Tuesday, February 16, 2010
And the adventure begins...
Sunday, the day before my flight to Philly for a 2 day staging to meet my fellow Peace Corps volunteers, was comforting. I had an amazing night out on Saturday with my closest home friends. It was both comforting and difficult to leave them behind. Sunday was filled with saying my goodbyes to some close cousins, aunts, uncles, stepsister, brother, stepmother, and father. I ended the night with hanging out with my mother and spending some quality mother/daughter time with her. After my emotional send off at the airport, grasped with hugs and tearful goodbyes from my parents, I felt an overwhelming sense of support. I am more than lucky to have a big family who cares about me and loves me. I feel as though this is what I am supposed to do, and I will constantly be thinking about my support system back in America. I vow to do my best to represent those who love and support me in a positive manner while I spend the next 27 months in Zambia. I thank all of those who are thinking about me and know that I will be doing the same for them. I can't express enough how lucky I truly feel I am. I have been greeted by a friendly group of 52 Peace Corps Trainees here in Philadelphia, just like myself, and an excellent, small Peace Corps staff. I hope to pass on my excitement and positivity to those around me knowing that I am confident in my decision to take on this adventure with full force and energy.
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im now a follower of your zambian life katherine. I will anxiously await your blogs and miss you more than you will ever know. I know that you are going to make the people of zambia so happy :) yourspreading your wings and doing great things, I am so proud you are my best friend! Love you to africa and back xoxoxox
ReplyDeleteYou will definitely pass on your excitement and positive attitude to all those you are working with. You are the best and I am so proud to say you are my daughter! Love, Mom
ReplyDeleteHours away from the long plane ride to a far off continent, Kath. I will miss you to be sure, but know my love will follow your every step, with each day that you experience something that most of us can only imagine. Continue your blog and congrats again for having the confidence to pursue this fascinating lifes journey. My thoughts will be with you, sweetie ! With love, Dad
ReplyDeleteSis, really proud of you, I know you're about to board the plane but have a great flight and try to contact us when you get to South Africa tomorrow!!! Much love!
ReplyDelete-Dan
i havent seen you in years but ur such a cool chick and wish you the best...we are still fam no matter what even though i see u every decade or so!! Go out there and have fun and most important be safe! I will be checkin your blogs to see how things are going for ya! Take care and GODSPEED cuz!
ReplyDeleteI am so happy that you are blogging! I will be following closely. I can't wait to hear about your adventures and all of the people that you meet. Good luck over there Duves!
ReplyDeleteHi Katherine,
ReplyDeleteCan't believe you have already left!! From the previous comments, sounds like you had a great send off!! Take lots of photos! Enjoy every minute. This is an opportunity of a life time!! Soak it all up! Keep the blogs coming when you have time to do them. Also, know you have many friends and family here cheering for you!
Mrs. Villemure
You are somewhere, high in the sky, Kath. Getting to know your fellow PCT's , I guess. I am here in little old Manch.,at about 9:30 p.m., thinking of my girl. Sometime around noon , our time, Thursday, you will land in South Africa. Wow. A far off land , with unfamiliar sights, sounds and faces. All along your path you will experience all things new. Take it all in Kath. Cant wait for your next blog entry to experience this with you.
ReplyDeleteGood night~Dad
Hi Kath,
ReplyDeleteHappy landing in Africa. Can't wait to hear from you. Thinking of your smiling face :)
Love, Joyce
Hi Kath,
ReplyDeleteLoved reading your blogs and looking forward to many more. Know that I often think of you and those thoughts give me joy. As much as this experience will be awesome for you I can't help thinking of, and appreciating, the good you will be doing for the people in your little village. I think it's great that others will be touched by you.
I love you,
Aunt Maria
Received a call from fellow Peace Corps.volunteer parent, Cathy Aubin, of Long Island, N.Y., just yesterday. Cathy was responding to my call out to her husband, Brian. Cathy was wonderful in her taking the time to give me some invaluable insights into what its like to have a daughter living in Zambia.Her daughter, Brittany, has been living in Zambia for one year, this month.
ReplyDeleteStill waiting word from Kath, who likely landed in Johannesburg, South Africa, our time, around noon yesterday. Cathy thinks it might be a few days before we get word from Kath. A bit of a rocky transition for Joyce and me these few days, but very exciting as well. Thank you, Cathy Aubin.
We got the call...Kath is in Lusaka, Zambia,with her 51 other newbie, Peace Corps. volunteer trainees. Kath sounded great ! She said she was in awe at the sights and sounds of this "new world". The call was brief , given this new adaptation to communication between the two continents.
ReplyDeleteKath repeated the line, "you just cant imagine how different it is here", as compared to living in the USA. We have a number to call Kath now as she gets settled into her experience of intense training for three months in this northern region of Zambia, in its largest city.
Jerome
Kanary,
ReplyDeleteSo glad to hear you've arrived safely. I'm wowed by your description of the hour-long walk in the bush/mud path. I'm trying to imagine it...Looking forward to more descriptions of your new world!
Love,
Keve
Funny that Kath will be having to walk for long distances, much less through brush and over mud paths. We could hardly get her to walk our dog maddie with us through the park !!! Looking forward to futher updates, Kath ! Dad
ReplyDeleteHey Katherine... Thinking of you. I hope that thing are great with you! We look forward to your next update.
ReplyDeleteSending our love,
Heather, Geoff, Andrew and Cameron