So it’s July 14th & I’ve now spent 2
birthdays in Sierra Leone. Both have been filled with friends, drinks, laughs,
and happiness so thank you for all the well wishes from home.
A lot has happened since I last wrote! Most importantly, I
made it through my first year of teaching. In the end, it was definitely more rewarding and more challenging than I had expected. The language barrier,
the unprofessionalism of some fellow teachers, and the frequent cancellation of
school all contributed to making things, lets say, more difficult in
effectively teaching my classes. Even still, the few kids that did care or
tried to learn despite everything working against them, made my time entirely
worth it. I’ve said it since day one, the kids are my best friends here and I’m
very proud of all of my students that are genuinely interested in their
education.
My family (plus Gab!) also came for a visit during my April
break between Term 2 and 3. They even surprised me and brought Devon, which
couldn’t have made me more ecstatic. I was so happy to see them all, and even
happier to share my new life with them. They now know how slow moving a typical
day actually is here in Fadugu, how kind & caring my neighbors and friends
are, how horrible/frustrating/tedious transportation around the country is, how
little privacy I get, and most importantly how content I am with all of these
things. Their trip was not without bumps, however, and they all managed to get
sick from the local food and the palm wine (we suspect). But we got to recuperate
at a beautiful beach and they handled it extremely well (especially Gab! What a
trooper- no better way to kick start a summer diet, right?). Overall, the week
they were here was one of my favorites and made me realize how much I actually
miss everyone from home. You’re all in my thoughts, be back this Christmas!
Another milestone to my time spent here is my (eventually
successful) battle with malaria. Now, you may have heard that malaria is
nothing more than a glorified fever. I know that’s what I was told. I’m here to
testify that this is NOT TRUE- it is so much worse. It kicked my ass, let me
recover small, then kicked it some more. Besides my 104 fever, I couldn’t even
open my eyes for basically an entire day because it hurt too much. I didn’t
really eat or get out of bed for 4 days, but I survived! And 10 pounds lighter,
no less. I mean, the whole thing just makes me seem like I really live in Africa,
no? Rest assured, I’m completely recovered and am happy for another story to tell.
My mom, on the other hand, now has 100 more grey hairs. Sorry mom!
School should start back up in early September, but I have
plenty to keep me busy until then-- beach trips, a volunteer wedding, training
of the new guys, our mid service conference, and saying goodbye to the first
group of volunteers. I’m looking forward to all of the above (except the
goodbye part!) and I’m sure you’ll hear an update about everything… in about 6
months.
Like I mentioned earlier, I’m coming home for Christmas this
year and I’ll most likely be staying through New Years. Please clear your
schedule, I’d love nothing more than to see each and every one of you. I’m very
excited-- to be completely honest, mostly to stuff my face with tacos,
margaritas, shrimp pasta, martinis, apple pie, bagels… you get the picture.
On that note, I hope this finds you happy & healthy. My
life here is full of love, and I wish the same for you.
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