Recent History

Well, 67 days and counting. I might as well do some sort of formal introduction, since my fellow PCVs-to-be have all linked their blogs up to mine. I might as well get on with this business and give total strangers an intimate view of my life. As far as I can tell, that's what this whole Internet thing seems to be about.

I've told you about my pathetic knowledge of Zambia, and now I can tell you about me.

Here I am sitting on the side of Table Mountain in Cape Town, South Africa. I lived there for one year during my junior year of college while I studied at the University of Cape Town. Life in my mud-brick house in rural Zambia will be very different than the super-metropolitan life I have previously lived in Africa. I loved Cape Town so much I want to go back for grad school.

Right, so me. I'm 23 years old and I live in Brattleboro, Vermont, where I grew up. I graduated from Smith College (a very liberal, yet traditional women's college in Northampton, MA) in May of 2005, where I majored in anthropology and minored in studio art. I think Peace Corps service is the perfect progression in my life right now. I want to go into public health and do HIV/AIDS related development work. I started doing HIV/AIDS prevention work when I was in high school, and after a year of study and an incredible internship in South Africa I realized that I definitely wanted to make the issue my life's work.

Here is a little photo documentary of my recent past. I have recently:

• Graduated from college:

The furry guy is our History of Rock N' Roll professor, none other than Steve Waksman himself.
Yep, I spent my money wisely @ Smith.

• Seen infinite Elvis impersonators in Memphis, TN.

This photo was taken by a drunk homeless man on a little tiny bike, no joke.

• Gone back to South Africa.

I found VT in SA.

This is me and my friend Chad (he is Zambian - I can't wait for him to come visit me!)

We went whale watching in Hermanus, but didn't see a single whale.
All was not lost, I got a hefty sunburn.

This is the Youth Centre where I interned in Langa (one of Cape Town's many townships).
My internship was with South Africa's largest HIV prevention campaign, loveLife.
They have sixteen of these Y-Centres throughout the country.

I got to see old friends and meet some crazy new ones!

• Gone to Seattle to see my best friends from school. We're having reunion number three in Boston in a couple of weeks!

We're BFF with the Fremont troll.

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I went with the one on the left for the White Trash party (no contest).

The trip was mad fun, right up until the last minute at the airport.

Everything I have done since then has not necessarily been documented in images. I need to get on that business.