This past Wednesday, December 1, the day we’ve all been waiting for arrived: Swearing-in! After 11 weeks of training, we’re no longer Peace Corps Trainees – we’re now official Peace Corps Volunteers!

the three Volunteers from Virginia

Theo, our technical trainer, and Hunter

with Maman Angele, my first host mom, who insisted that we take a photo together. I guess she doesn't like to smile for photos.

with Papa Clement and Maman Francoise, my host parents of my wonderful Bafia family

We spent Wednesday night at a hotel. The next morning, I stopped by my host family’s house to say goodbye once again and to have breakfast with them for the last time. I will miss them a ton.

Then, I went to our  training center for the last time with the other 47 new Volunteers, before we departed for our respective sites.  It was also my birthday, and the other volunteers sang “Happy Birthday” to me. Becoming a Volunteer was definitely the best birthday present I could have asked for. I then joined one of the two buses of people heading to Yaounde. It is still so hard to believe that I’m not going to see a lot of these other volunteers until our In-Service Training conference in March – people who I’ve spent 8+ hours a day for 11 weeks with.

a birthday card

contrary to popular belief, Peace Corps Volunteers have a LOT of stuff

goodbye, Bafia! goodbye, other Volunteers!

Being in Yaounde for the afternoon was great. We got delicious Chinese food for lunch! And I got to take a hot shower, woot. Then, the group headed for the Grand North boarded the train. I wasn’t really looking forward to taking the train on my birthday, but it wasn’t so bad. Someone gave me a “Birthday twinkie” from a care package she received.  She held a lighter over it while people sang “Happy Birthday” again, and I blew out the flame. It was cute

The train arrived in Ngaoundere around 9 am – only 16 hours this time! We met up with the Peace Corps staff who had taken care of all of our stuff that was sent up ahead of time (our luggage, water filters, bikes, etc) and split up our stuff and ourselves into our three regions of the Grand North. There was another round of painful goodbyes, and my bus then headed off to Maroua.

I’m currently at the Peace Corps transit house in Maroua. We’ve all been preparing to finally move to our posts. I’m finally heading to Kolofata tomorrow! I’m renting a pick-up truck with two other volunteers tomorrow. It’s so crazy that in less than 24 hours, I’ll be in my own house for the next two years.