Still no rain yet, huh?"
"Still no rain. Who knows when it's going to come" my host dad, a rice farmer replied. This was a typical lunchtime conversation earlier this month as the days ticked by with still no rain and yet the days got hotter and hotter.
...And then one day it happened. I was teaching my 5eme I class about numbers when all of a sudden I hear the all too familiar "TING!" of a raindrop hitting the steel roof. Then "TING...TING TING...TING TING TING!" And then just a deafening drumming as the sky lets loose and unleashes the long awaited first rains. All the students at this point have completely lost concentration and have become mesmerized with watching the rain out the windows. A few even clap in excitement knowing how much this rain was needed. I shrug my shoulders then I too head to the door to watch and appreciate the spectacle that has announced to us all the official beginning of rainy season.
For some though (myself included at times), rainy season only elicits feelings of dread. Clothes never drying after being washed. Solar panels never fully charged. Leaky roofs. Roads becoming impassable muddy streams. Being wet. All. The. Time.
But as I reflect on my experience with rainy season from last year, the memories that stand out the most are ones of joy. There's the memories of running barefoot home from school with a gaggle of girls giggling as they trail right behind me. There were the days everyone wakes up and finds their friends to go walk to the bridge to see how flooded the river got overnight. It was the times I got caught in downpours and had to take shelter in a strangers house and was able to leave as new friends. It was the moments I sat on my porch and watched the storm roll in as I ate lychees. Or the days in class where I just have to scrap my lesson and laugh because my students can't hear a word I was trying to say.
Sure, rainy season has its downfalls, but if done right, with the right attitude, it can also be an incredibly beautiful time of year.
Friday, November 29, 2019
Tuesday, September 3, 2019
Serendipity: Presence over Performance
Not to generalize, but in America, many people find their
worth in what they do. When people first meet each other one of the first questions
to be asked is almost always, “what do you do?”. We like to brag about our busyness
and even if we aren’t busy, we want others to believe we are so that we seem
important and valued. Coming out of four years of being a student athlete where
my motto tended to be, “sorry I can’t do xyz because I’m busy with
soccer/studying/working”, one of the many reasons I joined the Peace Corps was
to detach from this pace of life at least for a couple years. I chose to go to
an African country because I wanted a more relaxed, relational lifestyle. However,
I also chose to be an education volunteer because I knew myself and I knew I needed
at least a little structure in my life. I was hoping to find a nice balance.
“We know only too well that what we are doing is nothing more than a drop in the ocean. But if the drop were not there, the ocean would be missing something.”
―
I’m not an expert in a lot of things, but one thing I am an
expert in is being afraid of the unknown. As the school year was winding down I
began thinking (aka stressing/worrying) about the vacation period and what I would do with my time.
Teaching had become my life here. I took on a pretty heavy teaching load and
then also began an English Club in my town as well as joined a girls soccer
team and then just trying to live and cook and clean here takes more time than in the States
and so despite my attempt to move to Madagascar to slow down, I was busy.
And I loved it. I fell into the trap of thinking that as long as I was doing
something all the time then I was important and valued in my community. But soon
all of this was going to end and I had no clue what I was going to do for the
next couple months. And that was terrifying. I began questioning my
effectiveness as a volunteer; I retreated to my room often trying to think of
what I could do or plan next so that I could stay “busy” for this next season; I
felt super self-conscious about my Malagasy language skills thinking that since
I have been in country for a year now then I should be better than I was; I felt like my community was constantly judging me. I
just felt useless. It was a rough couple of weeks. And the worst part was that I
was still working at this time. All these fears and insecurities were all based
off of the unknown of the upcoming season.
BUT per usual, so many of these fears/insecurities were
unfounded. The first day of my official “summer vacation”, I woke up and like
normal I went to my market to grab breakfast and get coffee. Since I wasn’t
teaching and wasn’t in a rush, I had time to just sit and chat for a while with
my coffee woman. Shortly after breakfast then a friend poked her head in my
window and asked me to join her as she went down to the river to wash clothes. I
spent the morning helping her wash clothes and got to join over a dozen other
women who were doing the same thing as this is a common Saturday chore. As I left
many of them thanked me for talking with them. I returned from the river around
lunch time where I joined my host mom, dad, and two brothers for lunch. In the
afternoon then I joined a few friends from my girls’ soccer team and we watched
the boys play soccer until sunset.
I wasn’t teaching. I wasn’t really working on anything. I didn’t
accomplish much. But I was present.
As a Peace Corps volunteer it’s so easy to get into the
mindset that when we’re at site we always have to be doing something useful or
productive for our community. There’s always this inner pressure to perform.
Sometimes its pressure to be the best teacher, or pressure to start the best projects,
or to have the most clubs, or work with the most teachers.
That first day of vacation was serendipitous though; I
expected to be lonely, bored, and a disappointment to my community when I was
no longer teaching every day. What that first day though and many of the
following days have taught me is that more than anything, people appreciate
your presence. They appreciate my effort to speak their language. They
appreciate me attempting to integrate into their culture. They appreciate me
allowing them to share their lives and me doing the same. They appreciate a
small greeting followed by a smile. It’s always a constant battle of feeling
like my performance is what people value. But if I’ve learned anything over
this past year, it’s that 9 times out of 10 people just want your presence. Your
friendship. Your time. Your heart.
School’s been out for me for about a month now and in that
time I was able to attend a funeral in my community and see all of the culture
surrounding a death. I attended a day long celebration at my church. I started
a girls club at my middle school. I’ve had a dozen little kids crowd into my
house several afternoons as they colored with my crayons. I had time to practice with my soccer team. I sat and talked with
people I usually don’t have time to talk to. All things that had I still been teaching I wouldn't have had time to do. But then I was fully present. The pressure
to perform is very real for many Peace Corps volunteers but at the end of the
day what I’m starting to learn is that our presence tends to be a greater gift
than any other acts we can perform. As an American that’s a hard concept to grasp
but one that’s simply so beautiful. Presence over performance. It's a hard balance to find but one worth pursuing.
