Ration the Passion

I'm finally able to post!!! Thank you to everyone for the emails and I'm sorry I couldn't reply to all of them. I miss you Mom, Dad, Grandma's, Grandpa's, Cathy, Bill, Sara, Chuck J(great job in the 100 miler), Chuck W, Katy, Ruth, Sharon, Carol, Andrea and everyone else who has emailed me.

Zambia is wonderful! I'm living in the Fisheries village of Mwekera. I live w/ my host mom, her sister, and niece. We don't have electricity and I have the only piece of furniture in the house - a bed. My mom is a good cook but not as good as my MOM!!!! I'm in class from 8 - 17 Monday through Friday and 8 - 12:30 on Saturdays. I'm in Kitwe right now and it's a crazy place. The market is nuts and you have to watch your back but it's worth the experience.

I don't have alot to report right now other than everything is going well and for those that have been trying to call me....keep trying. I have a Zam phone and this is the Zam network! (In other words - not very good.)

I finally got to ride my bike and the trails are rugged but fun - it's a great workout. Speaking of workouts.....I haven't ran since the day I left Chicago!

I haven't been sick yet but I'm one of the few. We've had a few parasites, lots of diarrhea, and one case of malaria (he's fine) in my training group. The people are great and we all help each other out!

Please keep emailing me and I'm sorry if I don't reply but I pay by the minute :(

I'll post again soon and I'll plan it ahead of time!

Saying Goodbye

With less than 4 days to go, I'm having to do what I've been dreading....saying goodbye to family and friends. I had to tell a lot of people goodbye on Monday at my Deportation Party (which was a great time!) and last night I had to tell my grandparents bye. That was not easy. Sunday will be even harder. I know I'm making the right decision by joining the Peace Corps but at times like this I know it will not be an easy 2 years.

Tonight is my last night running w/ my Y group - I hope my legs feel better than they did on Tuesday! I haven't been racing much in the past year but I will miss training w/ everyone and getting ready for the big races. I'll really miss Dances with Dirt and Tecumseh, by far my favorite marathons (and beyond)....b/c I had such great people to run them with! People ask me if I'm going to run in Africa and my response is usually no b/c I don't like to run by myself but really it's b/c I don't like to run w/out my Y group and Dunes group. I'll miss crossing the railroad tracks at Washington, the view from the top of the Ridge, my dirty wool sweaters, Adrian(s), the horses, all fruit smoothies, and all the people that I enjoy those things with!