Introductory Notes

EDIT: I'm not in Mauritania, as most of you know. I am posted in Bamena, Ouest Provence, Cameroon.

Hi y'all! Thanks a lot for reading my blog. During my Peace Corps service, this will be my primary means of electronic communication with people back in the States, as phone service is very spotty in Mauritania, and I probably won't have adequate time on the Internet to respond to emails. I would love to receive letters from friends and family, so please DO consider writing to me. I know I haven't been a stellar correspondent with some of you in the past, but I want to show that I've turned a new leaf, and I will have nothing but time to write you. Also, I imagine that I will be fairly homesick, and a short or long note would really make my day. My address is in the left-hand column.

For those of you who aren't up to speed, I am finally beginning my Peace Corps assignment in Mauritania, West Africa on June 16, 2009. The application process lasted for two years, three cross-country moves, three (minor) surgeries, and five jobs, but it's finally over with, and I'm extremely excited. In Mauritania, I am going to be working as an agroforestry extension agent. Specifically, I belive that I'll be working on anti-desertification and soil management initiatives, but I understand that these things are prone to change. Although I've been reading voraciously about Mauritania, French, Islam, drylands farming, rabies, (Did you know that two people have survived rabies by being put into a ketamine-induced coma?) etc... I really have no idea what's in store for me. I might look back in a year an delete this post in embarrassment over my naivete. I need to learn how to do diacritical marks in Firefox. Back on point...

...actually that's all for now.