I'm here!

After a 25 hour marathon journey from Philly to New York to Brussels to Conakry to Mamou, I'm now staying put for 4 days. Then we all go to an adoption ceremony in Forecariah, where we will train and live for the next 11 weeks.

So far I am ridiculously happy. Conakry is a terrible place, it's like a big slum and is so dirty. But we were greeted at the airport by a bunch of volunteers and they are all really cool. Last night our group of 28 as well as the other PCVs went to the Country Director's house for dinner - he lives on the Peace Corps compound in Conakry, which is a great place. Running water, flushing toilets, resource materials, etc. - what more could you ask for? Today we had some introductions and then took a 5 hour bus ride to Mamou. I'm pleasantly surprised to find that

a. I like rice and sauce, the national dish.
b. The Country Director is a god to the PCVs, which reflects well on him.
c. The attrition rate of PCVs here is lower than in the rest of Africa.
d. More volunteers want to stay here for a 3rd year than anywhere else.
e. The trainees in my class are an extremely cool, very interesting, funny group of people.

If I can't make it here, it's my fault and no one else's. I have all the support and friends I could ask for. Even the volunteers who have been in other places all say that the staff in Guinea is the best! Outside of Conakry it's a beautiful country and I can't wait to explore more of it over the next 2 years.

The bottom line is that everything is great.