“We know only too well that what we are doing is nothing more than a drop in the ocean. But if the drop were not there, the ocean would be missing something.”
―
Friday, August 23, 2019
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly of Teaching in Madagascar (Year 1)
The Good:
Ugh! Too many good moments and experiences to include them all from this past year. I teach four classes, two sections of two grades at the CEG (middle school equivalent). My smallest class was 52 and my largest was 68. I loved every one of my students though!
They're at such a fun age where they're so pliable and eager to learn and not too "cool" to do some of the shenanigans I throw at them.
One of my favorite parts of teaching though has been seeing my students so excited to use English outside of the class. Since my town is so small I see many of them through out the day and they always greet me in English. It shows me that they not only are learning but are also enjoying it as well. There will be days when I finish teaching and there is audible groans because the students aren't ready to be done. That really makes you feel good as a teacher, especially since in the states when class is finished students can't leave the class fast enough. Here many wait for me so they can walk with me back home.
I've also loved seeing the improvement in my students. My youngest class walked in never having taken English and now I can have conversations with them about their name, their age, their favorite food, color, and sport, what they like and don't like, and about where they live. That's so exciting for me. I'm so incredibly proud of all my students. (Also I should probably apologize to any other PCVs reading this because everyone has vastly different experiences and I don't think my students are the norm in how eager and overall well behaved they are. Maybe they're actually little aliens??)
But I should also mention that this school year wouldn't have been what it was without the support of my director and fellow teachers as well. I'm surrounded by a crew of really great people who have been a big help in getting me adjusted to teaching here.
Besides for teaching at the CEG though, I also taught at a university. This was quite a different experience; instead of having class sizes ranging from 50-70 I had two classes that ranged from 8-15 adults. I enjoyed getting to know these students since they are around my age and we could have conversations in English. In June when my family came the students got to ask questions about America and my family got to ask them about Madagascar. This cultural exchange was definitely one of the highlights from the year.
Overall it was just a really good year. There are so many more good moments or experiences I could share about from this year.
But now for the Bad:
With having such large class sizes it's hard to tell when/which kids are falling through the cracks often until exam time and then at that point it's too late. One of my goals for next year is to try to figure out a way to prevent that. A lot of my teaching is based around whole class participation which makes it easy for students who don't want to try to just coast. And the Malagasy are such relational people that even if I do call on an individual, if they don't know the answer then other students will help in order to save face for that student.
Something else I'm struggling with is that recently I saw the upper classes exams at the CEG and they're significantly more difficult than the exams I'm giving. However I've talked with many students from those grades and they have no clue what the exams are saying. They've just learned to memorize certain things and write those. I've even been able to compare my students to the upper levels and when I ask them questions or translation from Malagasy to English, my students knew way more. It's frustrating then seeing the curriculum and the pace and level they try to make students get in order to pass a national exam before they reach high school. And somehow people pass but they have no real understanding of English. There are so many students who take English for 7 years but then finish school and still can't answer some of the most basic English questions. They might be able to pass a test because they're trained for it but they can't speak the language or even really comprehend what's on the test. And it's just frustrating because so many people here want to learn English but in my opinion there's just an institutional breakdown in the way English is being required to be learned/taught.
On the other hand, at my university there is no curriculum which also brings it's own set of difficulties. It took me quite a while to figure out a good teaching style that these students would not only beneft from but also enjoy. It's something I'm still working on and hope to improve for next year.
Also having just finished university myself, at times I really struggled stepping into an authoritarian role here. Most of my students are around my age or older and I myself am still trying to wrap my head around the idea that I'm actually an adult (I mean come on, I'm still coloring, playing soccer, and hanging out with little people most of my day so can you blame me for being a little confused about this whole adulting thing). But slowly but surely I'm finding a good balance and have gained a lot of confidence in myself this past year. Which, by the way brings me to the "ugly".
The Ugly:
Teaching here in Madagascar there are many differences from the schools in the states and so in many ways I've had to get creative in order to teach a foreign language. Before Peace Corps though, let's just say, there wasn't really a creative bone in my body. So it may come as a shock to many of you that nowadays I can be caught singing, dancing, and drawing all in an attempt to teach in a way that makes sense to my students. And let me tell you, it's pretty ugly to witness. But hey, it's working. And here's a little secret too: I'm actually really enjoying it.
The good, the bad, and the ugly. I wouldn't trade this year for the world. I've been challenged, I've grown, I've gained confidence in myself, and I've had a lot of fun. I can't wait to see all that year two brings!
Monday, April 22, 2019
March Little Victories
I keep a journal and every morning I record something that happened the day before that I consider a "little victory". Something that either made me proud, made me happy, or just something good that can always remind me why I'm doing this. So these are my Little Victories from March:
Today was simply incredible. My students fill my heart in a way that's undescribable. I spent the while morning just hanging out with them out by the field; dancing, watching basketball and soccer and just talking. So, so happy.
Today was simply incredible. My students fill my heart in a way that's undescribable. I spent the while morning just hanging out with them out by the field; dancing, watching basketball and soccer and just talking. So, so happy.
I made rice and bean burgers, made a bun, topped it with avocado and had a side of French fries and ketchup. Who needs meat
I spent a total of one hour in my house today from 9 this morning until 6. I love being part of my community
A proud little teacher's moment: some kids were out watching sports and one of my students was by me with some of the older girls. They starting practicing English and my student kept showing up the older student with what she knew. I was proud but at the same time sad that the older girls knew so little.
Today was apparently like a teachers work day and I didn't know that but my classes in the afternoon all still showed up! They know how clueless I am!
My milk/church lady friend is simply the best! Conversations with her in the morning always brighten my day.
At the grade ceremony the top students stood on a podium and then a teacher came and did the traditional three kisses to congratulation them. The other teachers made me do that to one of the grades and the little victory is only that both me and the students didn't die of complete embarrassment
Had my first real successful time fripping today
The time in Mantasoa for IST was so nice to be able to be reunited with all the other volunteers.
