Talk to me!!

                                                 You                                                 Me

My access to the internet (and all the goodies of communication that go with it) is limited so please don't be alarmed if I don't reply to your emails for a while. I will have NO internet access for my first 3 months in Malawi – so no blogging or emailing until June 2014.  Rest assured knowing I will when I get the chance, but it may take a while. Even when I have internet access, I've been told it will make me long for the days of dial-up. That being said, though I would LOVE photos of you guys and your shenanigans, please try to compress the file size or decrease the quality slightly so they will load faster. Any photos I upload will be to this blog.

I will certainly have many trying experiences while a PCV and I may seem down in some of my letters (or sick. That will probably happen.) but not to worry! In keeping with the greatness of snail mail, by the time you get such letters I will be feeling much better and will have found my way. So worry not!

Getting letters from home are going to be a bright spot in my week, so send the love! News from home will help me while I assimilate and settle in to life in Malawi. Even the seeming trivial daily events like where you went to coffee, what time you woke up, how great/bad the weather has been, or what you ate for dinner will be greatly appreciated! Really, don't hold back. I'm interested! (Please note that my being interested does not equate to my being interesting. Those are totally different).

PLEASE know that while I'm serving, no news is good news. Mail takes several weeks (typically 2-3) to arrive and letters will sometimes get lost or held-up along the way. If there is a serious health issue or safety concern, the PC will contact my parents. During the first few weeks of training and my first days at my site (sometime in late May/early June) I will be busy studying and getting my feet on the ground, but know that in my down time I will be busy cranking out letters.

Email: As noted, email access is limited. I'll do my best to reply in a reasonable amount of time.

          Email me at - dylanmcottrell@gmail.com

Post: This will certainly brighten my day! Send me notes and I'll pull my share of the writing. Please number your letters in case some get lost in the mail. It can take 3-4 weeks for mail coming from Lilongwe (Malawi’s capital) to arrive in the United States via the Malawi postal system. From my site, mail might take 1-2 months to reach the United States. Letters you send may arrive in Malawi in only 4 weeks, but it may take another six weeks to reach my site. If you send a postcard, please put it in an envelope, or it will end up decorating the local post office, not my house.

                       Address:      Dylan Cottrell, PCV

                                           BOX 51

Chitipa

Malawi
AFRICA

Packages: Use the address below. Delivery typically takes 1-2 months, but can take up to 4-6 months. So please don't send anything perishable. Unfortunately, packages (or some of the contents) have a high incidence of theft. Most items with a declared value of more than $20 will be opened and may be charged for duty. You may want to try sending inexpensive items through the mail, though there is no guarantee that these items will arrive. The PC does not recommend sending costly items through the mail. It is recommended that packages be sent in padded envelopes if possible, as boxes tend to be taxed more heavily.         

                                                

Dylan Cottrell, PCV

                                           Box 51

CHITIPA

MALAWI
AFRICA

For lightweight, but important or time sensitive items, use an express mail service.  DHL is one possibility and other courier services may operate in Lilongwe. Be sure to shop around for better deals though!

If you choose to send items through DHL, you must address the package to:

DYLAN COTTRELL, PCV

C/O U. S. PEACE CORPS MALAWI

AREA 4 PLOT 70

ACROSS FROM OILCOM DEPOT

LILONGWE

MALAWI 

**Please include the Peace Corps/Malawi phone number: 265-1-757-157 on all express mail service mailing labels.

Telephone: Calls to Malawi are expensive, even with a calling card. Skype credits are a cheaper option, and you are able to call my cell directly. Keep in mind that it's possible I won't have cell service at post. But keep trying! Email/write to me if you would like my number. I'd love to talk to you!

Please don't put me through this...

Final note: I know I'm a terrible speller. Feel free to rib me about it :)