August 15th 2015

It’s been just over a week since we’ve moved to our training village and we met our host families. Each day seems filled with activities and we are already beginning to sink into a routine. My host family seems to have been picked perfectly for me—there are children and extra pillows and people who do most things with meticulous intention. I meet new family members every weekend as host siblings travel in from out of town. The Setswana name they gave me is Mpho [Mm-po], which means Gift. I’ve already learned to hand wash my clothes (and how not to) and how to make dinawla and stumpe over the fire, a traditional meal that’s made up of beans and corn. I am lucky to have electricity and running water, but the hot water for bathing I have to fetch from the fire outside. Life is simple in the village, and that makes it easy for me to focus on training and to practice my Setswana with the neighbors I pass on the street. My sleep schedule has adjusted quickly to both the time zone and the culture as I’m up most days at 6 and asleep by 10. We aren’t allowed out after dark so there’s no point being a night owl. Today I slept in until 7:30! Training is reminding me that I am a learner. Even language, which I’ve struggled with greatly in the past, is something I am enjoying stumbling through at 7:30am each day. This past year, my best friend gave me the best advice I’ve ever had about learning a language: to try hard enough to make mistakes, and to laugh rather than be embarrassed when I do mess up. I keep that in mind every day while I’m trying to speak Setswana with my host family, and when I’m learning in class. I’m enjoying the challenge. Even training sessions that are mandated for each PCT (Peace Corps Trainee) are interesting to me. I’m clearly still in the mindset of education, which is helpful for the 9 hour days at training. In-between sessions we have tea breaks and a lunch break where we are able to continue to build relationships with our cohort. It’s becoming a closer circle as we all get to know each other on a deeper level while we go through our differing struggles of being so far from home. It is a bit of a struggle. Although I think the worst of it is surely ahead, I’ve decided to not buy an internet plan at least during PST (August 3rd-October 15th), which means I have not been connected to anyone or anything back home, aside from a phone call to my parents last week. Although I thought I would have many more frustrations, I do miss my daily groupme with my best friends, my daily goodnight texts, my snapchats with my niece, pictures of my nephew, and not having the news. I did not realize how crazy I would feel without the news! Sometimes we watch the news on Botswana TV, but two weeks without global or US news is making me feel the most disconnected. If anyone is looking for things to send in a care package, important current event newspapers or magazines would be amazing. Even if I get them a month or two after the fact, I’ll appreciate knowing. Everything moves slowly here anyways. Not being able to instantly send texts to my loved ones has been an adjustment as well, but I’ve started writing a letter or two every night in order to feel like I am maintaining communication. I have some letters from friends that I was sent with during goodbyes, and I’m so incredibly grateful for them. No matter what my day was like or what thoughts of doubt have crept into my mind, knowing that I have an incredible and unwavering support system back home that took the time to make sure I would have their words of love with me right from the beginning has made all the difference. If you’d like to receive mail from me, please send me an email or fb msg with your address! Or better yet, send me a letter and I can respond. Gluten free eating has been going well so far. There is a lot of porridge and maize meal (which I love) along with vegetables, chicken, and beef. And TEA! I’ve been drinking tea almost every day because it is just like Chai and the locals drink it upwards of 4 times a day. I was lucky enough to be sent to a country with an abundant amount of both cadbury dairy milk chocolate <3 <3 and peanut butter! Gluten free snacks (besides fruit) and gluten free granola bars are mostly lacking at this point, so I’m navigating that still. But all in all I’m confident I can adjust to the food here well and maintain my health. I’ll try to write a blog post once a week or so, so that I can keep everyone updated, internet pending. As of now we have to go to the internet cafe to get on, but soon we should have limited internet set up at training. Feel free to let me know any questions you might have or what you want to know about so I can address them in further posts. Thank you again for all of the love and support. Best, Bethany