Yay for Pen Pals!

It’s official! I will be participating in the World Wise School’s Correspondence Program with Kathie Davidson from Riverside High School. For those unaware, Ms. Davidson is probably the coolest World History/International Relations teacher there is. I mean she actually had a clue where Kiribati might be located on a map—so she basically knows her stuff! Now back to the program. The goal is to share my Peace Corps experience with a U.S. classroom. In my case I will be corresponding with her International Relations class (which just so happened to be my favorite class senior year).

From what I have read about the program it doesn’t officially start until I am sworn in, but thanks to the internet I’m hoping to get a few e-mails out to her class during training. I think juniors and seniors in High School will get a kick out of hearing about a 22 year old struggling with grammar or learning a new skill. Not that I hope I struggle too hard while in training but lets me honest, a bumpy road’s good for you, it builds character.

So Thursday I am going to help Ms. Davidson decorate my bulletin board! I’m not exactly sure how we will decorate yet, but obviously a map of Peru with a title to the effect of “Where in Peru is Jenny Schwartz?” is needed. If anyone knows what font they used in Where’s Waldo books you will get extra kudos points by letting me know (coincidence that Waldo wore red and white and the Peruvian flag is also red and white? I think not). But I figure I will bring in a few starter photos from my last trip to Peru and they can just add more that I send or post online.

But that is my big new development in life pre-Peace Corps. There are a little over 20 days now until I leave for Washington DC for staging. So my time until then will be spent looking at my packing list and making adjustments, eating my favorite meals (and lots of peanut butter…they don’t have much of that in Peru), and helping coach the Field Hockey team at RHS. Oh yeah, I almost forgot, I will also be making a loud and obnoxious sign that says “SASHA” seeing as how we’re meeting at the airport in DC and sharing a cab to the hotel. For those wondering, we will not have cell phones (yes how old school), so loud signs are the cool thing to do. But for her sake, I think I’ll avoid glitter--it’s probably not so good for the x-ray scanner at the airport either…

And a special side note to Mr. Lang since I just saw you in the hallway at RHS and I figure you will be reading this blog at some point:

While I did learn a lot from your AP English class, my grammar is still horrible, and I majored in Math. Therefore I apologize in advance for any errors in comma placement and or use…but let’s face it; I never got them right when I was in class either!

And for the benefit of my fellow math majors and especially Will, in MatLab form:

while still a math major

grammar sucks, accept it.

else

No excuse.

end