2011

I have a love/hate relationship with this year. It is the only whole calendar year that I will spend in Africa as a Peace Corps volunteer. It has been one of the most challenging years and most rewarding.

Over the past year I have faced many physical and emotional challenges. Some of them normal for Peace Corps in Burkina (cultural misunderstandings, missing home, bad phone service, strange foods, tropical illness). Others were a little unusual (such as civil unrest). Then some were personal (breaking up with my near-fiance and family illness).

I've also accomplished and experienced a lot whether or not all things are evident. I lived in a mud house without running water or electricity in a rural West African village for more than a year. I've had failures (my initial moringa field, care groups) and successes (Camp GLOW, my second moringa field, theater tour, little workshops). I've been working with the Community Health and AIDS Task force as a member and as President. I went to Senegal for the Stomp Out Malaria Boot Camp and have been working on malaria trainings and materials ever since.

I got to know some close friends and during the harder times I realized that I have a great support group here (much better than I could have imagined). My vacation to the U.S. gave me a chance to see my loved ones back home. Serving in Burkina has given me a lot of time and experience necessary to evaluate my future. Despite the challenges of limited access to slow internet and the endless paperwork I managed to apply to graduate school.

I am looking forward to the next 7 months. There are projects to be done. Small vacations to be taken. Graduate application responses to be read. Future decisions to be made.

My Close of Service Conference is in March. Sometime in July I will likely be pinned.

But, today I am saying adieu to 2011 and all the related smiles and tears. Here's to my wholly African year.
Sent from my BlackBerry® smartphone from Airtel Burkina Faso.