1. My students
2. The sunset
3. Chai break everyday! Yum!
4. Pilau
5. Sambusas
6. Coming home to my crazy dog doing flips of excitement
7. Rainbows during the rainy season
8. Children here—the cutest ever
9. Realizing that being alone and being lonely are two very different things
10. The sound of the rain on my roof
11. All food made on my jiko tastes better
12. Surprising everyone when I can speak Swahili (even myself)
13. The joy people have when I speak the few words I know of the native language
14. The rainy season
15. The dry season
16. Holing up in my village until I have just enough money to get to town → then showering!
17. Warm bucket baths after a long day
18. Being greeted by everyone and always feeling so welcomed
19. Dance parties with my dog, other volunteers and my neighbor kids
20. Walking to my village with everyone yelling my name
21. Getting packages and letters from home
22. Feeling like a princess every time I get into my mosquito net
23. Clean sheets
24. Henry (who is 2) yelling my name and then running to me every time I see him
25. Lorry rides
26. Teaching all my students to say “cool”
27. Getting woken up by roosters everyday
28. My dog crawling under my bed to sleep every night
29. Boggle!
30. Having guests
31. Finding 10 students on my front porch taking shelter during a rain storm
32. The hike to the cell phone tower by my house to watch the sunset
33. The stars
34. The wind (just like Casper!)
35. Neighbors bringing me food when they see me arrive home late
36. Leaving a bucket on my front porch and coming back to find it filled with water
37. Everyone’s willingness to help
38. Picking out fabrics and getting clothes made specifically for me
39. Fresh food
40. Dancing in the rain
41. My buckets and the process of discovering all of their wonderful uses
42. Pigs—they are cute
43. Bonfires at night
44. Feeling accomplished/well worked when I am covered from head to foot in white chalk dust
45. Going for a walk and seeing monkeys!
46. Hearing call to prayer
47. Going to church on Sundays and listening to the choir
48. Khangas and all of their wonderful uses—never leave home without one
49. Getting a heartfelt shikamoo or receiving an actually delighted marahaba
50. Bananas-big, medium, little, yes please!
51. Chipsi mayai, especially kwa Gifti
52. Having the best friends ever (that’s you!)
53. Music, and its ability to keep me sane
54. Riding my bike around with no destination
55. Doing practicals/demonstrations and seeing my kids’ eyes light up
56. Talking about home with people and seeing how surprised they are to hear about snow
57. Skype dates
58. Coloring with the kids
59. Seeing my students perform
60. Being greeted by a little kid in the evening with “good morning, sir”
61. Sketchy dalas and the craziness that is traveling here
62. Taking a shower, shaving, doing my hair, and putting on jeans just to sit in my house and read a book after a hard week
63. Candlelight dinners for one
64. Catching up with other volunteers after a long time
65. Hoarding chocolate and safi American food for use after bad days
66. Discovering random, delicious food combinations-tuna, avocado, banana, dill, lemon sandwich=delicious
67. Clean towels hot off the line
68. Everyday is an adventure!
Things I love about my life (a list in progress)
September 25, 2011 by Sarah
Glad to hear it Sarah. You are an unwavering optimist…which is probably why I am madly in love with you. At least one of the reasons 🙂
Cool.