Meeting everyone!

We are starting our first round of introductions via email. Looks like we have 14 or so volunteers from all over the US and some from the UK. Only a few have responded thus far, but it looks like I'll be on the same plane with at least two of the people coming from the US -- Jes from Pennsylvania and Sam from North Carolina. I thought it might be interesting for share my responses to some of the questions as they tell a little bit about why I'm embarking on this adventure and how I'm feeling as the day quickly approaches for my departure.

What is your favorite food?
I like almost any and all foods. I became a lover of sushi in college and haven't looked back since. I am a great cook of Italian food from my study abroad there. I like all sorts of cuisines - ethiopian, greek, thai, mexican, etc. I wish I knew how to cook more ethnic cuisines -- hopefully some day I'll learn. I've heard from multiple people the samosas in Tanzania are to die for, so I'm looking forward to those!

Any other interesting or funny facts about yourself (favorite book/movie/color/sport etc…)
My claim to fame is that I've been to 49 of the 50 states. I think I'm going to have to make a special trip to North Dakota to knock that last one out...My favorite book is Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil. I'm currently enjoying Microtrends which will likely make the journey to Africa with me.

What is your favorite city/country to travel to?
While I have been to most of the states, I haven't done a lot of international travel. Within the states, Alaska is by far the most beautiful place. I've only been to southeast Alaska -- it was gorgeous and I hear the rest of the state is even more spectacular! In the continental US, it's definitely Glacier National Park in Montana. As for international, I recently spent a bit of time in Dublin and really enjoyed the city and the Irish culture. My most favorite place so far, though, has to be Siena, Italy, and Santorini in Greece. I studied in Italy for 3 months learning the language (which I'm terrible at), art and culture. I got to travel a lot around the country and even did a wine-tasting tour through Tuscany. Since then I've been a terrible wine snob. Santorini is simply gorgeous and the people/culture are incredible.

What moved you to volunteer with CCS? What areas are you interested in working in?
I've always wanted to volunteer in Africa and CCS gave me a lot of flexibility in timing, location, and duration, while seeming to have a lot of stability as well. I've been placed at UWAWAYAKI -- a women's group of widows and orphans that are living with HIV/AIDS. I'm really excited to do something that will really impact the life of someone else in whatever capacity they put me to work in!

What are you most looking forward to?
I'm looking forward to everything -- the people, the culture, the food, the extreme change from my everyday life. It will be an experience that I know I will cherish forever and I'm extremely grateful to have the opportunity.

What are you least looking forward to?
I don't know if there is anything I'm not looking forward to. I don't even mind the long trip over -- I'll probably be singing a different tune when I'm halfway through, but for now, I'm just excited!