Welcome one and all, to my first official blog and blog post!
I wanted to first take the time to thank each and every one of you for supporting me in the entire process of my Peace Corps progress! All of you (my family, friends, professors, mentors, co-workers, peers, and even strangers) have affected my decision to apply to the Peace Corps in some way or another. I also know that each and every one of you has a different opinion of the path I am about to venture off on, so I leave you with one of the most important proverbs that I have ever learned: hakuna matata.
It means no worries...for the rest of your days. It's my problem-free philosophy...hakuna matata. :) Okay, for those of you that do not know, it is indeed from The Lion King (one of my most favorite Disney films of all time) AND it actually means "there are no worries" in Swahili, which is what I will be learning/speaking for the next two and a half years in Tanzania. Although I will most likely be traveling to a foreign country/continent and living on my own for the next two years in a community that I know nothing about and will be teaching in a school full of bewildered and overwhelmed children, you have absolutely nothing to worry about, because alas, there are no worries! :P
I know that is a VERY steep request to ask of you ::cough family cough::, but I really want to assure you that I will be careful and extremely alert at all times. Peace Corps makes sure that they send volunteers only to areas that have been thoroughly assessed and "OK-ed," or else they pull their programs from those areas. If you really want to know more about the safety of volunteering with the Peace Corps, here is a link to their Safety and Security Highlights document: http://multimedia.peacecorps.gov/multimedia/pdf/documents/safety_and_security_highlights.pdf
Also, I will be having the most amazing and unique experience I could ever ask for. This is my dream and I cannot wait to share all of my stories with you!! And with that, I shall end my first entry of the start of an unforgettable journey!
REMEMBER (<--in Mufasa's/James Earl Jones' voice): hakuna matata!
