What is Kathryn Doing Next?

August 22, 2010 at 4:45 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment

What is Kathryn Doing Next?

So some of you may be wondering what exactly I have been up to and what is happening next.  I have been going around Burkina, staying with families, visiting my site, and going through a very extensive, exhausting training.  It really has been great meeting all of these new stagaiars (people in training to become volunteers, like I am now), but I am really looking forward to being a volunteer at my site. 

So how will it be different?  It will be very different.  Right now, I have over 80 other Americans around me all of the time.  I have class 6 days a week.  I am teaching model classes which are smaller than they will be in my village, and I switch classes often so it is hard to get used to a class. 

So what will be the same?  I will still be in Burkina.  I will still be a teacher.  And most importantly, I will still be learning.  Even though my time here in stage is almost up, my time learning is not.  I am going to be living in a totally new culture for two years.  And like between cities and towns in America, they all have their own character and practices.  So I will be making my first home in a valley in central Burkina.  My first job out of college will be teaching and learning. 

What do the next few weeks look like?  I am not really sure.  All I know for pretty sure is this next week.  I have the last few days of stage this upcoming week, and Thursday I head over to the capital.  Friday is my swearing in ceremony.  It is a really big deal and I have very excited to take the oath and become a United States of America Peace Corps volunteer.  It will be televised across Burkina. 

After that, I will shop on Saturday and gather all of the accoutrements for my new home, and Sunday is the big day.  I move from the capital and to my site.  Goodbye electricity.  Goodbye running water.  Goodbye internet.  So get those letters in the mail, folks.  I don’t have a poste in my site, but I have a plan to keep in touch with you fine friends in family through letters from the States.  Thanks to all who have written me.  It is really great to get a letter in the mail. 

On the exciting side, some of us have a fantasy football team!  Here are my players.  It is set up so I do not have to bench players or deal with it much during the season because that is hard without the internet and all. 

QB1 – Eli Manning

QB2 – Chad Henne

RB1 – Chris Johnson

RB2 – Matt Forte

WR1 – Chad Ochocinco

WR2 – Calvin Johnson

WR3 – Donald Driver

DST – Cowboys

Fingers Crossed!!

Cheers!!