Training Address

Erika Marshall, PCT

S/c Corps de la Paix

01 B.P. 6031

Ouagadougou 01, Burkina Faso

If you are going to send me letters, please number and date them. If you are going to send me a pretty postcard, send it in an envelope, especially if it's risqué in any way. If you are going to send a package with stuff in it, and you need to clarify for customs what the contents are, just say educational materials. Please don't send anything valuable, in case it doesn't make it. Keep in mind it will take a while for me to receive any mail, and will take as long for you to receive a response from me. But you love me so much you can deal with that. :)

Here We Go

I'm watching the World Cup (Brazil vs. Côte d'Ivoire) while I pack. Tomorrow morning I leave for Philadephia for staging, then I'm off to Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso via New York and Paris. I figured I should probably start this blog before I leave while I still have an American keyboard at my fingertips.

It's been a long almost 15 months since I submitted my Peace Corps application online April 1, 2009. And the day has finally arrived! By April 20, 2009, I'd had my interview and a nomination to francophone Africa for March 2010. Mad props are due to Amy Panikowski, my amazing PC recruiter who somehow swung that miracle!

The medical process took forever and basically was a part-time job that summer as I trekked all over Gainesville for proof that I'm not too jacked up, despite the bicycle and roller skating accidents I had in 2008 and 2007 respectively. Nevertheless, due to "medical" reasons, I was pushed back from my March (Morocco) nomination date and thankfully was offered an invitation to Burkina Faso leaving June 2010. And now here I am! As a result, I was able to see my sister's college graduation and lend emotional support to my cat-child Bellatrix Fey as she adjusts to my parents' home and four other cats and stupid little darling chihuahua.

So for all of my fans/loved ones/people I've temporarily abandoned, you can check up on me by reading this blog! And you'd better, because this is for all of you. Alright, MUST PACK NOW.