Site Installation on Monday May 10th

Written May 11th
I was installed yesterday at approximately noon. Installation is Peace Corps fancy way of saying site move in day. And yes it really is as traumatic and scary as everyone says it is. At 7:00am I woke up to finish some last minute packing. With all the shopping days in Kigali my luggage seems to have doubled yet space has not, except we were given large trunks so that is where I was able to fit most of my stuff. So then comes time to load the trucks. I and one other girl shared a pickup truck with our stuff. It was very full but it all fit. Then I and 2 others took a bus to our sides. At the guest house we were staying at we had to say goodbye to all our other friends not knowing when the next time we may see them again. The first stop was Kamonyi to drop off one of the girls in my bus. She had her own pickup truck with all her stuff so she got out and we drove away. Just like that she was at her site and we were off to my site. After seeing how that went I think I got even more nervous. I live just off a paved road, but my house is on a dirt road. It’s a perfect size in my opinion. It has 3 bedrooms, a living room and a kitchen. My bathroom has a flushing toilet and a working shower. My house has electricity and running water. I am definitely not roughing it in this house. But this may only be temporary for 2-3 months.
So once arriving at my house the whole neighborhood helped unload the truck and bring stuff inside for me. I then road around with my counterpart to see all the places I needed to see. We went to both markets one very close but small and one is very large and a bit farther away. We stopped to see the office and then we went to two carpenters to compare bed frame prices. We went to the gas station to get petrol for my kerosene stove which is how I will cook my meals. And then I was dropped off at my house again and abandoned. I had all my things to unpack and organize but I can’t even explain how alone I felt and the feeling of having no idea what I was supposed to do next. So taking the advice from another peace corps volunteer who said do not just sit in your house and feel sorry for yourself that will only make things worse. I was also told the first 2 weeks would be a lot of sitting and waiting and meeting the neighborhood and letting them know who you are. So I went out to my front porch and sat there, saying Mirirwe to everyone passing by. My next door neighbor came out and sat next to me. She is at an English speaking university studying Psychology and computer science. She was really nice and we got to talk for a while. I even got invited over her house to meet her brother and sister. They all are very intelligent English speakers. I watched 24 with them in French. It was a lot of fun and I felt like I already have friends. Then as I leave their home for the night the man who I knew was coming to meet me came to take me to meet the boss of my umudugdu. I was surprised and happy to find out she is a women. Then I was invited to the man who took me to meet her back to his house which it turns out is right behind my house, in fact our houses are attached. I later realize he is my land lord and owns my house. He feed me beer and somosa’s and I met his whole family. Everyone is so nice. His wife even walked me home and gave me curtains to hang over my windows. This morning I woke up and finished unpacking then walked around town to see what I could find. I was happy to find a shop that sells French baguettes. I also found how to get to both markets, found a gym and a sauna. Muhanga is the second largest city in Rwanda so I think almost anything can be found, it just may take me a few weeks to really learn my way around.