After four months of life in Senegal, I'm not really sure what's it's going to be like to leave. To be honest, I'm not even sure what to write for my blog post today. The days always seemed to creep along, and suddenly, they've all disappeared. This weekend, I was walking down the street and thinking about the fact that I've actually lived in Africa for all this time. I looked around at the street, the people, the beat-up taxis, the garbage, and the sand realizing that this really is Senegal. Sometimes I feel like a veteran, sometimes I still feel like I just unpacked my bags.
But this journey hasn't left me completely unchanged! The everyday challenges that have become habit have made me a more adaptable (and maybe stronger?) person. Even the little things we forget are luxuries at home. Take for example an email I received a week ago about my housing plans.
"You six have indicated your interest in staying in the NetZero house this summer—which is fantastic! I’m writing because we didn’t anticipate this much interest in the house—we had figured on four Fellows, perhaps a maximum of five. So there is a slight concern that the house may not be able to accommodate all six of you as comfortably as we’d hope. There are three bedrooms and 1.5 bathrooms—space will be TIGHT and hot water might be a scarcity. Wi-fi and cable are probably not going to be available in the house either."
Tight space? Scarce hot water? Probably no cable or Wifi? This email was enough to turn several students away, who replied (to all of us) complaining about the lack of amenities. But most speficallty the wifi, go figure. Maybe the fact this house will even have hot running water automatically makes it a step up from where I've been living since January. Gosh, if the house has steady electricity, it will be a step up from where I've been living.
In the meantime, I am still excited for all the adventure that awaits me back home, even if this only means me discovering how much more adaptable I really will be.
