This is For Real...

So I know that have no excuse for not posting sooner, since I have wi-fi and am currently unemployed (which I am kind of liking by the way). I just don't find my life in South Bend super interesting which is why I put it off. I thought about making a list of things that I will miss while I'm gone (cliche I know) but that list was simply too long. Then I decided to make a list of things that I won't miss but the only thing that came to mind was snow. So I ditched the idea altogether and decided that I will make a list of things I miss once I've been in Madagascar for long enough to start missing things. Which might not be too long, but be on the lookout!

So I had my first (minor) freakout two weeks ago. I received my staging kit in the mail from the Peace Corps. Staging is a 2 day event in Washington D.C. where I have some training and get to know the group of future volunteers that I will be traveling to and living in Madagascar with. There are 31 people (besides me) in my group. (Side note: Of the 32, twenty are females and twelve are males. There are even a few married couples.) The next step was to call the travel agency they use and arrange a flight to D.C. The freakout came when I got my email confirmation with my flight itinerary. For the past 3 months (since mid-November when I received my invitation) I have been talking about my upcoming adventure but it honestly didn't really set in until I had an actual plane ticket. I am going to give you guys the inside scoop (I know you are all excited!) on how one goes about actually getting to Madagascar. Here is my international flight itinerary:

20 Feb 08 - Wednesday
Leave Washington Dulles Airport 5:20 pm
21 Feb 08 - Thursday
Arrive Johannesburg, South Africa 3:45 pm non-stop 15hrs25min
22 Feb 08 - Friday
Leave Johannesburg, South Africa 9:35 am
Arrive Antananarivo, Madagascar 2:05 pm non-stop 3hrs30min

Not too bad-I hope they have good movies on the plane though! I am leaving South Bend before that though, on Monday the 18th. I have a flight departing bright and early at 7 am that will take me to D.C. via Cincinnati.

For anyone that might be interested in what one might pack when planning on living on a different continent for 27 months (or future PCVs), here are a few things from the packing list provided by the Peace Corps (compiled by current PCVs). There is also an 80 lb weight limit...

General Clothing
• Lightweight all-weather jacket
• Hooded sweatshirt or fleece
• Knit hat and gloves
• Swimsuit (PCVs recommend a bathing suit sufficiently stylish for vacations possibly spent at a resort on the island)
• Bandannas or handkerchiefs
• Baseball cap or straw hat for sun protection
• Good-quality lightweight raincoat and heavy-duty poncho
• Slacks and shirts or blouses (some sleeveless)
• Shorts and other clothes for lounging around (e.g., drawstring pajama pants or doctor’s scrubs).
• For women, dresses or skirts (below the knee for teachers, with no slits above the knee and not tight-fitting), including a dressy outfit
• Plenty of underwear, bras (including a sports bra), and socks
• Belt
• Money belt
• An outfit you could wear out for social evenings when with other PCVs
Note: The three ideal characteristics of clothing in Madagascar are dark colors, many pockets, and the ability to withstand rain and mud splatters (i.e., quick drying and breathable). In general, one should dress conservatively. It does get cold, so bring some warm clothes. Do not bring a lot of clothes, just three or four outfits for staging and the beginning of training; you can buy just about anything in local markets.

Shoes
• Sandals such as Tevas or Chacos
• Sneakers and/or hiking boots (at least two pairs of sneakers)
• Dress shoes for special occasions

Miscellaneous
• Sturdy water bottle (e.g., Nalgene)
• Leatherman or Swiss army knife
• Compact sleeping bag for cold weather (40 degree bag is sufficent)
• Indiglo watch
• Bungee cords or backpack straps
• Flashlight or headlamp with extra bulbs (Petzl makes a good headlamp)
• Shortwave radio
• Solar-powered rechargeable batteries with recharger
• Duct tape
• Scissors
• Good envelopes

Lastly, I would like to give a special thanks to Matt Aurenz and Faiz Khoja, financial planners extraordinaire, for helping me come up with a title for my blog. While seemingly simple, there is more to "Where in the World is Sasha Elliott?" than meets the eye. Not only is it fitting for my upcoming adventure, but it is also a tribute to the old, yet awesome, show "Where in the World is Carmen Sandiego?" For anyone who has ever seen the show, there is a part where the contestant (aka the gumshoe) runs around a huge map to find a location. The way Matt, Faiz, and I remember it, that location was always Madagascar. Second place goes to my lovely little sister, Kady Elliott, for the title "Girl Gone Wild." While definitely humorous, I thought that it might not exactly bring the right image to mind. So stay tuned to keep updated with my Peace Corps journey. Oh and feel free to start writing me letters :)