Went to a movie theater in Tana. That was a pretty wild experience. Also today I had a burger with fries, ice cream and popcorn. Not quite used to that kind of luxury
Really just thankful for the friendships I've formed with other volunteers here. I couldn't do this without them.
Getting back to site I was greeted by some of my students who helped me carry my stuff to my house. I really do just love it here
The adjustment back to site was easier than I anticipated. My students still like me. My community still talks to me and only every other person I greeted again asked for a volondalana instead of every person. Also Mama Zaza made ravitoto for lunch so today was good
Today it started downpouring in my 6eme class and we're going over colors and no one can hear me. I end up just holding up the color squares I have and then the students all just begin yelling with all their might so I could hear them. It was priceless. They're so stinking cute
There was a whole plethora of goodness today. I sat and reconnected with my counterpart and her family. Somehow stumbled onto an all girls soccer team. And then my sweet old lady friend/neighbor just randomly gave me two oranges when I passed her house
I love being able to just be weird in class and make learning as fun as possible
Today was another day for the records book of favorite days at site. In the morning there were ceremonies for their Commemoration day which included lots of dancing and spending time with lots of people because no one was working. Then in the afternoon I played in a match with my girls team and basically the the whole town was there to watch
I love when my friends come over and we can just sit and talk. Time is such a gift
Saturday, March 16, 2019
February Little Victories
I keep a journal and every morning I record something that happened the day before that I consider a "little victory". Something that either made me proud, made me happy, or just something good that can always remind me why I'm doing this. So these are my Little Victories from February:
VAC in Andasibe was a good time. Got to relax, see some lemurs, and eat some vazah food. And I'm getting a lot more comfortable traveling on my own
Finally stepped up my cooking game; I made a tortilla, added potatoes, onions, tomatoes and egg which made for a pretty bomb burrito
My kids are slowly learning that I know Malagasy and they love it. I love these goobers so much
If my basketball game keeps slowly improving then I may actually finish off these two years and not be completely horrible
Four hours straight with 6eme always amazes me how I make it through. I love these little guys but man they're hard work
Learning how to deal with difficult, important people. Not fun, but important life lessons coming from it
Did part of the tree planting bike ride and it was so good to spend a couple days with other volunteers. We've got a cool bunch and the program is a really cool idea
Malagasy know how to dance and can dance forever. I sure don't know how to dance but I really did have fun trying today
Today I was playing soccer near the tsena with a group of students and this lady comes and jumps in goal and then played in our PK shootout too. It was amazing
Thankful for mom and dad and our weekly calls. I just need to talk every week and I appreciate their willingness to let me vent and also talk about the good things
A couple of my university students came over and saw all my vocab on the walls and loved copying it. They were so happy to get new English vocab. It was cute
Taught my kids the days of the week song to the tune of the Adamm's family and they loved it. It was one of my favorite teaching days
Some days I feel like I'm not very good at Malagasy but other times like when I'm helping Niny with her homework and I can explain most things in Malagasy then I feel a little better about my language ability
Adulting. I've been locked in my house grading papers all day. But Madame Fanja was a big help in teaching me how to calculate all the scores
Forced myself to take a little break from grading and went out with some of my students and they/I had a great time learning English and then also teaching me how to dance. That was something...
Spent the weekend with my friend and she had done my hair in the morning and then when we got to her cousin's house her cousin and her cousin's daughter had their hair done the same way too. It was cute
The crocs guy by my market that would always call me vezah and who didn't know I could speak Malagasy for the longest time, for some reason called me Katie today. I don't know when he learned my name or why today he started but yay for integration
All the girls from my university class left to go do something and so it was just me and guys and I thought it would be terrible but they were actually strangely good
Today I handed back the exam to my 6eme classes and I said good job and one of the classes started clapping. They're so funny
I played the Malagasy version of dodgeball today. I had never seen it played before today but it was fun
In the morning was the CEG's cleaning day and so all my students were supposed to be helping to plant trees and clean brush but all the girls just wanted to talk with me
In the evening I had a good conversation with a man who was so excited to talk to me in Malagasy
VAC in Andasibe was a good time. Got to relax, see some lemurs, and eat some vazah food. And I'm getting a lot more comfortable traveling on my own
Finally stepped up my cooking game; I made a tortilla, added potatoes, onions, tomatoes and egg which made for a pretty bomb burrito
My kids are slowly learning that I know Malagasy and they love it. I love these goobers so much
If my basketball game keeps slowly improving then I may actually finish off these two years and not be completely horrible
Four hours straight with 6eme always amazes me how I make it through. I love these little guys but man they're hard work
Learning how to deal with difficult, important people. Not fun, but important life lessons coming from it
Did part of the tree planting bike ride and it was so good to spend a couple days with other volunteers. We've got a cool bunch and the program is a really cool idea
Malagasy know how to dance and can dance forever. I sure don't know how to dance but I really did have fun trying today
Today I was playing soccer near the tsena with a group of students and this lady comes and jumps in goal and then played in our PK shootout too. It was amazing
Thankful for mom and dad and our weekly calls. I just need to talk every week and I appreciate their willingness to let me vent and also talk about the good things
A couple of my university students came over and saw all my vocab on the walls and loved copying it. They were so happy to get new English vocab. It was cute
Taught my kids the days of the week song to the tune of the Adamm's family and they loved it. It was one of my favorite teaching days
Some days I feel like I'm not very good at Malagasy but other times like when I'm helping Niny with her homework and I can explain most things in Malagasy then I feel a little better about my language ability
Adulting. I've been locked in my house grading papers all day. But Madame Fanja was a big help in teaching me how to calculate all the scores
Forced myself to take a little break from grading and went out with some of my students and they/I had a great time learning English and then also teaching me how to dance. That was something...
