Monday, June 29, 2009

Site Placement

Site Placement is one of the most anticipated events of all of Peace Corps Training (second to the swearing in ceremony when we are finally free to go to our sites and let the fun begin). It makes or breaks friendships (or burgeoning crushes, yes people love is in the air, and the coupling bets have already been placed) and most assuredly determines who you will be seeing on a regular basis once at site.
The ceremony goes something like this: you are brought to a large open area and sat down on some benches around a giant chalk drawn map of Ghana. From there you are called one-by-one to go stand on the map at the place of your future site. This gives you the opportunity to physically look around and see who you will be close to and who you will probably never see again.


With my fingers crossed and my thoughts wishing for the Northern Region, which I had grown to love during my VQ. I sat and began waiting for my name. I was probably the 6th or 7th person called so it didn’t take long. I was placed in the coveted Central Region!


Although, it was not at all what I expected, as I talked to some trainees who went there for their VQs I realized my site was just 25 minutes from Cape Coast, a notorious resort town. The Central Region has the reputation for the nicest accommodations and proximity to many creature comforts. Although, I cannot confirm or deny any of these things as I have not visited, it certainly changes my perspective about what the next two years will be like.
It also means I am close to Accra which makes it much easier for everybody to come visit me! Who wouldn’t want to go stay in a resort town for a nice vacation in Ghana!? Start buying your tickets now, my bungalow is your bungalow.

1 comment:

KK said...

Ari
We are so visiting next summer.