Mailing Address for March - May '08

This is for those of you who were asking for a mailing address while I'm overseas... though this is only for the training period and I will have a new address when I move to my village

PCT Brittany Barnes
Corps de la Paix
B.P. 299
Thiès, Senegal
West Africa

...I can't believe I leave in less than 3 weeks...

So, I posted the address earlier today, but tonight I was trying to decide what to pack for storage, what to pack to donate if I make it 6 months (kind of a safety net, but I don't think I'll need it) and I came across some pictures and random stuff I had thought 3 months ago that I would want and need with me. Turns out, that stuff's not so important... this had me thinking about what kind of person I am, where I came from, and who I will be when I return from this journey. Hopefully I like whoever I am while I'm volunteering and when I return... and hopfully my friends and family do, too.

I've also been on this roller coaster thought pattern about whether I think I'll be able to handle it or not (leaving home for so long, whatever assignment I take on, all the bugs, the culture shock, learning the language, etc, etc). Last night a good friend told me "no one's going to call you a quitter if you come home early." In a strange way, I needed to hear that though I know I would not respond well if I didn't carry out my whole commitment. It's just nice to know that other people won't be as hard on you and you're your own worst critic and blah blah blah... someone else mentioned how self-conscious they are about having a blog... me too. This is kind of awkward...