Making Moves

Alright ... a decision has been made.

Let me preface this with: these past three weeks have been a living HELL. grief. stress. anger. It hasn't stopped or slowed down, but rather these three emotions have been spun into high-gear and penetrated every waking and sleeping thought. Even my dreams, on the rare occasion when I do sleep, leave me exhausted. Illnesses that are too whack (three exotic, one domestic) to ever mention on a blog have simultaneously invaded my system, and make a miserable situation worse. I am exhausted. Through and through. But there is a light, albeit faint, at the end of this tunnel.

I am going to Botswana.

Botswana; most of you have heard of that, unlike Guinea. It's about the size of Texas, north of the South African border. Home to the world's largest waterfalls (Victoria Falls), safaris, and camel treks through the Kalahari Desert. World's largest inland delta (Okavango). DeBeers diamonds. Bushmen (The Gods Must Be Crazy takes place there). Clicking languages. The most stable and least corrupt government in Africa. And the 2nd highest HIV/AIDS rate in the world.

Botswana is a middle-income country. I hear there are roads and running water. Electricity. Grocery stores. They have what Guinea doesn't have. Including a crisis that is currently undoing all the development progress they've made. 4,000 teachers a YEAR are dying from HIV/AIDS. 1 in 6 people are HIV positive. Peace Corps actually "graduated" from Botswana because they had their act together, but went back in in 2003 to help out with this disaster. So that's where I come in.

No more village loans or drying mangos with market women. I am finally going to get to assume the role I wanted when I applied to Peace Corps two years ago, health work with HIV/AIDS. My actual job will be assigned after I arrive.

But this is special- I got to use my economic background in Guinea to help people in one of the poorest and most corrupt countries on the planet, and now I get the chance to explore the health field in a country that actually HAS the resources and government to put an end to HIV/AIDS. What Peace Corps Volunteer actually gets to do BOTH of these things in two very different settings? I do feel lucky. The fact that 3 of my best friends in Peace Corps are coming with me make it better.

So where is my head right now? I'm trying to accept all I've lost and left behind in Guinea and figure out when is the appropriate time to close that door. I'm trying to get excited for what seems to be a really cool country. I am thankful that I get the chance to do the HIV/AIDS work I originally wanted to do when I applied for Peace Corps. I am trying not to scream when I think about the 2 weeks of language training I will have in the capital before I can finally find a home again (this will make SIX weeks of having NO HOME and ZERO alone time). And I am ecstatic that I finally get to leave this hot, sandy, hellacious post in Mali.

Travel plans are being figured out by Peace Corps today. I could end up having my Halloween party on the 28hr flight (with insane layovers) to Gaborone. That would be exactly how I want my new boss to meet the Guinea-Transfer crew...