Questions Answered!

Here are some of the questions I've been getting about joining the Peace Corps:

Where is Tonga?

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How long will you be gone?

27 months. 3 months of training and 2 years working.

Can you come home at all?

I get about 24 days a year of vacation time, but I probably won't be coming home. It's an expensive trip, and it can be emotionally difficult to make a trip home part way through service.

Where will you be living?

During training I will be staying with a host family. After I move to my permanent site, I will most likely have a small place of my own. However, it is possible that I will continue to live with a host family.

What language do they speak?

Tongan...I'll be learning it!

Will you have electricity and running water?

Most volunteers in Tonga have electricity and running water (thank goodness!).

What about internet access?

It will depend on my permanent site. Internet is available at the Peace Corps offices, at some schools, and on the bigger islands. So at a minimum, I should be able to get online a few times a month.

What will you being doing?

(from my assignment handbook) As Business Advising/Educator, you will be assigned to a secondary or tertiary school where you will strengthen business skills in the classroom. Volunteers will teach basic economics and accounting as per an established Ministry of Education curriculum and work to design additional school-based curriculum that will introduce specific business skills that address business issues relevant to Tonga.

It goes on to explain opportunities for expanding extra-curricular activities, facilitating community development, and expanding classroom materials related to business. Secondary projects are also highly encouraged.

Can you get mail and packages?

Yes, please send lots of mail! I'll post my address when I find out what it is going to be.

Why are you joining the Peace Corps?

Why not? It's an amazing opportunity!

Are you nervous or excited?

Excited and nervous and ecstatic and anxious and lots more.

Well, that's all I can think of for now. I'm looking forward to a weekend in State College with friends and then some more packing next week!

Invitation

It's official! Last Monday, I was invited to serve as a Peace Corps volunteer in Tonga. The Kingdom of Tonga is a tiny country in the Pacific, about a third of the way from New Zealand to Hawaii. I was thrilled to finally receive my invitation, and I could not be happier with my placement! As my main job, I will be participating in the Tonga Expanded Community Education Project as a business teacher. In addition, I will be helping with various extracurricular and community activities. I am hoping to get involved with a choir and maybe help out with a camp for girls. Music and camp....now why does that sound so familiar?

I will be leaving for L.A. on October 5th where I will meet the other volunteers going to Tonga (and Samoa, I think?). From there, we will depart for pre-service training in Tonga from October 7th until mid-December. There is lots to do before October rolls around. Today, I finished my passport application, but I still need to do a lot more paperwork. I have a looooong shopping list including, skirts, knives, a rain jacket, a headlamp, and much more. Traveling is also on the agenda, starting with a trip to Louisville and Nashville this weekend. In between that, I will be hanging out with my friends at St. Paul Homes and attending RHS sporting events to support Kristen and Wesley.

I am hoping to post some FAQs soon, so check back if you are curious about things like the food in Tonga and how long I will be gone.

Thanks to everyone for all of your support and love as I start this adventure. I look forward to sharing my stories from the other side of the world!