Dehana dikum?!?
So its been forever since my last blog post and for that I
apologize. There’s been a lot going on over here in Ethiopia, and I’ve finally
now had a chance to catch my breath and catch up on things I’ve been
neglecting.
Since my last blog post, I feel like I’ve been around the
world and back again. I spent the first two weeks of June in Hawassa, Addis,
and Wukro working on stuff for Peer Support Network, a committee I’m on that
supports Peace Corps volunteers in country emotionally, and for the regional
summer camp I’ll be participating in next week. After that, I took a brief
vacation in Germany and Italy, visiting my family and best friend respectively.
It was a great vacation, full of surprises (my mom and grandma had no idea I
was coming), fun, and quality time with people who meant a lot to me. I got
back 2 weeks ago, and since then I finished up a project I started before I
left (a tree planting with two schools that planted over 600 trees!) and, of
course, fought off a welcome back sickness (thanks Ethiopia).
So even though I’ve had such an amazing past month and a
half, why is it that I’ve kinda been in a slump the past few days? I think it’s
a combination of a lot of things. I was kinda hesitant about going on the
vacation, because I was worried about how it would affect my return.
Unfortunately, it has bummed me out a bit. I really, really miss my family,
friends, and home countries (America and Germany) a lot, and while the vacation
gave me a rare chance to see them again, it really reaffirmed what I missed
about them too. I tried not to get to comfortable while vacationing, but
despite my best efforts I got used to it again only too readily. Coming back to
Ethiopia wasn’t difficult, but knowing I’m still going to be here for another
year and a half is.
You see, I’m one of those people who’ve always wanted to see
and do a lot. Ever since I first discovered there was a world bigger than my
backyard in Texas I’ve wanted to see it, and my to-do list only gets bigger
with time. I want to see and do everything! I want to go back to Germany for
several years to perfect my language skills. I want to get lost in the wilds of
Alaska. I want to run with the wolves in Minnesota… spend a cold, rainy
afternoon in Seattle… track the elusive jaguar in the heart of the Amazon….
Australia, Costa Rica, London, Botswana, Nepal, New York, Barcelona… The list
of places I want to see and/or live in goes on for a while.
You see, traveling is one of my favorite things to do in the
world, but every time I travel I simply get more and more excited for what I will
do next. I’m like a kid in the candy store, who, when he finally gets those
skittles he’s been waiting for all week (since he’s been a good boy), is
already thinking about the snickers he will ask for next week! Normally, the
skittles I’m eating at the time are so good I only think about the snickers
occasionally and spend most of my time enjoying the rainbow. But alas, I am
struggling to do that right now. The pace of life here in Ethiopia is so much
slower with so much free time, that I spend a lot more time anticipating what I
want to do in the future.
But wait, didn’t you post a blog a few months ago saying you
love the slow pace of life and have learned to live in the moment? Indeed I
did, and yes I do regress at times (this being one of those times). For those
of you who know me, you know that I am a busybody. It doesn’t matter how well I
adapt to this slower pace of life, I will always crave the hustle and bustle of
a busy, crazy lifestyle. And I am realizing that there’s nothing wrong with
that. Even if I do get frustrated with the pace at times here and worry that I
won’t be able to do everything I want to in life, I’m still enjoying every
moment of it in the end. Because every time I try to get angry at this place,
it gives me something to smile about again. I’ve been working on this post over
the past two days. At the start of the post I was angry and bored. Since then
I’ve shared beles (a delicious cactus fruit) with friends, watched a movie with
my family, and butchered my way through a Tigrena conversation with at least 5
people I didn’t even know. For all my griping and complaining and teen angst
(for you Taylor, though you never read these), I will miss the crap out of this
place when I leave. I love Ethiopia, so for now I enjoy the great moments, ride
out the bad, and look forward with great anticipation on everything to come.