Spent the weekend with my friend and she had done my hair in the morning and then when we got to her cousin's house her cousin and her cousin's daughter had their hair done the same way too. It was cute
The crocs guy by my market that would always call me vezah and who didn't know I could speak Malagasy for the longest time, for some reason called me Katie today. I don't know when he learned my name or why today he started but yay for integration
All the girls from my university class left to go do something and so it was just me and guys and I thought it would be terrible but they were actually strangely good
Today I handed back the exam to my 6eme classes and I said good job and one of the classes started clapping. They're so funny
I played the Malagasy version of dodgeball today. I had never seen it played before today but it was fun
In the morning was the CEG's cleaning day and so all my students were supposed to be helping to plant trees and clean brush but all the girls just wanted to talk with me
In the evening I had a good conversation with a man who was so excited to talk to me in Malagasy
January Little Victories
I keep a journal and every morning I record something that happened the day before that I consider a "little victory". Something that either made me proud, made me happy, or just something good that can always remind me why I'm doing this. So these are my Little Victories from January:
Today was almost too good for words. I love my friends and the immeasurable amount of kindness everyone here has shown me. Life is good
If you hammock they will come. Pretty sure the whole village could hear the squeals of kids as they swung on my hammock. Joy is such a beautiful thing
Went on a little hike up a mountain to this field with Niny and some friends and planted seeds in the morning. The views were great and the company even better
Today the new batch of vezahs arrived and when MamaZaza was trying to tell me they were coming she was so cute apologizing for using the word vezah to me
My usual mofo Gasy place was packed this morning so I went to a new one and just the way I said "yeah" they said they could tell I already knew Malagasy and we had a really good chat
I was part of the welcoming committee this morning for the new vezahs with Tafita, Menja, Bonefast and Gote. We walked around and showed them the town
I love how whenever I'm looking for one of my friends everyone offers to help and just starts yelling their name. Works every time
I can't get over how good my students are, I don't know how I got so lucky!
Survived getting to, traveling around, and coming back from Tana; that's a big victory in itself
In the evening me and my group of Malagasy friends taught the new volunteers Malagasy. I'd like to think that them seeing me speak Malagasy partially inspired them to learn
Managed to give a 2 hour lesson in one in an attempt to catch my students up from when I was gone
I enjoy teaching. Not everyday is easy and not every lesson goes as planned but I like my kids and I like seeing them learn. I'm thankful for that
Sometimes letting life take you where it may leads to the best kind of moments. A group of little kids that I pass on my way to school everyday always yell vezah so today I stopped to talk to them and next thing I know I'm holding all their hands and going on a little adventure.
Good mofo Gasy in the morning always constitutes a win in my book
I love that my students like me outside of the classroom. They love seeing me at the market and especially when I play soccer or basketball with them and I love that I have the time to do that here.
I appreciate Niny always including me in things every day. Even if at times it feels suffocating I think its better than the alternative of being lonely.
Saying yes even when you're not entirely sure what you're about to do almost always lends itself to a good time. Today I went to Angela's with Niny, Caramel, and Charlene and learned how to make mango and rotcha jam
I finally mastered the perfect cup of vanilla chai tea- the secret: socolait. And perfect timing on a rainy evening too
Did a song lyrics listening activity with my association students and there's something so beautiful about hearing your students sing Heal the World by Michael Jackson
Today it started down pouring in my 5eme class where no one could hear anything (we have tin roofs). I just looked at the class- they knew and I knew I had no clue what to do next and so we all just started to laugh at the situation (and eventually I did find a way to keep teaching)
The little kids here have my entire heart. I spent the whole afternoon first with my neighborhood goobers then with the kids by the field just tickling and chasing them. Days like today a smile never leaves my face
I was able to buy apples today in Amparafa and I don't know if such a simple type of food has ever brought me so much happiness
Climbing trees, picking fruit, having running races, eating so much rotcha it hurts your stomach. Today was like a day from my childhood and I loved every minute of it
Cooking with friends in the morning, getting my hair braided in the afternoon, playing mother hen to dozens of kids in the evening, I love my little life here
Thanks to my lovely Kibo Krew friends advice on how to cook rice I made my first pot of actually good rice. Still not up to par with Mama Zaza's but I was still proud
It started pouring at the end of class today so I told the kids I was going to wait and they could stay and play an English game if they wanted and it was cool to see how excited they were to stay. Also I walked home barefoot and everyone loved that ha!
My students are hilarious and I love them so much. That's all. That's all I need. My heart is full
After days of straight rain and clouds, today, my laundry day, the sun was shining all day. Score!
Today was almost too good for words. I love my friends and the immeasurable amount of kindness everyone here has shown me. Life is good
If you hammock they will come. Pretty sure the whole village could hear the squeals of kids as they swung on my hammock. Joy is such a beautiful thing
Went on a little hike up a mountain to this field with Niny and some friends and planted seeds in the morning. The views were great and the company even better
Today the new batch of vezahs arrived and when MamaZaza was trying to tell me they were coming she was so cute apologizing for using the word vezah to me
My usual mofo Gasy place was packed this morning so I went to a new one and just the way I said "yeah" they said they could tell I already knew Malagasy and we had a really good chat
I was part of the welcoming committee this morning for the new vezahs with Tafita, Menja, Bonefast and Gote. We walked around and showed them the town
I love how whenever I'm looking for one of my friends everyone offers to help and just starts yelling their name. Works every time
I can't get over how good my students are, I don't know how I got so lucky!
Survived getting to, traveling around, and coming back from Tana; that's a big victory in itself
In the evening me and my group of Malagasy friends taught the new volunteers Malagasy. I'd like to think that them seeing me speak Malagasy partially inspired them to learn
Managed to give a 2 hour lesson in one in an attempt to catch my students up from when I was gone
I enjoy teaching. Not everyday is easy and not every lesson goes as planned but I like my kids and I like seeing them learn. I'm thankful for that
Sometimes letting life take you where it may leads to the best kind of moments. A group of little kids that I pass on my way to school everyday always yell vezah so today I stopped to talk to them and next thing I know I'm holding all their hands and going on a little adventure.
