9/23/2004

As I write this, I'm witnessing what is quite possibly the most beautiful sunset I've ever seen.

I'm flying over the Algerian desert now, about two hours before landing in N'Djamena, the capital of Chad, & around me the sky is exploding with crimson & orange-streaked hues against a quickly fading blue background. Although it's simply blackness now, the Sahara is spread out below, seven and a half miles down.

We left from Paris earlier this afternoon, where we were stopped for an 8-hour layover after coming in from Philadelphia. Staging, the first phase of Peace Corps training, was a three-day whirlwind of new faces & names, rules & regulations, packing lists and worksheets, and most of all a chance to finally meet the 16 others who will be such a close part of my life for the next 27 months.

You know, it's funny- ever since I found out that I'd been invited to serve in Chad I've spent a few minutes of each day thinking, "wow, I'm really moving to Chad." Well, it feels real now. It's been a huge comfort to meet 16 others in the exact same situation, and I really think things will work out just fine... I'm sure they will, in fact.

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