And next year I am off to Côte d'Ivoire to visit my friend Erik. He will be leaving the U.S. in mid-June. I am very excited for him. He's wanted to be a Peace Corps volunteer for a long while. He loves Africa (he's spent a lot of time there) and he speaks French fluently (as a matter of fact he talks to my mom in French - I don't even get to do that). He's now my third friend to travel to Africa as a Peace Corps volunteer. The other two worked in Guinea and Mali. Other close family friends volunteered in Jamaica in the 1960s. It's something I always thought I would do too. But, once I completed a few years of college, I realized I wouldn't be able to handle it. It's not even for physical reasons. Mentally and emotionally it would be too much of a challenge for me. Perhaps one day that will change. Maybe I will think differently when I visit next year. Or perhaps the trip will reinforce how I already feel. posted by kristar 10:13 AM