Good mofo Gasy in the morning always constitutes a win in my book
I love that my students like me outside of the classroom. They love seeing me at the market and especially when I play soccer or basketball with them and I love that I have the time to do that here.
I appreciate Niny always including me in things every day. Even if at times it feels suffocating I think its better than the alternative of being lonely.
Saying yes even when you're not entirely sure what you're about to do almost always lends itself to a good time. Today I went to Angela's with Niny, Caramel, and Charlene and learned how to make mango and rotcha jam
I finally mastered the perfect cup of vanilla chai tea- the secret: socolait. And perfect timing on a rainy evening too
Did a song lyrics listening activity with my association students and there's something so beautiful about hearing your students sing Heal the World by Michael Jackson
Today it started down pouring in my 5eme class where no one could hear anything (we have tin roofs). I just looked at the class- they knew and I knew I had no clue what to do next and so we all just started to laugh at the situation (and eventually I did find a way to keep teaching)
The little kids here have my entire heart. I spent the whole afternoon first with my neighborhood goobers then with the kids by the field just tickling and chasing them. Days like today a smile never leaves my face
I was able to buy apples today in Amparafa and I don't know if such a simple type of food has ever brought me so much happiness
Climbing trees, picking fruit, having running races, eating so much rotcha it hurts your stomach. Today was like a day from my childhood and I loved every minute of it
Cooking with friends in the morning, getting my hair braided in the afternoon, playing mother hen to dozens of kids in the evening, I love my little life here
Thanks to my lovely Kibo Krew friends advice on how to cook rice I made my first pot of actually good rice. Still not up to par with Mama Zaza's but I was still proud
It started pouring at the end of class today so I told the kids I was going to wait and they could stay and play an English game if they wanted and it was cool to see how excited they were to stay. Also I walked home barefoot and everyone loved that ha!
My students are hilarious and I love them so much. That's all. That's all I need. My heart is full
After days of straight rain and clouds, today, my laundry day, the sun was shining all day. Score!
December Little Victories
I keep a journal and every morning I record something that happened the day before that I consider a "little victory". Something that either made me proud, made me happy, or just something good that can always remind me why I'm doing this. So these are my Little Victories from December:
I had a good morning coffee interaction, its so nice being able to speak Malagasy when people expect me to speak French
Today I cleared the board while all 5 of my students were on break and they came back and said they had the "cool" teacher, ha!
After my last class of 5eme for the day a little girl walked me home and held my hand the whole time.
For my first 6eme class it started pouring right at the beginning and no one could hear anything but by the time Madame Fanja got done helping me with attendance it stopped raining and we were able to begin teaching.
What had started out as a planned day of solitude turned into an afternoon of little people all over my yard, a nice little walk with my new shy little friend, and then a walk with Menja speaking and teaching English and Malagasy back and forth.
In the morning I was at my coffee lady and a rogue omby started coming my way and she opened her door to let me come inside. People are wonderful.
Sat for a couple hours with Aina (my host brother) just trying to work on my rubic cube. It was a peaceful afternoon
I made peanut butter for the first time today! I may never buy peanut butter again
Called home with the gang all there. My heart is so full!
Niny came to my house to see if I wanted to spend time with her. It was such a good afternoon
I have running partners! We start at 5am and its slowly killing me but I am doing it and I have accountability
Maybe my purpose here isn't to save the world but rather to become the best version of myself and to be a good friend/person. Let myself live and enjoy this period of abundance and give that abundance of joy, peace, and friendship to others. Let myself enjoy being in this moment
Thankful for Tafita and Menja and their willingness to help me with my Malagasy no matter how bad my memory is
My little students are so eager to learn and practice English! Anytime they see me they're practicing their greetings, it's so precious!
I had a good morning coffee interaction, its so nice being able to speak Malagasy when people expect me to speak French
Today I cleared the board while all 5 of my students were on break and they came back and said they had the "cool" teacher, ha!
After my last class of 5eme for the day a little girl walked me home and held my hand the whole time.
For my first 6eme class it started pouring right at the beginning and no one could hear anything but by the time Madame Fanja got done helping me with attendance it stopped raining and we were able to begin teaching.
What had started out as a planned day of solitude turned into an afternoon of little people all over my yard, a nice little walk with my new shy little friend, and then a walk with Menja speaking and teaching English and Malagasy back and forth.
In the morning I was at my coffee lady and a rogue omby started coming my way and she opened her door to let me come inside. People are wonderful.
Sat for a couple hours with Aina (my host brother) just trying to work on my rubic cube. It was a peaceful afternoon
I made peanut butter for the first time today! I may never buy peanut butter again
Called home with the gang all there. My heart is so full!
Niny came to my house to see if I wanted to spend time with her. It was such a good afternoon
I have running partners! We start at 5am and its slowly killing me but I am doing it and I have accountability
Maybe my purpose here isn't to save the world but rather to become the best version of myself and to be a good friend/person. Let myself live and enjoy this period of abundance and give that abundance of joy, peace, and friendship to others. Let myself enjoy being in this moment
Thankful for Tafita and Menja and their willingness to help me with my Malagasy no matter how bad my memory is
My little students are so eager to learn and practice English! Anytime they see me they're practicing their greetings, it's so precious!
Saturday, February 23, 2019
Q & A
What was Christmas like?
Christmas Eve for me was actually one of my harder days at site. Nothing really happened; it was just a normal day and at first it really upset me and I felt like Christmas just didn't exist here and I so I got a little homesick and mad that no one was celebrating. But then the next day I was invited to lunch by a super sweet family after church and then the rest of the day people showered me in kindness and my Christmas felt redeemed. At dinner then that night with my host family I was talking about Christmas in America and how there were parties and my host dad basically told me there isn't Christmas here because everyone still has to work in the fields and that hit me really hard. I realized how privileged I was to be able to celebrate Christmas the way I do in the States and so I felt guilty for being upset the day before. It was a pretty humbling experience.
What has been the best thing so far?
