The first month at post... eek

Hi friends! Guess what? I'm officially a Peace Corps Volunteer! I'm all done with training, and therefore fluent in Hausa and I understand this culture perfectly. That was sarcasm, in case you didn't catch it. Tomorrow I'll be getting installed, which means that I'll actually begin my service and live in my village for two years, in sha Allah. For the first month, we aren't allowed to leave our village to come into the regional capitol, which means I won't be online for quite some time. But feel free to write me letters because those I can get and will appreciate them oh so much! A few weeks ago, when I was still a lowly Peace Corps Trainee, I went to my village and stayed for a total of two nights to get a feel for what service will be like. I have to say, I may be the luckiest volunteer in country. My village is awesome. The people are positively wonderful. There are plenty of patient people who are willing to help me out with Hausa and laugh with me when I pretend to understand more than I do. My CSI, which is the health center in the village, is high class. The doctor loves having me there to help, and there is always plenty of work to do. And this may not sound to exciting to you back in America, but because I'm so close to Nigeria my food supply is epically more diverse than most Nigerien (that's Niger, not Nigeria) villages. I can get fried chicken! I know, big deal right? But really, it is. Don't take your American chicken for granted, friends. I'm also very excited at the prospect of working with Fulani people who have smaller villages surrounding my new home. Fulani people are herders and speak Fulanci (or Fufulde, depending on who you ask.)
I've been offered the chance to learn Fulanci, and possibly teach a group of men in a surrounding village (a Nigerien suburb, if you will) English in return. I'm so excited to not only learn Hausa (and hopefully French, in sha Allah) but possibly Fulanci as well and work so closely with various ethnic groups within Niger. But before I get too far ahead of myself, let's remember that I have to get through month one first. It'll be hard, and I'm pretty nervous, but I'm also excited that after so much hype I'm really starting. Imagine being dropped off in a village where you look and think differently than everyone else there. Crazy, right? But this is the best kind of nervous to be. And I'm sure I'll have some ridiculous stories for y'all after my month away. Meanwhile, you're thoughts and prayers and maybe even some letters thrown in there are appreciated oh so greatly! As always, thanks for reading and I'll let you know how this crazy whim I had turns out…