HI! We have officially finished staging (step one) in DC and fly out to Madagascar tomorrow! It is actually going to take us four days to get to our host families homes - crazy! I LOVE my group! There are 19 of us and they all inspire me so much. We are all in our twenties and most of us actually just graduated in May so we're all pretty equally exited. Some of them have done the coolest things though. I feel like the experiences which have been so amazing to me and blown my mind almost pale in comparison to what a few of them have worked on. Well maybe not, DM, JSA and Dispatch were all pretty wonderful! I wish yall all the best in continuing on with those without me. Gosh, I miss yall! This is the very last time I will have internet until training is over in 10 weeks. So please write me snail mail letters because I won't have internet until December and then only for a day before I go to my site! Which I find out in 6 weeks... stay tuned.
We have learned so much in the past 30 hours. I really feel prepared for at least the first few days while we begin training and our crash course in Malagasy. I really know this is the right thing for me to be doing right now. Everything we have learned this far has even helped me understand the world and my place in it a lot more. They reiterate over and over again that even though we are serving and representing the US, we are there as grassroots volunteers which is awesome. To them, one of the most important things is for us to become close and accepted with our communities and to form relationships and build sustainable communities. They explained that simply having a real conversation over new food and tea with a new friend in our village is a huge accomplishment for one day. That's basically our job. To be there with them, work WITH them, learn with them etc. I'm pumped!
So... have a great 27 months! Know that I will be fine and feel great about everything. My 18 new friends are incredible and many of them remind me of yall. Except that I am the only Southerner. I am going to have all of them, plus all of Madagascar, saying yall by the time I come home :) Please be in touch a lot and know how much I will miss you! Be well :) keep smiling! Even though it's going to get super tough at times, know that I will!
Love,
Erin
PS - The title is because we had to express a certain Peace Corps goal/policy through creative means today and my group sang Lenny Kravitz, "I want to fly" with some different lyrics about integrating into Madagascar... rad I know, haha.
