The Training Begins

After a trip to DC and some time to get to know some fellow volunteers, we've really started to get to know each other and begin bonding. We spent one full in Washington DC and many of us had the opportunity to explore the city and bike around. It was really a special place to be before becoming ambassadors for the US to serve in Liberia.

Crusin' in DC

During this evenig in DC, we took an Uber home. Our driver happened to be from South Africa and one of his previous teachers was a PCV. He was so excited to share about it with us and it was such an uplifting moment the night before our flight!
We spent many hours on a plane and after a long trip finally made it to Liberia. Upon arrival we were greeted by the amazing Peace Corps Staff that will be training us and preparing us for service. We also took a bus ride to our training site and then hung out before going to bed to recover from jet lag. (Which I still don't think I'm recovered from!)

The Welcome Crew


After just a few days of training we've already been learning so much. Language and various aspects of Liberian culture have been by far the most interesting aspects of training to me so far. Many Liberian people speak Liberian English and it is fascinating to learn the different words and phrases that sound similar but yet much different than the English language I am used to.


Here's an example of a greeting in Liberian English:

Liberian English Greeting: How you comin' on?
Meaning: How are you doing?

Liberian English Response: A a'rih, tenk yu.
Meaning: I'm alright, thank you.

Peace Corps Staff Preparing for Training

Simple differences like this turn into a language that, when spoken, I can barely comprehend it. However, it is so comforting seeing current Peace Corps Volunteers speaking so naturally with local people. I know I'll be able to catch on with some hard work and immersion into the community.

This weekend we plan to stay at a local site and visit a currently serving volunteer. After that, we return we will have an adoption ceremony where we are taken in by a host family. I'm looking forward to giving updates with how it goes so stay posted!

Peace Corps Staff and Volunteers












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