Starting to feel real

September 28, 2014

Today (Sunday) was my first time leaving my homestay village and going somewhere other than the training center in Ebolowa. Eleven other PCTs and I decided to go to the market in Ebolowa. It is a much larger village than Mengong and feels like going to a big city. They have a boulangerie, gas stations, and a much larger market than ours here in Mengong. It was a good chance to work on navigating through public transportation in Cameroon which turned out to not be quite as intimidating as I was expecting (this time). I’m still nervous about navigating my way to my site visit next week and getting to post.

We spent several hours around the market then another PCT and I worked our way back to the depot where we picked up a taxi for the 30 minute ride back to Mengong. In this taxi there was only the other PCT, two women and a baby. Pretty decent compared to the trip going to Ebolowa. Going to Ebolowa there were 12 people in the 7 passenger van. Several other PCTs also had 12 people in their vehicle on their way to Ebolowa, though they were in a car instead of a van. Overall it was a fun day that included me buying my first piece of fabric. I may have paid too much, but it is so pretty I don’t mind. 

Peace Corps life means you realize that you kinda sorta need to go to the bathroom but it is POURING! I am fully convinced that my bladder knows when it is raining the hardest and chooses that time to need to go. (This observation might make a little more sense if I remind you that I use a latrine in a building separate from my house). I now embrace going when I have the chance and it is not raining because very soon it will be a deafening downpour.

I’m sitting here writing this blog on Sunday afternoon thought it won’t be posted until Wednesday or Thursday. I miss you all and have so much I want to tell you in personal conversations. Know that I think of you often. I don’t want to push the next two years any faster than they will already go, but I do look forward to the day when I get hugs from you all again.

Three thoughts:

1.       I miss cheese and definitely should have brought some mac n cheese with me. I can’t wait for my Hannaford white cheddar mac n cheese to arrive in my care package.

2.       2.5 gallon ziplock bags are one of the greatest inventions

3.       I can’t imagine being anywhere else in the world at this very moment (although I do really miss indoor plumbing.)