Connected!

I am one of those spoiled PCVs: after living in a town with running water, electricity and internet for almost 20 months, I now no longer have to leave my room to Skype, check facebook and oh yeah, get work done with the artisan network. Internet has been installed and at this very moment, I am sitting in my furniture-less room, in front of the fan, enjoying a lazy Sunday in, most ways, typical of any Sunday anywhere else.

If I haven't said it before: I am very happy I moved. :o)

My friend Erin came to my site this weekend and it was rather productive. I enjoy that she knows people here, likes sitting at Matar's shop to watch him work (he's finishing up 3 new pairs of pants for me since all my jeans needed retiring 3 months ago) and has just about the same idea as I about travel plans in our remaining months of serive: NO IDEA! "Why not wing it?"

It's rather crazy that my service is dwindling. Check this out: I have plans for the next 6 months:

May: Bassari Rights festival in Kedougou. (the animists have an initiation ceremony that I know nothing about and will let you know after I come back) Then maybe we are going to bike to Guinea. Still undecided since Erin and I aren't exactly daily bikers. We may wait until July. I will be seeding more trees in my school and working one-on-one with my artisans and maybe even making some progress on my composting this month. We will see...

June: early on is my artisan training and expo. The 3-7 I will be running around like crazy. The 8th, I hope to fly to Ghana to visit a friend doing an internship there. 10 days in Ghana rainforests, beaches and animal parks is the plan. After Ghana, I have my COS (close of service) Conference. No, I can't believe that this is so soon that I will be talking about reverse culture shock!

July: Beach resort for the 4th, then Guinea if we don't end up going in May. After that, I am going to sure try and stay at site for a few weeks, although the rain, power outages, constant flooding and mosquito feasting is not my idea of fun.

August: the first week there is an English Camp in Dakar where PCVs lead typical camps for youth interested in improving their language skills. Last year I was on vacation but have heard really great things. The 5k open water swim to Goree Island is sometime before Ramadan starts too... I better get practicing! After that I hope to do some traveling to Erin's site (she knows Bambey so well and I wish I could have visited her sooner) and then to Mauritania.

September: ok, well maybe I don't have plans here. But it's my last full month in Senegal so I will surely have people to see and chebbu jen to eat whenever I can find families that aren't fasting for the month of Ramadan!

October: Kenya :-)

Although I am as busy as ever, my time here feels so disconnected from American lifestyle. We PCVs constantly talk about how this and that will be so akward when we return. I try not to think about it. Like I said, I am so happy right now with how work is going and my living situation. I am bummed that I don't have such a strong relationship with my family like some people do but I am ok with how it all worked out.

PS even though I am nearly finished with my service - still fill me in on your life! Miss you all back home in the States - so tell me a story! Send me an email, and I'll hopefully get back to you quickly!