Stage Left

The members of Namibia 27 have finally met. We are 71 strong and come from all over the U.S. (but California and Oregon are both representing pretty hard). There are four seniors, one married couple and one married man among us. But the majority of volunteers are somewhere between 22 and 38. There are far more educators than health workers. We are recent college grads, computer techs, massage therapists, retirees, farmers and teachers.

No one smells like patchouli and only a few people wear Birkenstocks.

While staging has been boring—eight-hour days in a hotel conference room with flip charts and workbooks—the experience has been nothing but positive. Even the 51-question icebreaker wasn’t so bad. After all, how else would we know Rashid can make bagels?

Maybe it’s still the initial excitement, but everyone seems great—kind, sincere and surprisingly hilarious. Sarcasm lives here, which makes someone like me feel more at home.

We spend breakfast, lunch and dinner together. We spend the time in between together. We even room together. For the next two years, the 71 of us are all we have.

And from the looks of it, we couldn't have gotten any luckier.

This Is It

We leave for the airport in 10 minutes. Staging here I come!

Home for the Holidays

For the first time in my life I won’t be home for Christmas. Not just this Christmas, but three Christmases. It’s an idea that’s hard to swallow, particularly with a mom who takes the holiday so seriously and in a family that’s never been apart come December 25.

I knew going into the Peace Corps that I would miss a lot of things—many of which I’ve already written about here. But I was still hoping to spend one last Christmas at home with my family.

Luckily, my parents planned accordingly.

This weekend my aunt and uncles, cousins and even baby Julian, rented a van and drove from western PA to Roc City to help us deck the halls and trim the tree. So what if it’s October? I’m leaving tomorrow.

It was a chance for us to see each other one last time and to celebrate the season (and the birthdays) I won’t be here for. We caught up over glasses of wine and plates of food. It was a reminder of what the holidays are really all about—family.

Sure I won’t be home for Christmas. Already I know it’s going to be hard (does Namibia even have pine trees?). But my mom, dad, brother, aunts, uncles, cousins and friends have given me a 365-send off with enough memories to last me until I make it back in 2010.

Thank you.

Mission Accomplished

It’s official. After some trial and a bit of error my bags are packed and I’m ready to go. It’s slightly more than I hoped to carry, but at 43 pounds, I’m confident I can haul my pack all over Africa if I have to (and, well, I plan to).

Just what does two years worth of supplies look like? Here’s a random sampling:

o Four bottles of SPF 45
o Three packets of macaroni and cheese powder
o 750 Ibuprofen
o Six packs of Imodium
o 200 Tampons
o Eight Razor blades
o 30 pairs of underwear
o Nine tank tops
o Six pairs of socks
o Iodine tablets
o Two Nalgenes, a collapsible water jug and a lifetime filter
o Five sticks of deodorant
o Uno
o Two Frisbees
o One Jump rope
o 500 hair ties
o Three tubes of toothpaste
o A ball of twine
o Two headlamps
o Two adapters
o A Leatherman
o 120 wet wipes
o One roll of toilet paper
o 12 passport photos
o One stick of Deet
o 10 gigs worth of memory cards

Regardless of how much I pack or how many lists I make, I'm sure they'll be things I wish I'd remembered and others it would have been better to forget. But today, one thing's for sure: if it didn't make it into my pack, it's not coming with me.

Looking Ahead

After months of waiting, Namibia 27 finally has its training itinerary. We’ll spend two days at staging in Washington, D.C. Then, after a 15-hour flight to Johannesburg, we’ll hop a plane for Windhoek on November 2. I’m trying to imagine what it will be like to touch down in Africa—a dream I’ve had since the eighth grade. I expect that it will be nothing less than amazing.

We’ll spend our first two weeks of training at the Andreas Kukuri Center in Okahandja, about 45 minutes north of the capital. We’ll be living on approximately $3 a day (this really puts that Starbucks habit in perspective, no?). Most of our time will be spent learning about the culture and the language. Since 60 percent of Namibians speak Afrikaans (mostly those in the south), it’s likely what many of us will learn. But around one percent of the population speaks native languages, so there’s still a chance we’ll be speaking something else entirely. In addition, we'll have technical training, too. This covers the basics of our assignment. In my case, HIV/AIDS work. We’ll talk about project plans, Namibia’s history, health interventions and the available resources.

