Snickers: What you miss living overseas

I’m writing this post while eating a snickers, after having a very American day. This was not a normal Ethiopian day. Most days involve me waking up at 6:30 and going to class where I’ll either be learning Amharic, teaching strategies, or cultural differences between Americans and Ethiopians. Classes tend to run from 8 to 5, with two šay/buna (tea/coffee) breaks and lunch.

Today, however, we had the day off, and I went to Assella to hang out with a bunch of the other PCTs. We ate pizza, used the internet, and in general, caused a raucous. I also bought a snickers. It was a good day.

But times aren’t always good in Ethiopia. I’ve spent the last week seriously asking myself why I’m here and when I couldn’t come up with a good enough reason, I considered returning to America. But then, yesterday, we went on a hike outside of Sagure, and looking out at the countryside I finally felt like I was where I’m supposed to be. I don’t know why it suddenly hit me then, but I’m glad it did, because had I left, I would have seriously missed the other PCTs.

We’ve only known each other three weeks, but everyone already feels like family. Which isn’t to say I don’t get lonely, I miss everyone back home terribly, but my host family has done everything they can to make me feel at home. And day-by-day, I think I fall more in love with Sagure.

It’s hard to think about the fact that in eight weeks we’ll all go our separate ways and settle into life at our new sites. At the same time, it’s incredibly exciting contemplating where I might be spending the next two years. Wherever it is, I hope the climate is similar to Sagure (the temp is usually between 60 and 75!) and I hope I’m close to other PCVs…and let’s face it, running water wouldn’t hurt either : )

-June 24, 2012 (since I don’t have regular access to internet, I’m going to continue to write blog posts, but I’ll have to publish them in chunks!)