just a tidbit.

typing on french keyboards is tougher than i imagined and our pitstop in this town is brief so i must keep this short! thanks to my dad for updating my blog from my text messages... i love village life and will write great descriptions soon.
this week my training group is touring around the eastern coast of madagascar to check out some national parks- andasibe is one of them- and spend some time learning about plant and animals here as well as a couple days at the ocean. my site placement will be in the far northeast in a fishing village just south of diego suarez and i will be leaving right on the beach and working some w conservation international. more later but please know i am thinking of all my loved ones and would adore letters, emails and especially texts!!! 011 261 34 410 4520 love to all

my day.

I wake daily at 5:00 am to my host sister starting a fire in the outdoor "kitchen". We do chores by candlelight as the village awakens. We eat a simple breakfast then I'm off to culture and language classes all day. My host family is patient, but learning Malagasy is tough. I help with dinner and then go to bed (under a mosquito net) by 8:00 pm to study and sleep.

It is beautiful here. I'm happy and healthy...

arrived safely.

Posted by Vanessa's Dad - Vanessa has arrived safely in Madagascar. She picked up a new cell phone today and called me and asked me to post this update. She's studying with the Peace Corps during the day and is enjoying her host family - a 41 year-old Mom single mom who lives in very small and humble surroundings (no electricity or indoor plumbing). I'm sure Vanessa will describe the sights and sounds in a much more colorful way in the near future. She mentioned she will have limited access to computers but will post more news whe she can.

All in all, she sounds very happy and excited and seems like she's truly in her element... experiencing a new culture, reading by candle light, sleeping under mosquito netting, learning a foreign language and meeting new friends in a different part of the world.

in transit.

Just a quick note to say we've arrived safely in Johannesburg, South Africa after a long but peaceful flight from DC. We had about an hour & a half on the ground to refuel in Dakar, Senegal yesterday, and then another eight hours to Jo-burg, where we landed last night around 7 PM. As soon as we got to our hotel, I quickly made my way to the outdoor pool to swim and enjoy the warm night air, swaying trees and lush tropical plants. Though I had only slept about 3 hours on the plane, I only slept from 10- 2 AM, which seems about on par with everyone else in the group. We're all a little road weary, but excited to be at our final destination this afternoon in the capital city of Antananarivo, Madagascar.
Today we'll meet the Peace Corps country directors and spend the night at the headquarters. Tomorrow we'll finally get to our training facilities, and meet our host families. It will be so nice to get settled for a bit after so many months of waiting and wondering.
Hope all is well with everyone! Much love to all.

jitters or lack thereof.

After what seemed like a full month of packing and preparing for my African departure, I finally left behind the comforts of home this Thursday. With many a tearful farewell to my family in New Hampshire, I was happy to arrive into the welcoming arms of friends in Washington DC. Staying in DC for the last few days catching up with dear friends and luxuriating in various relaxing activities has been so good for me.

Friday, Evelyn and I went to a lovely noontime yoga flow class followed by a most wonderful massage. The combination of the two put me in such a peaceful state of bliss. It's great to be in the city too, with all the culture, rhythm, energy and wonderful places to eat & drink! Indeed, Friday night it was such a pleasure to enjoy a leisurely glass of wine at the hookah bar with a friend from Montana who just recently moved to the DC area on Friday night. After that, we met up with Evelyn and her new fiance to celebrate their engagement at a nice little restaurant in the Adam's Morgan district of DC.

And joy of all joys, my very dear friend Jenna arrived on Saturday morning for a quick 24-hour visit! Continuing with the luxurious theme of the previous day, we spent the afternoon at a mini-spa called "Mint," where we sweated out our impurities in the steam room and sauna, and enjoyed (you guessed it) mint-flavored water and mint-scented lotions and shampoos. The whole experience left all of us practically floating down the street to a small wine & cheese shop, where we picked up provisions for a nice ladies night at Evelyn's apartment.

All the while, I have felt nothing but calm and relaxed leading up to my departure to Madagascar these last few days. I had anticipated feeling jittery and nervous and scared, but have been pleasantly surprised to feel such a sense of readiness. I see this as a good sign that I am in the right space. However, in just a few hours, I make my way across the city to the Peace Corps orientation, where I will meet the other 20-someodd Environmental & Small Business Development volunteers who will be serving in Madagascar, and I think that is when the full weight of reality will start to sink in. This afternoon we'll spend about five hours learning about basic expectations and going through medical & legal paperwork, spend the night at the hotel, and depart for the airport tomorrow afternoon.

The flight from DC to Johannesburg will take about 18 hours. We layover there and then it's just a quick 5 more hours the next day to our final destination in Antananarivo, the capital of Madagascar. And while I have plenty of long-distance flights under my belt, I imagine the combination of being cooped up with jitters and excitement will have me feeling a little antsy by the time we arrive. Upon arrival, I'm meant to have a brief job interview and get placed with our host family that I'll be staying with for the next three months.

So for now, I'm enjoying the last couple hours of my life as a free entity, before I become an official government worker, listening to some blues and sipping on coffee in a little sunny apartment in Washington DC. With a smile on my face and a song in my heart.

happiness equals:

mindfulness
inquisitiveness
energy
joy
concentration
tranquility
equanimity

happiness also equals spending time with my grandmother, who is the only person i know in the world who can find something to wonder upon and be joyful about in every moment, with mindfulness and sincerity.

shopping.

Today I went shopping.

For perhaps the fourth or fifth day in a row, I have willingly joined the unsatisfied masses in their insatiable attempt to acquire more all in the name of being prepared for having less in Madagascar.

Shopping makes me feel berserk. I question all the big and little aspects of every purchase. Why am I paying $25 for a shirt I know cost 30 cents to actually make in Bangladesh? Why must I buy a whole new watch when the one I have just needs a new wristband? However, the wristband is not replaceable; I have to buy a whole new piece because Timex has perfected the art of planned obsolescence. And which shoes to bring? Forget about it.

As I begin to pack and decide which items to bring and which to leave behind, I keep thinking of a quote I read from a former Peace Corps Volunteer in Madagascar. She said she struggled with the 80-pound luggage limit before her departure only to arrive at her village and discover that she had 79 more pounds of stuff than all of her neighbors. A humbling experience, for sure, and one of many I look forward to witnessing myself firsthand.