During week three we’ll visit our permanent sites. I’ll finally be able to answer all of those questions about running water, electricity and proximity to other members of Peace Corps. We’ll spend time shadowing current volunteers, and after a week, we’ll move in with our homestay families. I’m excited to find out what day-to-day life is really like and anxious to see how well I acclimate.

For those of you who are interested, the Peace Corps also provided us with a calendar for our first few months in country:

Days 1 & 2
November 02 Trainees arrive in Windhoek and travel straight to the Training Center in Okahandja
November 03 Initial Orientation Session at the Training Center in Okahandja Individual interviews with the APCDs, AO, TM & PCMO

Week 1 & 2
November 05 -10 Orientation @ Andreas Kukuri Center-Okahandja(Training Center)
November 12 - 15 Language Intensive training / Technical training
November 16 Site Announcements
November 17 Meet your Supervisor & sessions
November 18 Travel for Permanent Site Visits

Week 3 & 4
November 19-23 Permanent Site Visits
November 24 Return from Site Visit/Travel to current PCV sites for Shadowing
November 25 – Dec 02 Shadowing

Week 5 – 8
December 03 Discussion of Permanent Site Visits
December 04 Travel to CBT sites
December 05-29 Language, cross-cultural and technical training, including Health related mini workshops (and my birthday!)
December 29 Host Families Appreciation Day
December 30 Travel back to Andreas Kukuri Center - Okahandja

Week 9
January 01 - 05 HIV/AIDS Workshop; PC Policies; Embassy Presentations, & Wrap-up

Week 10
January 06 - 08 Final Language Proficiency Interview, PST Post Mortem, Visit PC Office & Courtesy call @ Embassy, Shopping & Packing
January 9 Swearing-In Ceremony @ NIED, Okahandja
January 10 Depart to Permanent Sites

We’ve also been advised that mail in Namibia is very slow during November and December since many of the people in the delivery service go on leave. Because of this, mailing things (like birthday cards) sooner, rather than later, is a good idea.

As for food, Peace Corps says we'll eat most of our meals with host families. Food in the community will differ from the training center, but we can expect to eat Namibian dishes like maize meal, porridge, stew, etc. Meat plays a major part in the Namibian diet because fresh vegetables are often in limited supply. (That makes sense, since less than one percent of the land is suitable for growing crops.)

The big news for me? Peace Corps warns that:

Strict vegetarians may want to consider modifying their diets or adopting other copying strategies since vegetables and other vegetarian foods are not readily available in the villages.

After 13 years I'm not that excited by the thought of eating meat. But I did see this coming. Even with that news in mind, all I can think is T-minus two days and I'm ready for the adventure to begin!

The Things You Miss

My college roommate Molly gave me a card when I left New York. In it, she predicted not just where I would be 26 months from now—finishing up my Peace Corps service and heading on a trip through Eastern Africa—but where our friends and classmates would find themselves, too.

Ilana, of course, will be married. Maybe Darby will have a baby and Dan will probably be engaged. Molly will be attending some top-tier grad school and Alisa will be a doctor.

We will finally be grown up.

It’s exciting to think about where the next two years will take us and what sort of adventures I’ll find in Namibia. But as I struggle (quite literally) to pack my bags, tie up loose ends, and say goodbye to my family, I’m reminded of all that I’ll be missing here, too.

My cousin Paul just got engaged and he’ll get married next October. Once Lilly and Claire learn to walk, they’ll be running circles around my cousins. And the newest addition to our extended family, baby Julian, will be talking by the time I return. He’ll have no idea who I am.

I’ve been thinking about the Peace Corps since I graduated from NYU. And now, four years later, after eighteen months of paperwork, interviews and doctors appointments, my departure date is almost here. I’m not anxious or afraid, just excited and ready. Really ready.

But I’m also a little sad. Sad because of what I’ll miss: the big life events, face time with family and holidays at home. Still, I can’t help but think I’d be missing out on more if I’d decided to stay here, instead of finding out what it really feels like to get sand in my shoes.

Nawrockis in Niagara

Temperatures were in the 70s on Sunday with lots of sunshine, so we decided to head west and check out Niagara Falls. I haven't been to the natural wonder in more than a decade (and Anthony had never been), but it was just as beautiful as I remembered it. Maybe even more so.

