New details, new excitements!

Today I had a brief interview with Mavis Huggins, the Associate Peace Corps Director for the islands of St. Kitts & Nevis, along with two other PC trainers. The ladies have asked to speak with all of us who will be departing soon to serve in the Eastern Caribbean. They want to gain some insight on our experience and our ambitions for PC service. It was a brief conversation, but it went really well, and added yet another surge to my growing excitement. We discussed some of the youth development work that I have done here in the U.S., including tutoring and mentoring. Mavis wanted to know what projects I was hoping to involve myself in while in St.Kitts. Luckily, I have been reading a lot of other blogs and doing plenty of research on the islands. Two ideas that I have come up with are a literacy program for primary students. Reading has always been one of my favorite hobbies, even as a kid, and I am excited about sharing this passion with the students on St.Kitts. I think a strong interest in reading is something that all students can benefit from. Another project that I have been considering is a Girls Group. I haven't really worked out the details yet, but basically I want to work with a group of girls to help improve their self-confidence, body image, activity level, etc. In many developing countries, women are still viewed and treated as second class citizens. Changing the way girls seem themselves and their potential, can impact the way that their community perceives them as well.Mavis and the other trainers gave me some great feedback on my ideas, and commented that my ambitions will serve the community well. What a great feeling to be so well received right off the bat!
They also provided me with some encouraging updates on my communication options on St.Kitts. Apparently Internet is readily available in most homes, so keeping up with the blog and emails should be pretty easy. She also recommended leaving my US cell phone at home, and purchasing an inexpensive prepaid phone while on the island. So chances are, I'll even be able to make regular phone calls back home!
We ended the conversation by discussing my accommodations. August 25th-30th will be spent on the island of St.Lucia for some initial training. On August 31st I will be relocated to the island of St.Kitts, where I will spend 6 weeks with a Kittian host family. They will open their home to me, and "adopt" like I was one of their own. With my host family, I will have an opportunity to learn about Kittian life & culture, and they will have the privilege (responsibility?) of introducing me to my neighborhood. After the 6 week period, I will be sworn in as an official Peace Corps Volunteer and set out to an apartment on my own!