Official Trainee!

I am now officially a Peace Corps Trainee, no longer an invitee. Training went well. Its snowing in DC, so I got one last day of snow in Seattle and in DC. I didnt get to see or explore the city at all, so i'm a little bummed about that. But our day today was great. We had a morning info session with two PC employees and then we went to our party at the Peace Corps headquarters to celebrate PCs reintroduction into Rwanda. The Peace Corps director and the Rwandan Ambassador came and talked to us and we had an introduction to the program we are doing with George Washington University. They are going to provide us with technical support while we are over there because they will have access to a lot more health information that we will be and we can ask them about the new music, movies, etc. if we want. haha. They're pretty much there for us to look things up and send them to us. Its pretty sweet. So, I head out tomorrow morning for the clinic to get last minute shots and then to the airport for the flight to Brussels and then Kigali! Almost there. Its been so surreal, waiting all that time at home and then coming to a fancy hotel in DC and watching family guy on TV. I dont feel like I am moving to Africa, just taking a short vacation around the U.S. I am hoping once I am on the plane I will finally feel like I am going and it'll all sink in. I am really excited sometimes and it feels real when I am talking to people who are in or have visited Rwanda, but other than that I dont feel like its real.

My next update will be from Rwanda!!

Welcome Book Finally Arrives!

PC sent out our welcome book (finally!) and I will be working with 35 other volunteers! Didnt know there would be so many of us, especially in a country as small as Rwanda. So, that is exciting because I can hop from one free stay to another all over the county and see it all! :O) My training is only 10 weeks long (I thought it was going to be 12) and we will be staying with nuns at the Bethanie Training Center which is run by the Sisters of Benebikira in Butare. We stay in Kigali (the capital city with the airport) for a few days and then take a 2 1/2 hour bus ride to the south western part of the country to Butare. While here we will get language, technical, cross-cultural, safety and health training. And then I will be sworn in as PC volunteer on April 14th. Getting really excited, but also a little nervous about goodbyes. Only 8 more days!!!

My new address is:
Ali Kimbrel
Peace Corps/Rwanda
BP: 5657
Kigali, Rwanda

Always write Airmail/Par Avion on letters!