We grabbed lunch at the Anchor Bar, home of the original Buffalo Wing (and yes, even I ate some), then headed to Niagara State Park.


The American Side



The Canadian Side






The Dock at Crescent Beach


Niagara was great, but I still plan to visit Victoria Falls while I'm living in Africa. I want to get in all of the Natural Wonders I can--especially while I'm there.

Thanksgiving with the Nawrockyoursocksoffs

I'm pretty sure Namibians don't celebrate Thanksgiving, and who knows what us volunteers will be able to throw together when the holiday rolls around. So my mom cooked a traditional dinner with all of the fixings while Chip was in town. It wasn't November but lucky for us, there was still a football game on TV.


All of the Fam Together


The Meal (That's my Nalgene)


Chip After the Delicious Dish

The Great Pumpkins

Anthony is in Roc City for the weekend (and for one final goodbye). Since Namibia 27 will be spending Halloween getting a dozen vaccines at the Peace Corps clinic in Washington, D.C., then on a 15 hour flight to Johannesburg, we decided to celebrate the holiday a little early. Turns out at five bucks a pop, pumpkins are a heck of a lot cheaper here than in New York City.


Anthony Carving it Out


The Leading Pumpkin Carving Experts


The Final Product (Mine's on the right)


Not Our House (But some people in the 'hood know how to do it up)

Now what's on tap for the rest of the weekend? A family photo and of course, Thanksgiving.

Be Prepared?

My one-pound sleeping bag arrived yesterday, so I did a dry run of packing to see just how much stuff I could fit in my hiking sack. The answer? I'm still not really sure.

With my sleeping bag, liner, camp towel, Leatherman (thanks ALM!), long johns, deodorant, a pair of socks, a dozen journals, a winter hat and a pair of gloves, I'm about a third of the way full. But I still have two years worth of toiletries and a season worth of clothes to get in the mix. When I look at the piles of odds and ends stacked next to my sack, it's clear that some things won't make it to Namibia. But when you're not sure where you're going, it's tough to know what's essential. Typical Peace Corps, there's no real packing list. That's probably because us volunteers are headed to such very different places. We won't know exactly where until the end of December, when our training is complete.

My brother was a boy scout and my dad is an outdoors man. Their motto? Travel light and always be prepared. But how do you pack for two years in another country when you could be living in the desert or on the coast? In a modern-day cement block house or a mud hut in the bush?

So far as I can tell, the best thing I can be prepared for is to not really be prepared at all. It's an idea that, after a few weeks of preparations, I'm finally getting used to.

22 00 S, 17 00 E :: Just the Facts

According to the latest email from the Peace Corps: Namibia is a land of wonderful contrasts and untouched beauty. Game parks, giant sand dunes, flood plains, deserts and waterfalls all call Namibia home. Approximately fourteen tribes inhabit this land, and life here can be as varied as the landscapes. Namibia is a vast country, with very few people to fill its spaces, but those that do represent a wide range of cultures, ethnic backgrounds, and languages. Volunteer life can be extremely varied as well. Some volunteers will live in the flood plains of the north, some will live along the barren but striking coast, others will live in the desert of the south, and others in the lowlands north of Botswana in the Caprivi.

Not knowing which of these varied volunteer experiences I’ll have makes trying to pack a bit of a hassle (especially since I have to carry it all on my back). Knowing other members of Namibia 27 are facing the same challenge, and that volunteers before us have too, makes it seem like just another step in this heinous and hilarious process.

Latey I’ve been doing my best to learn all I can about the country where I’ll be spending the next two-and-a-half years of my life. I’ve always thought that you learn more, appreciate more, and retain more when you have some kind of context for how experiences and information fit into the bigger picture. With that in mind, here are a few interesting things I’ve learned so far:

o Namibia gained its independence from South Africa in 1990

o It was the first country in the world to incorporate environmental protection into its constitution (This makes Al Gore very proud)

o Namibia is the second least-densely populated country in the world, with just 2.5 people per square kilometer. Only Mongolia ranks higher (or lower, depending on how you look at it)

o English is the national language, but it’s spoken by just 7 percent of the population. About 32 percent of Namibians speak German. Afrikaans is the most common language. Namibia is also home to the "clicking language"

o 86 percent of Namibians are literate

o Less than one percent of the country’s land is suitable for growing crops

o Namibia has one of the highest infection rates for AIDS and HIV in Africa. More than 30 percent of the population lives with AIDS

o The life expectancy for the average man is 45 years old. For the average woman it’s just 41

o About 55 percent of the population lives on only $2 per day (From what I hear we'll be making $24 a month)

I realize these are just the facts you can learn from a book. They’re numbers and statistics and I’m not sure how much they mean. I do know that in 27 months, when I try once again to present “just the facts,” they’ll be more complete and more accurate. Just like my understanding of this land of wonderful contrasts and untouched beauty.

