Ready for takeoff!

It has been 4 long months since I got my invitation for Zambia, and 9 long months since I started the application process. Needless to say; I am ready for this... as ready as I can be.


Happy belated New Years by the way. 2010 was phenomenal. It started Jamaica-bound and ended Zambia-bound. It was also a sort of nomadic summer, after graduation I traveled all around New York- from Sterling to Buffalo to Plattsburgh to Brooklyn. Did the whole harborfest thing one last time in Oswego… Was able to spend some time in California where I got to see Meaghan and Damian Marley, and made it up to Burlington to see my favorite future pharmacist-to-be. Saw Angela get married and Dave Matthews 3x! Spent time in the Adirondacks in July and December. And as always, the holidays were full love. I loved every minute between graduation and Africa and although it was an awkward, transitional, in-between phase- I think I grew up a little bit and let go of that college lifestyle. I was able to finally spend time with my awesome family and visit some wonderful friends. But it’s nearly February, and it’s time for Zambia!

Thank you ALL for your love and support. I am so blessed to have you behind me. You are all so amazing and it has been extremely difficult to say goodbye. So thanks for the hugs and the Bon Voyage parties, the SU court side seats and the Peace Corps survival gear. Thanks for listening and supporting my decision.

Also, thanks for thinking of me as this super-wonderful-altruistic person. I just thought I would let you know how I think of YOU as super-wonderful-altruistic people. Yes, HIV/AIDS, food security, and water are hard times that I will be dealing with very soon. I am prepared for this, as it will be my job for the next two years. However; sickness, unemployment, debt, family, and disabilities are all hard times that you deal with in your everyday lives. It’s tough and exhausting but I see you make it work everyday. Your making ends meet, your working 3 jobs, your driving back and forth from the hospital, your keeping your family together, your making the grade, your surviving! And you didn’t sign up for it, you aren’t getting paid for it, and you are certainly not writing a blog about it. You're just working through it and to me that is more brave and honorable than anything. You make the most out of the hard times and that is a very admirable quality that I hope I can take with me. So thanks again for being you and for loving me.

So that's my little thought of the day. Carrying on….

• Here's a letter addressed to all of my friends and family from the PC Zambia desk in DC. Letter
• My flight details/staging event goes like this:

        Monday:
        3:45PM: Depart Syracuse
        4:48PM: Arrive in Philly
        6:00PM: Registration at Holiday Inn
       Tuesday:
        7:30-10:00AM: Clinic appointment (vaccines)
        1:00-6:30PM: Orientation
        Wednesday:
        2:00AM: Check out and fly from Philly to JFK
        10:40AM: Flight departs from JFK to Johannesburg
        Thursday:
        8:40AM: Arrive in Johannesburg
        10:30AM: Depart Johannesburg for Lusaka
        12:40PM: Arrive in Lusaka, Zambia
        Upon arrival I will check into a government hostel where I will stay for 3 nights and go through
        another orientation. After that I will venture into Peace Corps world and stay with a
       current volunteer to see first-hand what my lifestyle will be like after training.

• Here is my address for the first 3 months during training. I do not know my permanent address yet. I will also let you know my phone number when I arrive. I have heard that text messaging is one of the cheapest and quickest way to communicate with the States and I will be purchasing a phone the first or second day of arrival.

           Shannon Linehan/PCT
           Peace Corps
           P.O. Box 50707
           Lusaka, Zambia
               Africa

      REMEMBER:
     ~Write "Par Avion" or "Air Mail" on anything you send
     ~Go crazy with the religion statements.
      The more bible verses you write on the packages/letters- the less likely it will be tampered with.
    ~Number you letters so that I know if one gets lost.
    ~Write me often. It will be the very best thing you can do for me :) I don't have any requests
      right now but I'm sure I'll come up with a list when I start missing things like chocolate,
      photos of you, and coffee.
    ~Please note that packages/letters can take 2-4 weeks to be delivered.
   ~Stole this from Jessica's blog- a heads up on how much mail will cost:
                    - Letters (First Class Mail International): $0.98
                    - USPS Flat Rate Boxes (Priority Mail International):
                      Small (<4 lbs.)- $13.45
                      Regular (<20 lbs.)- $43.45
                      Large (<20 lbs.)- $55.95

• I have been told first-hand by a Zambian that Zambia’s internet is the worst in the world. Secondly, my country director told me that there is a big problem with internet viruses in Zambia. Thirdly, Wifi is sporadic and most likely to be nonexistent at my post. Fourthly, internet is very expensive and slow in Zambia. Fifthly (not to be confused with filthy), I seem to be one of the few volunteers who is NOT bringing my own personal computer. BUT, I have also read that the internet and cell phone service is improving rapidly across Zambia. I will have access to a computer whenever I am at the provincial house (each province has it's own house where volunteers can come to twice a month for internet, R&R, to converse with other volunteers, etc.), or when at the PC library. Will have very limited access during training!

         So what this means is very self-explanatory. I will not be able to update this blog often but I
        will try to get information to you as often as I can. Please do not rely on the internet as
        the only way to communicate with me. Snail mail and text messaging may be more efficient.

• Having said that, I have created a YouTube account and a photobucket account that I will try to post stuff on. I've also added these links to the right hand side.

      YouTube Page:
      Photobucket Page

• THIS IS MY LIFE

      Attached is a 2-part video documentary that was shot by a RPCV while she was in Zambia
      during 2007-2009. She was also a RED volunteer and it is a pretty accurate preview of
      what my daily lifestyle might be like.

Part 1:

Part 2:

I have also attached a preview for Frontline’s Age of Aids documentary. If you get anything out of this blog I beg you to PLEASE watch this documentary. Yes, it is 4 hours but it’s free and informative and important. You are living under a rock if you are oblivious to AIDS as there are 35 million people living with the disease and 2 million dying from the disease per year.

Preview:

Frontline Age of AIDS full documentary: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/aids/view/



Here's to 2011 and beyond! See you in 2 years!