As many of you know I love a good election, something about the campaigning just thrills me. I enjoy the work, love the connections made with people and don't mind the long long hours. I think a big part of why I love campaigning is because it makes me fell like I am part of something bigger, something important. Campaigning gives me a vehicle for participating in changing my world. Because of this intense love of campaigning ever since I joined the Peace Corps I was deeply disappointed that I would not be able to participate in this years presidential election, an election that I knew would be historic.   I was forced to participate in the election in a very vicarious manner, not only was I not in the United States I was in a black hole as far as news and information was concerned. All I had to inform me of what was going on were a couple of six month old Newsweeks, and text messages and letters from my friends and family. There was also the occasional visit to the internet but the internet is an extremely frustrating organism if you do not have access to it on a regular basis, as far as I have been able to find there is no where you can go to get a synopsis of what has happened for the last month or so all you can get are that days headlines and when you have been out of the loop for two years headlines are not much use.   How in the world was I going to find out who had won the election, who would be leading our country for the next four years? Luckily for me Mom and Joe Buck were just here visiting and they brought me a satellite radio. I have a short wave radio but something about where I am positioned in the world the short wave doesn't work so well and is extremely frustrating so I had given up on the short wave not too long after I had gotten to Anivorano.   Election Day 2008 found me in one of the most remote parts of Madagascar. Mom, Joe, Mbola and I had traveled to the Tsingy an amazing area of limestone pinnacles that had been shaped by centuries of wind and rain. The tsingy are 1,200Km and three days of travel from Anivorano a pain to get to but well worth it. On Election day we climbed to the top of the Grands Tsingy, a feat that almost caused me to pee my pants as I am very much afraid of heights. After returning from our hike I pulled out the satellite radio and set it up only to discover that something about the Tsingy made getting reception extremely difficult. We were desperate for news but denied it not only because of the lack of reception but also because just as we finally got the radio to work we were hit by the downpour that had been threatening all day. Luckily because of the time difference between here and the US the polls were just opening and we would not miss much by going to bed.   I was up at 4:30 again the next morning to try the satellite radio. As we sat under a Mango tree in this remote part of Madagascar we were eventually able to tune in to NPR where they were calling the States of Ohio and Pennsylvania for Obama. Yet once again we ran into that problem of being out of the loop, we needed a synopsis. As the sun rose and the lizards crawled up the outhouse wall (unfortunately the only place we could get reception was near the outhouse) we waited for news, only to be forced to abandon our positions when our driver arrived and informed us that we had to get on the road. We had a 200km drive to make that day as we started to make our way back to Anivorano.   We stopped at the Ferry landing to wait for the ferry and have breakfast. We once again pulled out the radio and searched for reception, to no avail. Though I think we were a good show for the Malagasy. While they found our antics amusing many of the Malagasy we met that day were just as eager as us to know who had won the election.  

We were on the road again and I desperately wanted to ask the driver to stop so we could check the news. We eventually stopped for a pee break, yet again under a Mango tree. I pulled out the radio. Mom ran off to pee behind a bush and then immediately gut stung by a swarm of bees. So there we are under the tree trying to listen to the returns and doctor mom's bee stings at the same time. We got reception with no problem, the talking heads were wagging. What is this they are saying? They are talking about an Obama administration? But has Obama won? What is going on? Once again we were in desperate need of a synopsis. But what is this...Mcain has given his concession speech. Obama has won!