Almost time to go...

Thought it was about time I got this blog set up since I only have 4 days until i leave for Philadelphia for staging, so here it is. On June 8th my Peace Corps Burkina Faso adventure begins in Philadelphia for a three day orientation/staging event. From there, I fly to Burkina Faso for an intense three month training. During this, I will (hopefully) learn French, which I will use to teach secondary science education, and another local language to be determined. The Peace Corps assigned me as an education volunteer in Burkina Faso, probably because I took three semesters of French in college (French is the official language of Burkina Faso although it is mostly used in schools while another language is spoken in the homes from what I hear) and did a small amount of tutoring over the past few years. I'm feeling very unqualified lately for this assignment; three semesters of college French has proven to be fairly useless, and tutoring a few kids one on one hardly qualifies me to teach an entire class of students. But, I guess that's what that intense three months of training is for. How hard could it be to teach 100 students, in French, with little to no supplies...right?


I'm sure it will all work out. I am really excited and a little stressed at the same time right now...I feel like it is inevitable that I will forget something important that I'm supposed to do before I go. For now, I just wanted to get something up so people can keep track of me if they want, and so I can put up an address where people can write or send care packages (either of which will be greatly appreciated). For the first few months I'm in Burkina, you can write me at:


Ashley Hess, PCT
S/c Corps de la Paix
01 B.P. 6031
Ouagadougou 01, Burkina Faso


Letters should be no problem to send or receive, but if anyone wants to send a care package, you must make sure to write Airmail and Par Avion on the package clearly, maybe even several times and in red ink. Bubble envelopes are highly preferred to boxes if possible, as it seems that it will cost me to receive a box but less for just an envelope. Postcards must be sent in an envelope sealed or they will probably never get to me. Looking forward to the many letters that I'm sure everyone is going to send :)


That's about all I've got for now. Only 4 more days to cram as much French as I can into my head and as much stuff as I can into my 2 suitcases. Au Revoir!