Bú rêga bú tchõ, bú flúri

Well, friends, the time is winding down to the start of my Peace Corps service. After a brief orientation in Boston on July 15th, I'm boarding a flight to Cape Verde, where I'll be living for a whopping 27 months. Surreal.

Island life isn't exactly what I expected when I was told I'd be posted somewhere in Africa. I knew it would likely be a Lusophone country, but it never occurred to me that it might not be mainland. When my offer letter and packet came in the mail I had to run to Googlemaps because I didn't know where I was going! As it turns out, Cape Verde is an archipelago made up of 10 islands, and it's about 350 miles off of the west coast of Senegal. The thought of being able to run laps around my country of service with an expanse of ocean on all sides took some getting used to. But I've learned about it, and hunted for pictures, and I think I'll settle in just fine, hammock in tow.

I'll post more details when I know them, but I won't know until I'm training where I'll be stationed so most details aren't concrete. What I do know:

• I'll be training in Praia, the country's capital on Santiago island, and living with a host family. Address soon to follow.
  
• I'll be learning Kriolu, a mixture of Portuguese and Creole. (Nha nomi é Rachel!)
  
• I'll be teaching English at a secondary school, Monday through Saturday...
  
• I would love love love to come home to letters and emails from you asking to visit, so do it!

Seriously, I would love for you to send me pictures, emails, letters, poems, cds, drawings, requests/demands for Skype dates, wedding invitations, pictures of your kids, videos, essays, interpretive dances (you can figure out logistics), or yourself (!!!) to keep me in the loop, and you know I'll do the same whenever I can.

Love,
Rachel