Introduction

This blog is intended for my friends and family as a way to let them know what I'm up to in the next 27 months, but in case someone else happens to find this, here's a brief introduction.

My name is Lydia, and I'm 23 years old. I was born in Des Moines, Iowa, and have lived there my whole life, with the exception of my college years, which were spent at the University of Iowa. I graduated about two years ago with degrees in French and English, which I'm now putting to use as an English teacher in Cameroon, a francophone country in western Africa.

The symmetry of the situation still surprises me. The other day, I was going through a box in my mom's basement and found an essay I wrote during my senior year of high school. In it, I write about wanting to join the Peace Corps someday. Five years later, it's actually happening.

I'm still processing the reality of my situation: I've known since October what my assignment was, and I've done quite a bit of reading and research since then, but I can't help but feel that I'm still unprepared.