Sister Jill

I haven't left yet, but my ever-thoughtful friends and family have already begun to ask about the best ways to stay in touch, and eventually to send supplies (old US Weeklies, election and Olympic coverage, too). Because the Peace Corps operates on more of a need-to-know basis, I don't really have all of the answers and doubt I ever will. But our group has been fortunate to connect with some current volunteers, and this is the advice they had for those shipping packages from stateside:

"The best method for sending a care package is by simply using the US postal service. I've found that packages sent in a big padded envelope get here much quicker than a box. Boxes take anywhere from 1 month to 5-6 months. It really varies on this one. I think as a rule of thumb, keep it small. My experience with packages has been diverse: 1 padded envelope sent from California got here in 10 days using regular ground mail. Another package sent from NYC using the more expensive way to send it, got here in exactly 1 week. Other packages took anywhere from 1 month to 2 months. If for some reason you need something shipped that is expensive or important, I know people have used DHL (there is a DHL office in Windhoek)

...the only other thing I wanted to add is that in sending packages via the post office, we've found that it's helpful to "holy"them up -- address them to Father Joe Schmoe, or Sister Jane Smith,and say that they're coming from the Sister [whatever] at BlessedChurch of Jesus. Writing holy phrases ("Thou shall not steal," "Jesus is watching," "We miss you at church, Sister Jane!" etc.) on the package helps too."

I've been confirmed, so I think this additional step may be okay. I trust my mom will let me know if not.

As for standard correspondence, I expect to have somewhat regular internet access during my training in Windhoek, which lasts through late December. Letters take about 20 days to arrive and may still be the best (and most reliable) way to keep in touch.

Jill Nawrocki PCT
Peace Corps
PO Box 6862
Ausspannplatz,
Windhoek, Namibia

Envelopes don't need special international stamps, since two standard first class ones will do the trick. Current volunteers recommend numbering letters, just in case they arrive in a different order than they were sent. As most of you know, I always write back--but it may take a while (even 20 days) to decipher my handwriting.

When it comes to having pen pals, isn't that really half the fun?

A Fond Farewell to My Friends

The Ladies of 3A


The Girls of 2R


The Last Day of Work Drinks


The Vegetarian's Big Bite of Burger


The Coworker Couples


The Last Shot with Rick Wong


The NYU Boys


The Best Friend


The Favorite Singer


The Coolest Cousin

New York City: Over and Out

Most people arrive homeless to New York City. They sleep on couches and they crash with friends. If they’re lucky, they eventually find a too-small place with a rent they can almost afford. For me, it was the opposite. I had roommates I loved and a place to live from the moment I arrived. But I spent my last sweet city week surfing couches like it was Hawaii. I moved out of 3A and the East Village, and onto a sofa (the best sofa) in Brooklyn. Even though I was homeless, I still always had a place to go.

These past two weeks have been a marathon of filing final stories, dining on late night dinners and downing happy hour drinks. I’ve eaten my way through all of my favorite New York City spots with all of my favorite New York City people. And I had the greatest send off a girl could ask for: A Cinco de Mayo/birthday party complete with make-your-own tacos and 36 candles (the whole box, I guess), the phone book game, Tears for Fears covers plus Dave Kellan originals, and a day-long barbeque with all of the people I love. I even had an entourage waiting with me for my final car to JFK.

But that’s the thing about ending it all on a high note, it only makes it harder to say goodbye.

People who travel say you take something with you when you go: Stories, experiences, memories, pictures. But if you’re lucky, you leave something good behind, too. After six years of living in New York, I’ve done just that. I’ve left behind coworkers who feel like friends, friends who feel like sisters, and roommates who feel like family. I’ve left behind some of the most amazing people I know. People who remind me constantly that should I ever find myself homeless in New York again, I’ll always have a place to go.