Staging

So! It definitely seems like we have all been here much longer than 2 days!!! The time went fast, but I feel like I have known everyone for a while. And the amount of stuff we went over was pretty far ranging for the limited amount of time. And tomorrow we get on the plane to Paris and then Bamako!!! We really got everything out on the table; talked about our fears/reservations, what to expect, how to cope with certain situations, aspirations, goals, and basic getting to know our group. (Plus we went to see the liberty bell, and ate some really good food to store up for the next 2 years!!) There are 77 of us and we are joining 119 other volunteers in Mali now (half of which are starting to come home since their two years are ending). We're staying a couple of days in the training center and then moving to host villages until September when we move to our permanent posts!!! I am a group leader for traveling tomorrow, which is a little nerve-racking because I don't want to lose anybody, hahaha. But I'm sure it will be fine, and I am up for the challenge. After all, if we can't get ourselves through the airport and to Mali, I might start to question how we're going to last in country. I will probably have so so much more to report come thursday.