Site Announcements!!!

So Friday was the big day! We finally received our site announcements!!!! We have all been waiting patiently (some of us not so patiently) for the news of where we will be living for the next two years of our lives. This week was full of anticipation and Friday people were buzzing in anticipation of the announcements. The process started with a trivia game that had some awesome prizes. A few people were called up at a time and had to answer a trivia question, usually about South Africa. Whomever got the correct answer first got to choose a prize. The prizes were quite amazing as they were all food. Strawberries, basil pesto, corn chips, chocolate, biscotti, cheese, olive oil, salsa, pita bread, etc. Once the trivia question was done, the group who had been called up received their assignments.

I didn’t win any food, but I did find out my site which is way better. While I can’t post the name of my village, it’s in Limpopo Province and I’m within a couple hours of Polokwane, Pretoria/Joburg, and Kruger National Park. So in other words, prime touristy areas for those of you considering a trip to SA (hint hint). I don’t know much about my village but I’ve been told my housing is pretty nice. I’m really anxious to meet my new host family and my village!

We are all supposed to be leaving for a supervisor workshop Monday, then to our site visits on Wednesday for a four day visit to our villages. The supervisor workshop involved staying in a hotel for a night or two which in turn means HOT SHOWERS. Unfortunately for those of us with sites in Limpopo, the supervisor workshop arrangements didn’t work out so our workshop will be after swearing in. This means I won’t get to meet my supervisor until Wednesday when I get to my village. More importantly though, this means I will not be enjoying a hot shower this week.

After I return from my site visit next week, there’s another week of review/a couple sessions then a farewell party for our host families. The following week we have our LPI (language proficiency interview), a shopping day to pick up some things for our site (or relax and see a movie) then swearing in.

Swearing in is the ceremony in which I become an official Peace Corps Volunteer. This is going to be HUGE for me, but is just the beginning of the journey. I’ve wanted to be a Peace Corps volunteer since elementary school and I can honestly say I’m living my dream. It’s absolutely incredible to be here with my wonderful fellow volunteers, Peace Corps staff and South Africans. I’m very aware of how lucky I am to have this opportunity and experience. I can’t wait!