As far as I understand, I'll be doing language training half the time, and the rest is cultural, job-skills, and the like. After training, I'll probably be placed in a large rural village without electricity or running water. Thus, in addition to brushing up on rusty French, I'll be learning a local language as well. Malaria is prevalent in West Africa, as are various diseases, parasites, and gastro-intestinal problems. So, I'll probably be sick often, perhaps seriously.
Health takes a lot of effort in Africa.
I might as well tell everyone at once. I've travelled quite a bit in my life, and seeing other cultures has become very important to me. The Peace Corps seemed like a relatively easy way to spend several years in a very different culture. I've been told that those who enter PC with an idealistic notion that they're going to save the world are inevitably disappointed, as the results of one's work in the PC are often intangible or take years to show.