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Hello Everyone,
So, I've been here for close to 3 weeks and I can't believe it. I feel like I've said this before, but time is passing by quickly. It's already Thursday. I feel like if I blink or close my eyes for too long I'll be at my site finished with training and then at the year mark and then thinking about coming home for real. I know I'm getting ahead of myself, but if time continues to pass like this, that's not far from the reality.
So, things are still going well. I worry that I'm falling into a comfort zone here and that I'm not pushing myself outside of the little box I found. I am comfortable with the few places I know how to bike to, the few places I eat lunch at or buy things at, and I tend not to go much farther from any of those places. I tried to find an internet cafe the other day because it's supposed to be a bit cheaper than the current one I go to, but maybe not as reliable. I ended up biking to a different area I hadn't seen before and definitely got those anxiety nerves in my belly. That's when I realized that maybe I'm allowing myself to remain in a newly formed comfort zone. It's just something to be aware of.
I feel like I'm fitting in more with my family and I definitely feel more comfortable with them, more at ease which is nice, even if my language still has a long way to go. I do feel like I'm learning more and understanding more and improving, even if it isn't as quickly as I'd like (I think what I'd like is completely unrealistic!). I am in love with my little 9-year old brother. He is so freaking cute. He giggles and smiles and seems to have taken to me, which is great. My 14-year old sister continues to be a great help to me and is patient and always helps slow things down and explain things as many times as needed for me to understand.
I started running every morning with a few friends. My little brother ran with us yesterday morning, in flipping flip flops! Talk about hardcoreness. And he ran in pants that weren't staying up well, so he had to stop and readjust a lot. He was so cute. While he was running with us to the field where we meet everyone else, he said Stephanie, do you know the greeting in Mooré (in French of course)? So, I said Ne y yebeoogo to the next woman we ran past... It's a great way to start the morning. And since I go to bed by 9:30 every night, unless I get a phone call, it's a lot easier to get up before 6! 3 days in-a-row so far. We'll see. I hope to keep it up and I might take a break on Sundays and sleep in.
The food is still pretty good, but I do miss American food. We found a place that serves burgers! They're delicious. And they have sorbet and maybe even cheese. Crazy and amazing, I know. It is expensive though, so that'll be a rare treat for me. I hope to receive some sugar-free and salt-free (basically organic) nut/dried fruit mixes in the future. I love that stuff, especially from Trader Joes. Plus it would serve as a great snack. We'll see what else. If anyone can figure out how to send cheese and make it last, I would love them forever! Otherwise I'll stick to my vache qui rit and continue to enjoy that. For Nadège it's the vache qui pleur and when she says he pleurs (cries) for me, I say, no, il souhrit pour moi. (He smiles for me). Delicious. I have it on my break every morning we actually have it available at my house.
Let's see, what else. I'm going to my first wedding this morning. It's another volunteer who has been here for 3 years, named Brian, and he's marrying a Burkinabé woman. And then maybe they're going back to the US, but I'm not so sure.
We have a huge 4th of July celebration on Saturday which will be fun: burgers, salad, frites, and maybe cheese sauce (made by yours truly) and chili to go with the fries. We'll see...
I had my first experience getting ripped off as a Nasaara in the marché. Oh, well, I did get to purchase 2 pagnes, even though I should have paid up to 1600 less for them :( But then Maman went with me to her tailor, so I know I got a good price for the clothes I'm having made, so that should be fun.
All in all, I'm doing well. Missing some people at home, but surviving just fine. I like it here. And the rain has helped cool things off. It comes at least once if not twice a week, so I love that, even with the mud.
Love you. Hope you're all doing well.
Steph
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