Getting to Lome

Flying over Africa from Brussels was quite an experience. I kept thinking “This is my home for the next two years.” I got even more excited when I knew we were flying over Togo. It made me think that this was absolutely the right choice.

It’s been an extremely long journey; from flight to uncomfortable flight and then the confusion of the Togo airport. The airport is small and I was a bit confused as to what I was supposed to do to get through customs. The Peace Corps drove us to one of the two hotels we are staying in for a nice meal. They had the Togo version of pizza, meatballs, and French fries. By the time we finished eating we all were exhausted. I slept well under my mosquito net.

The hotel I’m staying in is quite nice. I am extremely fortunate that I have wireless in the hotel. I plan on using it while I can because at the training site there will only be internet cafes.  

 So, what about the capitol itself? It’s difficult to describe Lome unless you’ve seen a third world country. The capital is fairly small with dirt roads. There are people selling goods on the side of every road and people on scoters pay little mind to pedestrians. So far I love Togo. There are so many things to see and everything is so different. It is a bit overwhelming to try and describe. Also, I haven’t been able to see much of Lome.

Mostly what we’ve done is go back a forth from our hotels to the Peace Corps office, learn about health and safety, met with the director, had our French placement test, and got our bikes.

So far I love my time in Togo. I’ll post more soon.

So Long, Farewell

It’s hard to imagine that I am leaving for Togo in a day and some hours. The Peace Corps has been such a long journey and my service hasn’t even started yet! There was the application, interview, nomination, legal clearance, medical clearance, dental clearance, re-interview, and then the invitation in the mail to Togo. Getting the invitation was not the end of the story. It was simply the next step. I had to re-submit my resume to Togo, get my official passport, settle all my finances, buy what I need for the next two years, and figure out how to fit everything in two bags. Whew!

Now I get to start the next phase of this process, which is life as a trainee. For the next three months I am not an official Peace Corps Volunteer. I will be a trainee. I won’t officially become a full fledged volunteer until I swear in. During this stage volunteers live with a host family and attack lectures on language, health, safety, and technical training.  

Wednesday 14 September, I am flying to Philadelphia for orientation with my fellow volunteers. Orientation will last most of the day. The next day, Thursday, we all load up in a bus for New York. The first stop in New York will be the clinic. Shots! Shots! Shots! After being poked and prodded we head over to the airport to fly to Brussels. A hop skip and a jump later we’ll be in Belgium for a couple of hours before getting on the last flight to Togo. I am arriving in Lome, the Capital, Friday the 16^th.      

I am very grateful to have been able to see all my extended family up in Boston before leaving. It was a short visit, but Dad and I were able to pack a lot in those couple of days and to see a lot of people. Everyone was so wonderful and supportive of my decision to join the Peace Corps. The last couple of days Dad and I spent in one of my favorite places, Chincoteague Island in Virginia. I love it there. Chincoteague is just a quaint little town with beautiful beaches and landscape, and of course the wild ponies. It was nice to just spend some good Father Daughter time together and take a break from the stress of packing and getting ready. I’ve also been able to see my friends. I wish I had had more time, but it was hard with the never ending to-do-list. Still, I cherish the time I did get to say good-bye.  

All in all, I feel ready to leave though I’m a little afraid. I think that’s normal. After all this is a big step. Pray that I am able to make it in Togo and thrive there. I am hopeful that what I’m going to do will make a difference in the lives of the Togolese. Looking at myself now I can only imagine the person I am going to grow to be. Togo, I’m ready.

How to Pack for 825 Days of PC Service (aka My Packing List)

Prior to thinking about what I needed to bring to Togo I did a lot of research into what other volunteers brought with them. I benefited greatly from looking at their packing lists and wanted to pass along what I learned. Its a difficult balance trying to pack for the Peace Corps. My instinct said to bring everything . . . and believe me I tried. I'm not sure if I'll even need most of this stuff. You have to plan for all possibilities. The restrictions on weight and size of my bags forced me to make some tough decisions. If anyone in country reading this has any suggestions please leave a comment. I hope this list will be helpful to others. When I've been in country for a while I will try and update this list and let you know what was great and what could have been left behind. Oh, by the way there is a great website that lists all the companies that provide Peace Corps volunteers discounts: http://peacecorpswiki.org/Volunteer_discounts

Packing List

 Eagle Creek Hybrid Hauler Medium (PC Discount) (2.6 lbs)

            http://www.eaglecreek.com/bags_luggage/duffels/Hybrid-Hauler-Medium-20294/

I know this bag is expensive, however, its one fantastic bag. If you want a sturdy bag that’s well built and can take a beating this bag is great. It’s also extremely versatile.  What attracted me to this bag was the thick straps to make it into a back pack. Also as a note there is a huge logo in the bottom of the bag. Below is a link to show you what the logo looks like.

http://www.rei.com/product/810507/eagle-creek-hybrid-hauler-travel-pack-medium

LL Bean  Rolling Adventure Duffel Extra Large (9.2 lbs)

             http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/63917?feat=63916-ppxs&dds=y