So so so many wonderfully beautiful souls here who have shown me so much kindness and hospitality. My heart sometimes can't handle how amazing people just randomly are to me when I can barely communicate with them half the time. But the best thing is probably my students. I love them so much it hurts. They bring me so much joy and laughter and so much more. I love teaching but I also love all our interactions outside the classroom too. I love that I have the time here to just play soccer or basketball or go on walks with my students. I love how relational this culture is.
What has been the worst part?
Other than the passing of my uncle Mike, the worst part about being here is probably the location of my house. I live in a room under my host family's house who I love and I don't mind that part but in our little fenced in area is another couple who hosts French and other European volunteers and so many people think I'm one of them and we have very different programs and are just very different. Madagascar was a French colony and so some of the Malagasy perceptions of the French aren't always the best and so I really don't like people thinking I'm one of them but the longer I'm here the more I've been able to distinguish myself from them, but its just been difficult dealing with people's perception of me based on how the other volunteers behave and interact with Malagasy.
What gross things have you eaten?
Ha! Surprisingly really nothing, my diet is pretty bland. I eat rice and some kind of protein such as beans, lentils or fish everyday for lunch. I have bread and coffee for breakfast. Then veggies and eggs usually for dinner.
What is your favorite part of the day and why?
As far as something I can count on every day being good I'd say teaching at the CEG (the equivalent of middle school where I teach 6th and 7th graders), because my students are so great and make teaching fun but usually my favorite part of each day ends up being some unexpected moment where I jump into a little game of soccer or I have a good conversation in the market, or my students do something that makes me laugh in class. Every day is different and brings its own moments of joy.
Do you have good water pressure/hot showers?
Ha! My "shower" is a bucket of water I pull from the well and a cup that I pour onto myself. I'd say the one way I do spoil myself more than any other way though is I tend to heat up the water so at least I'm not taking cold showers.
What is your daily routine like?
I wake up around 5:30 and get ready for the day and then head to the market around 7 where I sit and drink coffee or milk and get breakfast. I start teaching at 8 Monday and Wednesday at a professional development association so sort of like a university. I have two classes there and so I finish teaching at 12. Tuesday, Thursday and Friday I don't start until 10 at the CEG.
At my association my class sizes are only around 6-15 students. At my middle school my class sizes are 55, 68, 72, and 70. I enjoy teaching at both places and both places bring their own set of joys and challenges. I like the association because the students are all my age and so they are more like my friends I'm tutoring than students. However, I really think I've found a niche teaching at my middle school. I just love those goobers so much and teaching them is just so much fun.
After teaching then in the morning I come home and eat lunch every day with my host family which is super kind of them to let me do because I would end up eating super late otherwise. 12-2 then the town is pretty much shut down as people either eat or nap. I usually lesson plan during this time. From 2-4 I teach again most days. After I get done teaching I hang out with friends for a little bit or play basketball for a little while before going home and cooking dinner. After eating I basically just go to bed around 8.
And that's basically the main events of my day. Unfortunately that does little to describe the moments throughout the day that make living here some of the best days of my life.
What do you miss most from home? (Other than friends and family)
Quick food/food I don't have to prepare and cook (And good coffee). I'm usually so tired at the end of the day that I don't feel like cooking but that's really my only option here. And burgers. I miss burgers, in particular Hoffar burgers. So December 2020, Hoffars, be prepared, I'm coming over ASAP.
Most remarkable experience thus far?
New Year's here was the big holiday and on New Years Eve was the finale for the soccer tournament that had been going on each day for a week and a lot of the town showed up to watch and it ended up going into PKs and everyone circled around the goal and the shooter and then once the team won a swarm of kids ran over to some nearby bushes and dragged out a goat and then gave this goat to the winning team and everyone was celebrating and it was quite the spectacle and it was so fun to watch, everyone was so hyped. Then on New Years Day no one works and just walks around town and hangs out and so the main road was just full of people and all day I just spent time with random groups of friends and it was kinda like a perfect day for me, I loved just being with people and having the whole day to see everyone in my town.
What is your typical dress each day?
There are other regions that have a little more "exotic" dress but where I live everyone just wears typical American style clothes. To teach I usually where a sundress or skirt but on days I'm not teaching I'm usually just in shorts and a T-shirt. There is "frip" here though which is kind of like thrift store shopping and I have picked up some stuff from that. My latest purchase was a dress with little sheep all over it. Not something I would have ever worn in the states but I like it here and I've gotten several compliments on it from Malagasy ha!
Best/worst thing you have eaten?
There's nothing too exciting about most of the food here, a typical meal is rice with some sort of side dish. But maybe not the "best" thing I've had here, but my favorite meal is called ravitoto with pork. Ravitoto is ground up leaves which sounds strange and at first I didn't like it because it has sort of an earthy taste but now I love it.
The worst thing I've had? Hmm, nothing is really coming to mind. Every now and then I get rotten bananas and that's kind of a bummer but I like pretty much all of the food here. Its mostly just rice and then fresh fruit and vegetables. I can't really complain.
Best cultural faux pas so far?
Ha! Somehow I don't think I personally have had any good blunders but the other week I was with a group of other volunteers doing a tree planting bike ride and we were at a guys site and biked through this little tented area that had people sitting around it. We were all friendly and cheerily greeted them. I thought it was people waiting for a brouse. Some of us thought they were getting ready to watch a movie and so hollered at the people sitting and asked what they were going to watch. Turns out all 12 of us crazy vezahs biked right through a funeral...
How is the experience different than what you expected?
Coming into Madagascar, I had very few expectations, this was such a foreign experience that my brain couldn't really form any expectations. But one thing I guess I didn't really expect was to enjoy learning a new language so much. Every now and then I'll just have a really solid conversation in Malagasy and afterward I'll just feel really BA, or I'll reflect back on it and just think how cool it is that 6 months ago I would have absolutely no clue what was going on. Language is just such a cool thing to me
Since you didn't choose your country or site, how has it been living in Madagascar? If you were to do it again would you try to choose a different location?
