Moving out and Moving on

Boxes are accumulating in every corner of the Searcy household as Chris and Jo are gearing up to move temporarily back east. I'm changing gears as well and frankly, have only had a few moments to even think about it.

For those of you who haven't heard or who can't quite remember which "M" country in Africa I'm heading to in the winter, here are my plans...
I'll be studying in both France and Mali (w.Africa) over the next seven months on two separate programs.

--From August through December, I will be in Paris on a study abroad/internship program run by IFE- Internships in Francophone Europe. "Le stage" (another word for the program ) is broken down into two parts. For 5 weeks, I'll be with 18 other students from colleges and universities around the U.S., taking two academic seminars focusing on French politics and social climate (past and present). We're in class for three to four hours in the mornings from Monday to Thursday and afternoons are used for oral presentations, site visits, etc. After a 1 week break, I start the second portion of the program which includes a 12 week internship, independent research, a 30-page "memoire de stage" (on that independent research), and a weekly nighttime seminar during which we study and debate issues currently facing the E.U.. I'll be interning with an international think tank, situated in Paris, the Institute for Islamic Studies and Societies of the Muslim World (or L'IISMM- l'Institut des etudes Islamiques et Societes du Monde Musulman). I've been told that I get to participate and help with their seminars (run each month by a selection of professors from universities all over the world on a monthly topic chosen by the administration) and aid in any French to English translation that needs to be done for communications or the seminars themselves. All I've been told is that this is an extremely challenging, but rewarding program. I'm hoping that it lives up to expectations!
A fun little note for anyone affiliated with Menlo: 4 other Menlo alums are going to be in Paris this fall studying with Tufts, Stanford, and IES and we'll all be able to spend a little bit of time catching up. Jacqueline and I will be living very close to each other in the 17eme; it doesn't seem that our now-13-year legacy of being in nearby cities is ending quite yet.

--From late December until early March (Carleton's Winter Term), I will be in Mali with Cherif Keita and about 19 other Carleton students. It'll be a great opportunity to reunite with some Carleton kids (Claire and Hannah!) and share in Cherif's culture and not only to study the rich history of the region, but also to better understand life in a West African city- we will be in Bamako, the capital city- and west African villages. During class time we will be studing literature, culture, film, society, and local language (Bambara). And because classes only run from Monday through Thursday, we will be able to take weekend trips out to local points of interests. I've been told that some of these include the village in which Cherif's father grew up, and the Dogon Clifs-- Bob Curtis, that should sound familiar. The highlight of the trip, or so I heard, is the much anticipated "epic journey" to Timbuktu, Burkina Faso, and other areas farther outside of the capital city. I can't wait for this trip, but it should prove to be an interesting adjustment after life in Paris.


I head off for 7 months, in only 5 days, and at this point it still seems far off. Kind of a big undertaking, but I'm excited and I can't wait to see what the next seven months will bring- expected or unexpected. If only the even bigger undertaking of UHaul boxes could be finished first...

I will be updating this as best I can when I'm in Paris and in Mali. I'll have a better idea of my internet access as I go. I wish you all love from California for now, and am happy to have a way to keep you all updated on where I'll be over the next few months. I would hate NOT to be in touch with you all, so please please please keep me updated on your lives, wherever they may take you.

I'm reached most easily at searcyl@carleton.edu. If you'd like mail or anything special from Paris, please e-mail me an address! I think this thing is enabled for comments, so feel free to contact me that way if its easiest. The link to where I will keep the bulk of my photos during the trip is somewhere floating in that dust-brown abyss toward the right hand side of the page.
Love to you all,
ls