prêt ou pas

It's officially time to set Italian aside and dedicate all of my efforts to learning (hopefully mastering) French. I received a call from my Peace Corps placement officer yesterday. He followed up on some of the concerns that I expressed in my original interview back in February. We spent a long time discussing my diet and whether or not I'm willing to adhere to the advice/demands of my PC medical provider. Apparently, the doc will have the final say on what I do and do not eat or I will be sent home. Just the thought of eating an animal makes me cry. This will definitely be my biggest challenge... and without further ado, I guess I should disclose what I know of my final placement. I'm definitely going to francophone sub-Saharan West Africa, my placement is definitely rural health care, and I'm definitely leaving either in mid-October or the first of December. I should know the exact location and departure date by next week. The key word in my placement is "rural"- my PO (placement officer) stressed the importance of learning French before my departure, as my in-country training will focus on the local language of my village. Rosetta Stone, please come through for me. It's hard to believe that in only a few months I will be able to speak four languages.

In the meantime, I'm enjoying life back in Athens. Saying goodbye to my Italian little sisters was probably the most emotionally wrenching thing that I've ever experienced. Only a few days after my return to the States, I headed off to Lollapalooza in Chicago along with two good friends, Casey and Lisa. We experienced a crazy three days of incredible music, with notable performances by The National, Arcade Fire, The Dirty Projectors, MGMT, Grizzly Bear, and Lady Gaga (I never thought I would say that, ever). After Lolla, we hit the road for two weeks of pure madness. We hit up Denver, Boulder, Flagstaff, Sedona, the Grand Canyon, Santa Fe, Austin, and New Orleans, enjoying the hospitality and generosity of couch surfers all along the way. We also had a fabulous stop-over in Mississippi to visit all of the grandparents. The instability and constant change of scenery was most refreshing after a quiet and stable summer in Italy. And now, I'm learning to once again be still, at least for the time being. Life is such a trip.