Let's start at the beginning...

We couldn't stand eachother when we first met... you've heard the story. But that was only because we expected the other one to be like everyone else... and we couldn't quite figure it out when the other person wasn't quite the norm... but we liked it! So it was no surprise that Adam and I weren't the get-married-go-on-the-honeymoon-buy-a-house-get-a-job-and-start-a-family kind of couple. We knew we would do things a little bit differently...

Our first application to the Peace Corps was submitted in December, 2006. That seems about five lifetimes ago now... since then we've done a lot, accomplished a lot. We got engaged, moved three times, brainstormed pet and baby names, hosted parties, went to parties, held down 8 jobs all together, planned a wedding, got married, went to lots of other people's weddings, went broke, earned some money, attended classes...classes... and more classes, and we are arriving at the completion of our respective degrees. But throughout it all, in the back of our minds, there was the Peace Corps. The applications, the skills addendums, the medical paperwork, the background checks, the crushing deferment...

And after 2.5 years of potentially obnoxious perseverance, we received our regional placement. We got the call from Liz - our Chicago recruiter - in April: "They have a spot for you..." she said, "somewhere in eastern or southern Africa." That made for nearly 16 possible country assignments, but we didn't care. We knew it was Africa... that's what we had spent the last 2.5 years dreaming about... Africa.

So all we know now is that Adam will be doing "Youth Development" and I will be working towards "NGO Development" (that's Nongovernmental Organizations... for my non-poli-sci people.) And Africa... that's it.

But trust us, that's okay for now.

This blog will chronicle the months leading up to our country assignment - the myriad appointments, mountains of paperwork and constant (constant!) anxiety about finding out exactly when, exactly where, exactly how - as well, of course, as our adventures in the Peace Corps during service. We invite you to follow along the journey with us, as it begins here and, with any luck, continues for the rest of our lives...

Let life begin...