I have been back in the States for over two months and have probably written this blog 20 times over. It is only because I am truly beginning the next chapter that I force myself to sit and write the final chapter to my Peace Corps service. So, it is with mixed emotions that I…
Human Outreach Project Kilimanjaro Kids Community While on vacation, I was also able to visit on orphanage that I helped fundraise for while working for World Wide Trekking. It was wonderful to actually see the kids I had come to know by photo and to interact with them! They were a riot! I donated a…
It began like all other wilderness adventures: gear check, hydration, journaling, and silent prayers of a successful, safe, and serene journey; save one major detail: my guts were executing a mutiny/evacuation combo from both ends. The rebellion began the day before I left for Tanzania, three days before the start of the trek. Slight abdominal…
March 1, 2015 Tikil Dingay This evening the moon shown white against the light blue sky, framed by orange tinged clouds, a harbinger of what specs of light are to come post twilight. I sat in my compound with my landlord, drinking a beer, watching the sky change. I don’t drink in my town but…
The first time I walked through the gate of the compound, entering my new home, Gidamu sat where I’ll always remember him – in a white plastic chair on the veranda. For the next year, almost daily, he would sit and face Mareseg, the mountain that rises to the clouds, overlooking Tikil Dingay. Each day…
(Posted very late… apologies. I will catch my blog up shortly!) At the end of September I took the opportunity to explore a bit of Ethiopia before my mid-service conference. We bused from Addis to Harar – a 10 hour trip that provided endless picturesque scenes of markets, shops, wiki-up style houses, desert, rivers, mountains,…
I know, I know… it’s fall. Better late than never! July: Camp GLOW After I returned from my one year vacation in Turkey, camp season began. I participated in two, one week long summer camps for Ethiopian students. The first camp, Camp GLOW – Girls Leading Our World, was in July and I served as…
As the school year ended, and with it most of my responsibilities, I decided that I wanted, actually needed, a vacation. I wanted a break from the “fishbowl” life and needed to re-energize and refocus myself for my second year of service. I didn’t really care where I went as long as it was fairly…
I’m a very serious person most of the time. I’ve been told on more than one occasion that I’m too serious. But ya know, I like and appreciate a good gut busting laugh session too. Only problem is that sometimes it has been hard to find things to laugh about here. In no particular order:…
My good friend, Jon, came to Ethiopia for a visit! Jon and I have known each other for about 4 years; we met on the river. He decided to pay me a visit; well, it was more than a visit. He was here for 45 days! (We found out while he was here that 45…
This past week my Papa Phil (my grandfather) passed away. I received a phone call in the middle of the night to tell me the sad news. After the phone call, I spent the entire night thinking of ways to make it home to be there for his funeral, to be there for my family. …
After 45 days in a hotel due to housing issues and trainings, I was finally able to return home to Tikil Dingay on January 24th. I had been in the hotel since December 10th. Now, I’m not normally one to complain about a hot shower, nice bed, WIFI, and cable, but I really missed my…
Today marks the 6th month, half-year anniversary of my time in country. If I sit and think about the 21 months I have left, the time remaining out of my 27 month commitment before I complete my service, a range of emotions run through my mind/body in about 2 seconds flat. Excited? Hell yeah. Scared?…
I positioned myself outside of the classroom, just out of view of the ongoing class, yet still in the shade. The mid day sun was hot. One by one they came out to me. Some looked at their feet as they approached, some skipped with a giddy smile, and others sauntered up coolly, confidently. I…
Sandy in Ethiopia 