Arrival!!

So, I’ve arrived safely in Togo!!! We’ve been here 48 hours, but it already feels like so much longer, especially since the days have been jam packed. We arrived in Lome on time on Saturday and were given the VIP treatment. We got off the plane and were taken to a special waiting room with couches and air conditioning and waited while Peace Corps got our luggage and passports stamped. It felt very official!! Since arrival, we’ve been really well taken care of. The past 2 days have been full of sessions with program managers, health officers, administration, and more. There are also a lot of volunteers who came down to Lome to welcome us and help out with training. It’s been great to finally be able to ask the questions about Peace Corps and Togo that I’ve had for the past 4 months. Last night, a welcome party was held for us that even the U.S. ambassador attended!!

Overall, since arriving, I’ve just felt really excited and happy. Getting off the plane, there was that well-known smell of smoke from various things burning that immediately brought me back to Niger. However, the air in Lome is thicker and more humid and mixed with the salty smell of nearby ocean. So far, we’ve been shuttled around, so I don’t have a good sense of the city yet. However, my first impression is that it is a very laid back city with not too much traffic. We’ve been mainly on side roads that are dirt and currently covered in huge potholes that have filled high with water due to the rainy reason we arrived in. There seems to be fewer livestock wandering the streets than in Niamey. I’ve only seen one goat so far, but there are familiar sights of women carrying enormous loads on their heads and both men and women walking around in colorful pagne outfits. It’s hard right now to not compare Niger to Togo, but I know this will be a unique experience and I’m excited to get to know the country and culture. However, in many ways it does feel like I’m coming back to something familiar and a region of the world that I really love.
We have 3 more nights in Lome and then we move to our training site where I will not have electricity, so I don’t know how many times I’ll be able to post over the next 8weeks. Apparently, we find out our site placements in about 10 days, which is earlier than usual, so I’m really excited for that. I’ve talked to volunteers from all regions and they each sound interesting and challenging in their own way. I just can’t wait to know!!!

So far, I just feel so lucky to have been placed in Togo. The staff are great, the other volunteers are really welcoming, and I just feel like I’ll have a well-run training to give me a good start and will be well taken care of throughout my service, which is all I can ask for. So far, I’m so glad with my decision to join the Peace Corps!!