Begining life in Loitokitok

My internet is slow and I have way too much to say, so I am going to have to post stuff in installments. First and foremost, on my drive from Nairobi to Loitokitok I was able to see several giraffes, zebras, impalas, and ostriches. They were all roaming the sides of the road and I have some great pictures (to be posted later). I am getting settled into my host families house. I have a mother (mama), father (baba), older brother who is about 21 years old and a younger sister who is about 7 or 8. Her english is fantastic and she helps me with my Kiswahili homework. We live in a very modest wood house without running water or electricity. I take my baths by splashing water on myself from a bucket, and my "toilet" is called a choo. This is basically a cement hole in the ground the size of a softball, and yes it takes some practice to get good at it. I wake up for classes every morning covered from head to toe in clothing because Loitokitok is a very modest community and then I get the most amazing view of mount Kilamonjaro on my walk to meet my language training group. I am in class until 5pm and walk home covered in red dirt. Its the dry season, so there is red dusty dirt flying everywhere. I can't wait to tell you all more and post some pictures, but that will have to wait for another day. I love you all. I miss Adam, my friends and family, the comforts of a good hot shower, my fluffy cat, and a nice bowl of macaroni and cheese.

Elephants and Sparkles

Only a few days left. It’s difficult to describe exactly how I’m feeling. One minute I can hardly contain my excitement, the next I’m stressing over how to fit everything in my backpacks. My saving grace is my friend Tiffany who is currently serving with the Peace Corps in Morocco. She has been able to give me insider tips and tricks of the trade. It’s unbelievable how overwhelming things can get; even moving out of my apartment felt like the ending of an era. I received a wonderful card from my good friend Chrissy with the quote:

“We are all travelers in the wilderness of this world, and the best that we can find in our travels is an honest friend.” – Robert Louis Stevenson.

I will miss my friends and loved ones at home, but I’m excited to begin this journey and build new friendships. I’m excited for the challenges and adventure and also for the closeness and appreciation you can find when being separated from your loved ones.

Now, on to a little useful information that everyone is trying to get their hands on… for the first three months, I can be reached at my training village:

By Letters:

Christina Gusa, Peace Corps Trainee

P.O. Box 698-00621

Nairobi, Kenya

By Packages:

Christina Gusa, PCV

U.S. Peace Corps

P.O. Box 698-00621

Village Market

Nairobi, Kenya

Peace Corps describes my village in Loitokitok:

Loitokitok is where the Peace Corps Kenya training site is located. The town of Loitokitok is located in the Rift Valley Province at the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro. This is where you will spend the larger part of the 10 weeks of your Pre-Service Training (PST). The training staff is ready to be part of your orientation and to help you prepare to serve the people of Kenya. During PST you will be spending most of your time in the communities around Loitokitok, which is about a 4 ½ hour drive from Nairobi. You will live with a Kenyan family from the third day of your arrival in-country to the day you swear-in as a Volunteer. We use the Outward Bound Trust of Kenya facility in Loitokitok as our training hub where trainees will meet occasionally per our calendar of training events.

I would also like to thank all my wonderful family and friends who came to see me off this last Saturday. It was really an amazing night and it meant so much to me that you could all be there to support me. In short, I had a blast!