This is going to be great!

Hi Kevin!
I think I have figured out how this works now, and I am awfully excited about our communication over the coming school year! I know the kids are going to really interested to hear about the things you see, the people you meet, and and the places you visit. How often will you be able to update this blog? I hope everything is going well for you, and thanks for getting this all set up.

A Little About Me

Hmm, let's start with the normal stuff.

As I said before, my first name is Kevin. My last name, Roche, comes from the very south of Ireland in a county called Cork. People say I look very Irish because I have red hair, but I'm also part German, French, and Czech. If I were a dog, people would definitely call me a mutt. Last January I was lucky enough to visit County Cork while traveling for a work trip. Here's a picture from the trip. It's of a fort!

I am 27 years old, and my birthday is Feb 25. This year I had an awesome birthday, because that was the day I received an envelope in the mail inviting me to join the Peace Corps and live in Guinea!

Before I joined the Peace Corps I worked at Eli Lilly in Indianapolis. Most days I worked alongside Mrs. Lloyd's husband. Mr. Lloyd is very funny and fun to jump on (we even did it at work!), so I encourage you all to plead with your teacher to bring him to school one day :) At Eli Lilly I was an automation engineer. Much of the time I made changes to computer programs so the equipment making the medicine would work better or so the people using the software could work more easily. It was fun and challenging work, but I was ready for a new challenge--one you'll soon be learning a lot more about!

I was born in Illinois but went to grade school and high school in Highland, IN, which is all the way in the Northwest corner of the state. Think of me if you ever drive to Chicago and see a big sign for Cabela's, because you're really close to my house!

When I was your age I involved with Cub Scouts (4th grade = Webelos, right?), karate, and piano; but my love was definitely baseball. I played first base until my coach told me I was too short, and then I had the time of my life chasing after fly balls in the outfield. All that running around must've payed off, because when I got older I started playing ultimate frisbee and liked it just as much. If you don't know what ultimate frisbee is, think of it as a combination of soccer and football, except you use a frisbee and are not allowed to hit each other. I also really enjoy running, hiking, reading, riding my bike to work, and taking pictures with my camera.


I have one older sister named Becky who lives in Boston, MA. It's a long way away, but I still get to see her quite often.

OK, enough for now! Time to run home and eat my last dinner with my parents before the big trip. Pork tenderloin and green beans, mmmmm.

Welcome!

To Mrs. Lloyd's 4th Graders,

Hello! My name is Kevin, a future Peace Corps Volunteer in Guinea, Africa. I don't know about you guys, but the first thing that came to my mind was...

Is that where guinea pigs are from?

The answer? Surprisingly, it's "no". Guinea pigs originated in the Andes mountains, all the way on the other side of the world in South America. I know, I know. Crazy, right? Sometimes the ways of the world just don't make any sense. It kind of reminds me of the rules of spelling. Just when you think you've got it all figured out ("I before E...ok, easy enough...piece, lie, tried..."), they throw the whole "except after C" loophole in there and the world just goes outta whack again!

Enough lamenting. I know that in the next couple years I'm going to find myself in plenty of situations where the world just doesn't seem to make sense anymore. Why? Because I'll be experiencing the world through the eyes of a different culture. Certain values very important to Americans might not be as important for someone living in Guinea. For example, if you were running late for a very important meeting but passed your best friend on the way there, would you stop to talk with her? In Guinea, it might be considered rude if you didn't stop, even if it meant you will be even later for your meeting.

Have you had the chance to look up Guinea on a map? If a map is available to you, go ahead now and take a look. Or, you can click here. Find it yet? If you haven't already, try and locate all three African countries with Guinea in the name. Hint: they all border the Atlantic Ocean.

Here's a map of just Guinea:

Guinea's about the size of Oregon, the 9th largest state in the USA. It's also about the size of the United Kingdom. About two weeks after I arrive, I'll get the chance to visit the place where I'll be living and working the next two years. None of the new volunteers knows where we will be staying yet, but we're all pretty excited to find out!

• Guinea in Wikipedia
• Guinea on the Peace Corps official webpage (what volunteers do)

Well, I've already had a long day scrambling to pick up a few last minute items before the big trip (like a hammock that compresses down to the size of a softball!) and saying goodbye to my grandparents one last time. Next time I'll tell you a little more about myself and my project. Until then, I'd like to sign off saying that I look forward to sharing my experiences with you all.

Have a great school year!
Kevin