Peace Corps Trainee

I am a Peace Corps Trainee (PCT). Before you’re a volunteer you’re a trainee and I’m pretty happy with that. We are staying in Matshapa, Swaziland and everything around us is so beautiful. The dirt is red. And I mean bright red. It covers everything and anything it can get to with this Tuscan sun color that could put a real Tuscan sun to shame. Its so cool, until its in my water bottle. I see mountains in every direction I look with houses in all it’s crevasses. The birds are loud here. Like a crow with a megaphone.  But there songs and laughs are beautiful. The mornings are cold and the days are hot. I laughed, as a Minnesotan, when they said its gets cold in Africa but they weren’t lying. Layers are important.

We eat rice and potatoes for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with some sort of meat, usually two meats, and a salad. I’m getting used to all the starchy-ness. Its actually really well spiced. I’ve been wondering why we haven’t had fresh fruits and veggies at all of our meals and then remembered, its winter here. Its not farming season, and just like in America when its winter, everything is dead. Even though it’s 70+ degrees during the day, the grass is still dry, brown, and dead.

We are learning the language slowly but surely and I enjoy our classes. When we are let out of class we usually go play soccer in the field just outside of our hostel. We are staying in dorms for the first few days so we can get all the info we need before moving in with our training host families. We are surrounded by a fence and all 40 volunteers are itching to see what’s past it. We will have to wait for now.  My grandma would say “Patience is a virtue, Hannah” so for now, I can wait to see what’s on the other side.