Au Revoir, Mes Amis!

Friends and Family,

Welcome to my blog!

As you know, I have been working towards my Peace Corps placement for over a year now. In the past year I have gotten a lot of questions from all of you. A lot of the discussions went like this:

Friend: Peace Corps! That's cool. Will you live in a city?
Me: I won't really know until I get there and get my placement. It's likely that I'll be living in some sort of simple hut.

Friend: ...Will you have electricity or running water?
Me: I won't really know until I get there, but...probably not...

Friend: What will you eat?
Me: Mostly vegetables...
Friend: That's cool.
Me: ...That I grow myself...
Friend: ...Oh...

Friend: So...exactly how crazy are you???

There was a time when I may have defended myself, however, as I start packing my mosquito encased hammock (which I will be sleeping in), my SPF 75 sunblock and my field guides to poisonous snakes, I'm wondering if I didn't give you guys enough credit.

Another popular question (which I am also unable to answer) is how much I will be able to stay in touch with everyone. I should have email access, however, I'm not sure how often that will be. I also have an address that you can send mail to.

Here is the address, should you be in the neighborhood (visitors are encouraged!):

Emily Lagasse, PCV
Corps de la Paix
B.P. 3194
Lomé, Togo
West Africa

I will post to this blog as often as I can (which will probably not be that often) to update you on my life in Togo. I will send everyone an email letting you know when I have posted something new.

I hope we are able to keep in touch over the next two years although I know it will be more difficult than usual. I wish I could be with you for all of the weddings, new jobs and exciting changes everyone is going through. Although I may not be able to call or write often please know that I will be thinking of you. Of course, when I get back, I look forward to catching up with you on all of your adventures (preferably with a glass of ice water in an air conditioned building).

Until my next post... A Bientot!

Emily

PS: If you do decide to visit, let me know far enough in advance so that I can grow enough food for both of us!