JG, Over the Sea.: Day 3 going on 333.

Sep 17, 2015

Day 3 going on 333.

We've been here not very long and yet with 12 hour days, it feels like we've been here forever. Jet lag is still an issue and our training is long hours each day, including immigration paperwork, kinyarwanda class, cultural training, and lectures on the Rwandan classroom culture.

Tomorrow is another early morning (7am hotel pick up in an embassy vehicle), but I wanted to check in to let the blog know that everything is going super well, Mushu has adapted to hotel life, and I am looking forward to finally leaving the hypothetical world and entering reality on Friday when an embassy vehicle drives Mushu and I two hours out to our rural site and dumps us off. The more days go by, the more excited and anxious I am to get to my site, meet my coworkers, and get going on my projects.

There are a few kinks to work out - such as my schedule being 50 hours a week not including class prep time (I'm not superhuman, though they may think so), and I still haven't found any cat litter or cat food in the city and that needs to be dealt with before heading out to the boonies.

Today was exciting because the Fulbrights and the Fellows got our yellow embassy badges! Which means we are able to access the embassy and all it's perks. I will be living far out, but this still feels like a special accomplishment. We also were given a security briefing by the Regional Security Officer which was very interesting to hear how the American government views security issues and Rwanda in general. (The basic gist - hold onto your valuables and don't be an idiot).

It feels special to roam the halls of the embassy with my fellow fellows and I feel more prepared for this experience than anything else in my past. Maybe even a little too prepared. A little ambiguity and adventure never hurt anyone. I look forward to being unleashed and sent out to my permanent post so the real fun can begin and I can unpack my bags, wander the streets, and start making a network.