When I applied for PC I was kinda hoping for somewhere in mainland Africa so it would make traveling to other countries a little easier, but now being here I couldn't imagine being anywhere else. Plus this gives me the opportunity to really get to know Madagascar by traveling around in-country. And as far as my location goes here at site, this is exactly what I had hoped for. My site is a small, rural, middle of no where town. Its kind of like a small town America where everyone knows everyone. It's made it easier to become known and the people here are so friendly. I love my little town!
Are the women treated equally? If not how have you handled that?
That's a tough question to answer. And my answer is going to be significantly different than other volunteers who live in different regions or bigger cities.
But women here are my definition of incredible. They are some of the strongest, busiest, and strong willed people you will ever meet. Women at my site do all of the cooking, cleaning, laundry, they fetch the water etc. and then they go out and work in the rice fields as well. Men also work incredibly hard to provide food for their families. I think because my site is so rural and most people don't have a lot of money and it's right in the heart of rice country, everyone works hard and works together.
Men and women are definitely different though but so far I haven't really seen women treated poorly but their roles and expectations are different I guess.
Why haven't you posted more pictures?
I'm kamo (lazy). Kinda. Its partly that but honestly no the real reason is that I really haven't taken too many pictures yet and I've been hesitant to bring out my phone to take pictures. I've always been a big believer of living in the moment but then once the French volunteers arrived I may have gone overboard and became a little overly stubborn in that belief because there were times when we'd all be out on the soccer field or basketball court and because we're vezahs there'd be swarms of kids around. I'd usually play soccer or just talk with the kids because they always have a million questions for me but the other volunteers would just sit and watch or they'd just play basketball with themselves. But then after a while a volunteer would pull out their phone and the kids would swarm them and cheer and be super cute which I'm sure made for a great picture but I hate fabricated moments like that where those volunteers know nothing about the kids and don't even really spend any time with them but then they'll post all over social media about how great these kids are. And so I decided I don't want to be like that and that I'd rather actually spend time with people then just take pictures to show off. Sorry, rant over. And I know taking none is a little extreme and I'll try to take more/post more. (And honestly if I just let my friends have my phone there's usually a photo shoot to follow, so I just need to carry my phone around with me more)
How are the middle schoolers in Madagascar the same/different than the youth you've worked with in the States?
They're so tiny here! At least it feels that way. But I'd say the biggest difference is the way they spend their time. Since none of the kids have phones for computers they are actually forced to interact with each other. The middle schoolers in the states were constantly on some kind of device and were dependent on that for entertainment. Kids here are just content going for walks, picking fruit, and playing sports. I'm really learning to enjoy the simplicity of life here.
But in some ways the kids are similar too. They're still immature and figuring things out. For instance, the other day when I was helping with the tree planting program at another volunteers site, we were making little seed bombs out of clay and dirt and had to confiscate a couple penis shaped seed bombs. So yeah some things are definitely the same.
Have you gotten up the nerve to play soccer or are you still a spectator?
I haven't played in any legit games yet. The guys here are actually pretty good and it would require me buying cleats so I haven't decided whether I even really do want to come out of retirement. But I do play soccer a lot, usually just with little kids or students. I'll juggle every now and then too with my host brothers and its been a good bonding activity. Surprising I have also started to play a lot of basketball. Not a lot of girls play soccer (which is one thing I'm hoping to change soon), but they play basketball so I've started playing more, and who knows, maybe I'll come out of these two years and not be quite as terrible. There's always hope.
Have you tried to plant a garden yet?
Good question, I'm still conflicted on this because if I grow a garden then that means I'm not buying food from people at the market and I like contributing to the economy and I just like going out to my market because it gives me a chance to talk to all my market friends. However, I do like the idea of having a garden and I think it would be a fun hobby but I'm still thinking of how I could do it and use it as a learning tool or as a way to help my community in some way.
Ready to re-up?
Ha! It's still early but as of right now, as much as I love it here, I don't plan on extending for a third year, but who knows! Ask me again in 20 months.
Christmas Eve for me was actually one of my harder days at site. Nothing really happened; it was just a normal day and at first it really upset me and I felt like Christmas just didn't exist here and I so I got a little homesick and mad that no one was celebrating. But then the next day I was invited to lunch by a super sweet family after church and then the rest of the day people showered me in kindness and my Christmas felt redeemed. At dinner then that night with my host family I was talking about Christmas in America and how there were parties and my host dad basically told me there isn't Christmas here because everyone still has to work in the fields and that hit me really hard. I realized how privileged I was to be able to celebrate Christmas the way I do in the States and so I felt guilty for being upset the day before. It was a pretty humbling experience.
What has been the best thing so far?
So so so many wonderfully beautiful souls here who have shown me so much kindness and hospitality. My heart sometimes can't handle how amazing people just randomly are to me when I can barely communicate with them half the time. But the best thing is probably my students. I love them so much it hurts. They bring me so much joy and laughter and so much more. I love teaching but I also love all our interactions outside the classroom too. I love that I have the time here to just play soccer or basketball or go on walks with my students. I love how relational this culture is.
What has been the worst part?
Other than the passing of my uncle Mike, the worst part about being here is probably the location of my house. I live in a room under my host family's house who I love and I don't mind that part but in our little fenced in area is another couple who hosts French and other European volunteers and so many people think I'm one of them and we have very different programs and are just very different. Madagascar was a French colony and so some of the Malagasy perceptions of the French aren't always the best and so I really don't like people thinking I'm one of them but the longer I'm here the more I've been able to distinguish myself from them, but its just been difficult dealing with people's perception of me based on how the other volunteers behave and interact with Malagasy.
What gross things have you eaten?
Ha! Surprisingly really nothing, my diet is pretty bland. I eat rice and some kind of protein such as beans, lentils or fish everyday for lunch. I have bread and coffee for breakfast. Then veggies and eggs usually for dinner.
What is your favorite part of the day and why?