This bag by itself with nothing in it weighs 9.2 lbs, which is a big deal when you only have PC requirements 40lbs (50 lbs total per bag according to most airlines). Despite this I think this bag was an excellent choice when combined with the Eagle Creek. As an additional note this bag if stuffed full will exceed the allowed height+width+length of 60’’required by the Peace Corps (62’’ by most airlines)

Shoulder Bag (Carry-on)

Emergency Carry-on clothes (In case my luggage gets lost)

2 Prescription Glasses (Required by Peace Corps), Prescription sunglasses

Ear plugs

Chaco Sandals (PC Discount)/All terrain sneakers/hiking boots, Dress Shoes 

6 Exofficio Bras, 14 Underwear (PC Discount)

Socks

12 Tee-shirts

Capri Sweats

Champion 9’’ Double Dry Power Shorts (To wear under skirts)

The North Face Venture Raincoat (Breathable)

                http://www.rei.com/product/810304/the-north-face-venture-jacket-womens

Hat

3 Bandannas (For those dusty bush taxi rides)

Work Gloves

Laptop and leash

Favorite DVDs, MP3 Player and speaker, Kindle and accessories/USB,

Plug Adaptors, ear buds

Alarm clock

Digital Camera, HD Video Camera

Grundig Short wave radio (4 AA)/Antennae

             http://www.radioshack.com/product/index.jsp?productId=3909882

Headlamp (2 AA)

http://www.amazon.com/Energizer-LED-Headlamp-Batteries-included/dp/B002MFRP7M/ref=sr_1_9?ie=UTF8&qid=1315232378&sr=8-9

Black Diamond® Orbit Lantern (4AAA)

                http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/68764?feat=2-SR0

1 Garrity  3 LED Crank Lite (Crank flashlight)

http://www.amazon.com/Dynamo-Illuminator-Wind-up-LED-

Flashlight/dp/B0009H50OA/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1315232502&sr=8-3

External Hard Drive Transcend 750 GB (USB), thumb drive

Voltaic Fuse Solar Charger (PC Discount)

                http://www.voltaicsystems.com/fuse.shtml

This solar charger will not charge a laptop. However, I’ve been able to charge my Kindle, mp3 player, and a few other smaller electronics.

Harbor Freight 3,6,9, and 12 volt solar panel w/AA and 9 volt battery charger

This small little solar panel is great. It’s pretty basic and not as straight forward as the Voltaic. However, my Dad did some adaptations on it for me and now it has a USB jack. It can also charge 2 AA batteries. Is about $7 at Harbor Freight. Don't know if it will hold up, but the price was good.

http://www.harborfreight.com/solar-panel-recharger-41427.html

4 Eneloop AAA, 16  AA  Rechargeable Batteries, battery holders

2 Nalgene Water Bottles

2 Money pouches

Bug Hut 2

                http://www.rei.com/product/777772/rei-bug-hut-pro-2-tent

                This thing is great. Fits two people. 

Zippered Vinyl Mattress Protector, Cotton Pillow Protector, sheets, pillow case 

Pillow

4 Washcloths

Sewing Kit

Eyeglass repair kit

2 Combination Locks, 2 small key locks

Small Umbrella

Solar Shower

http://www.amazon.com/Coghlans-9965-Camp-Shower/dp/B000VNITQS/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1315233275&sr=8-1

Garber Multi-tool, Hobo Tool, Pocket Knife, Tweezers

Bungee Cords, Zip Ties, carabiners

Waterproof Matches/Matches Container

Duck, Scotch, and electrical Tape

Zip-lock bags multiple sizes

Nylon Rope, Clothespins

2 Plastic Containers

Scissors

Compact Mirror/Brush

Tiger Balm

After Bite, Sting Ease, Deet Bug Repellent

Super glue

Jump ropes, Bouncy Balls (Deflated), inflator needle, Frisbee

2 Crayons,Water color paint, Chalk,Construction Paper

Ativa Currency & Metric Conversion Calculator (plus it doubles as a regular calculator)

Playing Cards (Bicycled deck, Uno, Phase 10)

Crochet String for bracelets

Mini Stapler/Staples, Rubber bands, Pens (I have read that the pens in Togo are not that great),

Paper, Highlighters,Ruler, Hole Punch, All Purpose Labels, Note Cards,Envelopes, Sharpies

Laminated US/World Map

8’' Chef’s Knife, 6’'Paring Knife, 10’' Frying Pan, Plastic Spatula, Pot Holders

DivaCup (For women, also there is a PC discount)

Cliff Bars, Sauce Packets, Crystal Lite

2 Deodorant

4 Small Bottles of Antibacterial Soap

Lonely Planet West Africa, Oxford English Picture Dictionary, Where there are no Doctors (Book), Pocket French Dictionary

REI Sleeping Bag

                http://www.rei.com/product/731835/rei-travel-sack-55-sleeping-bag

Soap, shampoo/conditioner (to get through training), Travel sized shampoo and conditioner

Host Family Gifts

Seeds

Cough Medicine (Haul’s Fruit Breezes)

spices

Baby Wipes

Bathing suit

Battery powered fan

http://www.amazon.com/RoadPro-1041CTR-Mini-Camping-Battery/dp/B003MNF5XE/ref=cm_srch_res_rtr_1

Takes 2-D batteries but using AA-D converter.

 
3 months supply of meds