IN TOGO

Hey everyone

So I made it to Togo in one piece and so far so good (knock on wood) I haven't been sick yet although after the presentation on diarrhea today I know thats coming. We learned how to collect our own stool samples today. How fun for me right? Yesterday we learned about bucket showers and latrines. So far I have had a flushing toilet but tomorrow I meet my host family so Ill see how that goes. Im a liittle worried because my french is totally gone. My first impulse is to say non comprende and gracias to everyone (damn Honduras) so good luck to me.

So far for the most part though we've just chilled in Lome. There are 30 of us and tomorrow we'll be broken into halves. GEE (girls education and empowerment) in one place and CHAP (thats me and a description is on the side) in another. The current PCVs are really nice and they took us out Saturday night for more bonding fun which led to an unfun Sunday morning because we have to be up at the buttcrack of dawn, but a good time it was.

I got issued my water filter today and im getting a gas stove with an automatic starter (way fancier than the older volunteers have) and a pretty sweet bike. Whats awesome about the bikes is we get brand new helmets the next round after us will inheret our used ones.....ewwwwww. So Im happy about that. I then have 11 weeks of taining and then its off to post which i should find out in about 5 to 6 weeks.

So far so good. We're all safe and relatively healthy and all of course taking malaria meds. Ill let you know if I start having some trippy dreams but Im guessing not.

Also a not about mailing stuff address it to Sister Meghan Hoke and writting God is watching you in french doesn't hurt. Jesus stickers are a good bet as well. padded envelopes get here tons faster than most and put lots of tape on the seal so i can know if its tampered with. Im charged for each package so if it can fit in one put it in one. Also letters often dont make it so its better to put them in padded envelopes and its more likely that i'll get them. so if i dont write you back email me and assume i didn't get it.

I hope everyone is doing well back home.

Here I Go

Well guys staging has come to an end and off to Togo I go. I'm actually doing it!
There are about 30 people in my group and all very nice. I leave tonight and will arrive in Togo tomorrow evening. Everyone write and email me!!!!

Packing Hell Part 2

So funny story........

You know that trunk I was bringing? The one I thought that would be great to lock my stuff up in, well bad idea. That POS busted on me and while sure I could probably use the mighty power of duct tape and hope that it made it to Africa in one piece I'd sure be pissed if it busted apart while in transport to Africa and bye bye went all my stuff. That'd sure be something to cry about.

So a delayed trip to DC, another night in NYC and a rush to the army surplus store has landed me with the most enormous duffle bag in the world and let me tell you has made my packing life oh so much easier. Of course its problematic in the sense that I now have room for more stuff.....
I just have to remind myself there's a weight limit. Besides this thing doesn't have wheels so I'm just gonna be dragging it around along with my enormous backpack. But I gotta do what I gotta do.


Anyways I'd like to take a moment to thank all my parents for being so great. Dad and Bev thanks for letting me stay with y'all and all the help with everything. It sure made life easier. Mom and Chris much thanks for the duffle bag and all the other help and to Mom for being the packing Nazi. I just couldn't have done this and packed and everything without y'all help so much thanks and appreciation for the vital role y'all all played.

I did it!

So I managed to pack up most of the things in the picture. I had to leave behind some of the oatmeal and a couple other things but I made it to the airport and weighed in ok.

Although curiously enough the trunk weighed in at exactly 50lbs (go me!) and my backpack at 42 (I'm 12lbs overweight, but shhh! don't tell anyone) but I swear my backpack is weigh heavier but thats cool with me as long as it all weighs in ok. So go me! Of course I have these next few days in DC to pack and repack and grab a couple extra things I didn't get to.

Sadly the game Risk (don't laugh!) didn't make it. My friends told me I was crazy for trying but I really like that game. Oh well, I suppose Peace Corps volunteers shouldn't be playing games of world domination anyways........

But I've got one week and counting! People ask me are you excited? Yes I am but at this point I feel like I have so much to do to make sure lose ends are tied up I don't have time to think about my excitement.

But the main thing is I made it and I made it with an ok weight limit, though more things might get ditched. I'll be leaving a trail of Meghan stuff from Lubbock, to NYC, to DC.

Packing Hell

So this is everything I want to bring and maybe a couple more items. The question is will it all fit? The next one is if it does will I be overweight? Well I'm working on it and let me tell you it does't look pretty.

I think I'm gonna have to ditch some stuff. I'll keep you posted.

Togo

When I tell people I'm going to Togo everyone is like where is that again? And I of course reply right between Ghana and Benin you know. People then either fake like oh yeah I know exactly where that is or they still have this look of cluelessness on their face. Its ok, had you asked me a year ago where Togo was I would have been like Togo what? So to help out I'm posting a picture.

















So thats where Togo is and I've also included a picture of the Togo flag for everyone's benefit.

You should also check out Wikipedia for some quick info on Togo (I love Wikipedia) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Togo

17 days and counting!