FAQ's

A number of people have been wanting to know about my coming adventure (Where are you going? What will you be doing? etc), so I thought I might answer them here in case you were wondering the same thing...

When do you leave?
I leave Sept 9th for Pre-Staging in Washington D.C., which basically means a time for me to sign my life away and get a bunch of shots. The real journey doesn't start until Sept 11th, when I will officially embark on my next adventure in Peru.

Why did you decide to do the Peace Corps?
There are a number of reasons why I decided to go into the Peace Corps all the way from the convenience of it all (I'm out of school, no mortgage, no family, no job) to idealism (I want to contribute to something greater than myself). I also like to think I have an adventurous side of me, which was just craving to see more of the world and what better way than to have the U.S. government pay for it all. Thanks Mr. Obama!

Do you know where you will be living?
I will be living with a host family somewhere near Chaclacayo (about an hour east of Lima) for training. The first 11 weeks are devoted to training in all aspects including language, technical skills, safety and security, and health. True to Peace Corps-Style, I won't know where I will be living for the next 2 years until about week 8 or 9. This also adds another twist to the already difficult packing situation, since I will have to be packing for the desert AND the mountains.

What will you be doing?
Good question...Officially, I am a Public Health Educator in the Community Health Program. Unofficially, I will be doing whatever my community needs me to do. There are three main goals of my program: 1. Health Promotion 2. Environmental Health Promotion 3. Healthy Sexual Behaviors. Actual projects I might be working on could be developing education and awareness campaigns, building latrines and cooking stoves, training mothers in the importance of a healthy diet, and planting community gardens. Then of course, there are opportunities for secondary projects not related to my field, like leadership camps, teaching English, or organizing women craft groups. I'm not sure how Peruvians will find my scrap booking skills, but we'll see.

Will you be living with a family?
Yes I will. From what I hear from other volunteers, this isn't very common. I will be living with a host family during training (typical), and then moving in with another host family once I get to my post (atypical). I'm looking forward to learning my host mom's secret recipes, playing with the many youngins' (I hope), and just being apart of a family as I will be missing mine dearly.

Do you get paid?
As if living abroad for 2 years, learning a new language and culture isn't enough, I get paid to boot! I will be receiving a monthly living allowance that will enable me to live a modest lifestyle that fits in with my community. I also get special allowances for moving in, vacation expenses, and readjustment for once I get back home. Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on the way you look at it), I won't be making bucket-loads of money, but that just means I don't have to file taxes in 2010 (You are welcome Dad)! But I think the experiences I will be having and the people I will be meeting will more than make up for the money that I would be making back at home.

Do you get vacation?
Being the working girl that I am, I accrue 2 days of vacation a month (not including training). So hopefully I can save enough up to travel around and have people come visit me (wink wink).

Can we contact you?
But of course! Thanks to the world wide web, I don't think we will have too much of problem staying in contact. I won't have a cell phone until I become an official volunteer, but email will work just fine. I also have skype (anniebopannie), so if you have forgotten what I look like, we can schedule a chit-chat. Not sure how much Internet service I will be able to find, but I will do my best to answer emails and so on...I would very much love to hear from each and every one of you!

How do I mail stuff to you?
I can receive mail during training at the following address:

Annie Embertson, PCT
Cuerpo de Paz
Calle Via Lactea 132
Urb. Los Granados, Surco
Lima 33, Peru

Once I get sworn in as a volunteer and get to my post, I will let you all know my new address.

As far as mailing instructions go, they recommend people not to mail packages over 1.1 pounds or with a declared value of $100 or more since it is costly, time consuming, and I will have to pay a fee. It's best to send only small items and to use a padded envelope. If you are a loss for what to send, books, magazines, and photos are always welcome.

Please don't take this as you HAVE to send me something. Of course I will be happy to receive anything you wish to send, but a friendly email will do just the same.

Can we visit?
If you haven't already guessed from the earlier hints, anyone is more than welcome to come and visit. I won't be able to have visitors until 6 months of being in-country (February 2010), but any other time is free game. If you do decide to venture down south, you can expect to have a "real" experience of Peru courtesy of me.

That's all for now. If you have more questions, shoot some my way.