23 days and counting...

I've created this blog to keep in touch with everyone back home (home being a loose term meaning pretty much everywhere that isn't Kenya). I'm not sure how often I'll be able to update it once I'm in country, but it should be a decent way to contact me as well as a good way for me to keep all of you up to date on what I'm up to in Kenya.

I've joined the Peace Corps and I am going to Kenya to do public health work which means HIV/AIDS work along with a variety of other health related tasks such as malaria education, water sanitation etc. depending on which region I am assigned to. I will be training in Loitokitok, which is southern Kenya near Mount Killamanjaro, for two months during which time I will be learning Swahili and skills related to my job. I will be staying with a host family during this time. I will try and post pictures when possible, but don't count on weekly photo albums because it's highly unlikely that I will have reliable access to electricity and I am not bringing a laptop.

I am very excited about going to Kenya, I have been thinking about joining the Peace Corps since I was in college. My time interning at Women's Global Education Project furthered my enthusiasm. I'm particularly excited about going to Kenya because Women's Global works to help give girls in Senegal and Kenya access to education. My interest in public health has grown over the past year through my work at The Children's Clinic. I have been running the portable dentistry program, which brings dentists to schools in low-income communities to provide dental exams, cleanings and sealants to students free of charge. I have a feeling that I will be doing some mobile health work, so the experiance should come in handy.

I will be sure to update you with a mailing address and contact information when I receive my post. Thanks for your support--it makes all the difference!