13 Hours and Counting...

It's been a while since I've blogged, so my fingers are a little rusty! That being said, welcome to my latest blog! For those of you who don't know me, my name is Yvette, aka: "la vedette" or "the diva." I am a recent public health school graduate, a citizen of the world who loves to travel, and while there are so many other things I could share, there will be ample opportunity to hear more juicy details about my life...

This blog - "Diva in Malawi" - comes at a unique point in my twenty-something years of life. I've just ended one chapter as a recent Masters graduate, and I'm beginning a new one (entering the real world, if you will). 

I'll be working with monitoring and evaluation (M&E) for a fantastic non-governmental organization that works to prevent the transmission of HIV from mothers to babies in nine African countries. My home-base will be in Malawi -  a southern African country of more than 15 million. I'm sure your mind is buzzing with tons of questions: "What's M&E and what will your job entail?" "Tell me more about mothers2mothers." "Ma-la-what?" And  truthfully, although I can answer some of those questions, I've been pondering some of the same things! What will my day-to-day responsibilities be? What will it be like to work for this NGO? What will life in Malawi be like? I guess we'll be on a path of discovery together!

The question I've been asked most frequently, however, is, "Are you excited?!" Am I excited to be abroad in "Africa" for one whole year? In short, of course! Yes, I'm looking forward to an opportunity to exploring my passion for global health and sub-Saharan Africa, to experiencing a new country that my limited knowledge on comes from thesis research and from friends, to having a new set of adventures that I can put into a blog and into my memories of world travels. But when I really think about the transition that will be in full-force in the next 7 days, I realize that it's kind of scary. I have experienced Kenya, Namibia, Nigeria, Senegal, Zimbabwe, Gambia, India, Martinique, France, and several other countries - and I've had experience traveling on my own - but I've never been to Malawi and with that comes the unfamiliarity of a new territory. 

What makes me the most nervous is surprisingly not spending 12 months in a country I've never been to before. It's actually going to orientation in about 13 hours and meeting several other individuals who, like me, will be placed with different organizations in six countries. On the one hand, I can't wait to meet all of these young men and women (emphasis on the men ;P ) - Americans and Africans, alike - who have an interest in global health equity and saving the world, just like me! On the other hand, call me a little "high school-ish," but with meeting new people comes the fear and apprehension that maybe they won't like me, etc. etc. etc....And, of course, I'll miss all of my family and friends that I'm leaving behind (although anyone is welcome to visit, *hint hint*). 

I guess what I need to do over the next few hours is put my "big girl" panties on, get excited about the amazing opportunity that is before me, and - oh yeah - get these suitcases under 100 lbs! Be sure to tune in every week (or as internet accessibility allows) for the latest on the adventures of a diva in Malawi!! 

Yes, I am officially a Masters degree holder!

My family that I will miss so much!!

And friends....