the Western world whilst I am in Africa. If you'd like, go ahead and spread the word to those whom you think may be interested. Whether you are a Churchill grad, Louisville grad/classmate, family member, or friend, I encourage you to stay in contact with me while I am gone. Anybody you know that is considering applying to the Peace Corps can contact me at any time and I can help guide them through the at times obnoxious process. All the best, and I'll check back in soon!