Oy. Who knew that having two months at home to pack could be a bad thing? I've been going through Gambia packing lists online, which are all really long, and I found another education volunteer who'll be going at the same time I will, and we've been chatting back and forth, mostly about good durable shoes that are breathable. I have to prepare for being away two years and somehow fit it into a duffel bag and personal backpack. And looming over me is the fact that I'm going to be gone for TWO YEARS and that I'm going to be a teacher. Confession time: I may have gotten a degree in Biology, but English has always been my best subject. I've always had to work at science and upper-level math, yet somehow I find that now that I've graduated (which still hasn't quite sunk in yet), I have a degree and most of my course and lab experience has been in molecular biology, discovering genes and making mutant strains of Streptococcus pyogenes (the bacteria that causes flesh-eating disease). What happened to other important aspects of biology, like anatomy and ecology? I have some experience, but nowhere near my experience at the molecular level. And yet, anatomy and ecology are probably much more practical to teach in Gambia, where they don't have equipment like microscopes. I've talked with the chair of the biology department at Coe about getting some of the old optic microscopes (the kind that have a reflective surface to catch sunlight or roomlight and reflect it up into the microscope), though I shudder to think at the cost of that.

Anyway, that's what's going through my head right now. Back to studying for the GRE.

Alrighty, so I'm back in GP. I've started working part-time in the clubhouse of the Red Mountain Golf Course, and right now I'm working on my list of items I need wo bring to Gambia. My mom and I have found some long skirts and summer dresses so that I'll be decent while still cool. I don't know what I'm going to do not being able to wear pants for two years. I've never felt especially comfortable in skirts, but these long skirts aren't too bad. I don't want to bring a lot of clothes when I could be bringing stuff like flashlights or things like that. I know I'll be buying most of my stuff there, so it's hard to figure out what I will and won't be able to buy there. I've been trying to do some language studying as well, but I'm also studying for the GRE so I'm trying not to overload my brain. I'm basically just trying to help out and spend time with my family while getting ready, and sometimes it's hard to be in the moment and make good memories when I'm so excited about going to a new place. Ah well. I'll get things figured out eventually. :-D