As far as something I can count on every day being good I'd say teaching at the CEG (the equivalent of middle school where I teach 6th and 7th graders), because my students are so great and make teaching fun but usually my favorite part of each day ends up being some unexpected moment where I jump into a little game of soccer or I have a good conversation in the market, or my students do something that makes me laugh in class. Every day is different and brings its own moments of joy.
Do you have good water pressure/hot showers?
Ha! My "shower" is a bucket of water I pull from the well and a cup that I pour onto myself. I'd say the one way I do spoil myself more than any other way though is I tend to heat up the water so at least I'm not taking cold showers.
What is your daily routine like?
I wake up around 5:30 and get ready for the day and then head to the market around 7 where I sit and drink coffee or milk and get breakfast. I start teaching at 8 Monday and Wednesday at a professional development association so sort of like a university. I have two classes there and so I finish teaching at 12. Tuesday, Thursday and Friday I don't start until 10 at the CEG.
At my association my class sizes are only around 6-15 students. At my middle school my class sizes are 55, 68, 72, and 70. I enjoy teaching at both places and both places bring their own set of joys and challenges. I like the association because the students are all my age and so they are more like my friends I'm tutoring than students. However, I really think I've found a niche teaching at my middle school. I just love those goobers so much and teaching them is just so much fun.
After teaching then in the morning I come home and eat lunch every day with my host family which is super kind of them to let me do because I would end up eating super late otherwise. 12-2 then the town is pretty much shut down as people either eat or nap. I usually lesson plan during this time. From 2-4 I teach again most days. After I get done teaching I hang out with friends for a little bit or play basketball for a little while before going home and cooking dinner. After eating I basically just go to bed around 8.
And that's basically the main events of my day. Unfortunately that does little to describe the moments throughout the day that make living here some of the best days of my life.
What do you miss most from home? (Other than friends and family)
Quick food/food I don't have to prepare and cook (And good coffee). I'm usually so tired at the end of the day that I don't feel like cooking but that's really my only option here. And burgers. I miss burgers, in particular Hoffar burgers. So December 2020, Hoffars, be prepared, I'm coming over ASAP.
Most remarkable experience thus far?
New Year's here was the big holiday and on New Years Eve was the finale for the soccer tournament that had been going on each day for a week and a lot of the town showed up to watch and it ended up going into PKs and everyone circled around the goal and the shooter and then once the team won a swarm of kids ran over to some nearby bushes and dragged out a goat and then gave this goat to the winning team and everyone was celebrating and it was quite the spectacle and it was so fun to watch, everyone was so hyped. Then on New Years Day no one works and just walks around town and hangs out and so the main road was just full of people and all day I just spent time with random groups of friends and it was kinda like a perfect day for me, I loved just being with people and having the whole day to see everyone in my town.
What is your typical dress each day?
There are other regions that have a little more "exotic" dress but where I live everyone just wears typical American style clothes. To teach I usually where a sundress or skirt but on days I'm not teaching I'm usually just in shorts and a T-shirt. There is "frip" here though which is kind of like thrift store shopping and I have picked up some stuff from that. My latest purchase was a dress with little sheep all over it. Not something I would have ever worn in the states but I like it here and I've gotten several compliments on it from Malagasy ha!
Best/worst thing you have eaten?
There's nothing too exciting about most of the food here, a typical meal is rice with some sort of side dish. But maybe not the "best" thing I've had here, but my favorite meal is called ravitoto with pork. Ravitoto is ground up leaves which sounds strange and at first I didn't like it because it has sort of an earthy taste but now I love it.
The worst thing I've had? Hmm, nothing is really coming to mind. Every now and then I get rotten bananas and that's kind of a bummer but I like pretty much all of the food here. Its mostly just rice and then fresh fruit and vegetables. I can't really complain.
Best cultural faux pas so far?
Ha! Somehow I don't think I personally have had any good blunders but the other week I was with a group of other volunteers doing a tree planting bike ride and we were at a guys site and biked through this little tented area that had people sitting around it. We were all friendly and cheerily greeted them. I thought it was people waiting for a brouse. Some of us thought they were getting ready to watch a movie and so hollered at the people sitting and asked what they were going to watch. Turns out all 12 of us crazy vezahs biked right through a funeral...
How is the experience different than what you expected?
Coming into Madagascar, I had very few expectations, this was such a foreign experience that my brain couldn't really form any expectations. But one thing I guess I didn't really expect was to enjoy learning a new language so much. Every now and then I'll just have a really solid conversation in Malagasy and afterward I'll just feel really BA, or I'll reflect back on it and just think how cool it is that 6 months ago I would have absolutely no clue what was going on. Language is just such a cool thing to me
Since you didn't choose your country or site, how has it been living in Madagascar? If you were to do it again would you try to choose a different location?
When I applied for PC I was kinda hoping for somewhere in mainland Africa so it would make traveling to other countries a little easier, but now being here I couldn't imagine being anywhere else. Plus this gives me the opportunity to really get to know Madagascar by traveling around in-country. And as far as my location goes here at site, this is exactly what I had hoped for. My site is a small, rural, middle of no where town. Its kind of like a small town America where everyone knows everyone. It's made it easier to become known and the people here are so friendly. I love my little town!
Are the women treated equally? If not how have you handled that?
That's a tough question to answer. And my answer is going to be significantly different than other volunteers who live in different regions or bigger cities.
But women here are my definition of incredible. They are some of the strongest, busiest, and strong willed people you will ever meet. Women at my site do all of the cooking, cleaning, laundry, they fetch the water etc. and then they go out and work in the rice fields as well. Men also work incredibly hard to provide food for their families. I think because my site is so rural and most people don't have a lot of money and it's right in the heart of rice country, everyone works hard and works together.
Men and women are definitely different though but so far I haven't really seen women treated poorly but their roles and expectations are different I guess.
Why haven't you posted more pictures?
I'm kamo (lazy). Kinda. Its partly that but honestly no the real reason is that I really haven't taken too many pictures yet and I've been hesitant to bring out my phone to take pictures. I've always been a big believer of living in the moment but then once the French volunteers arrived I may have gone overboard and became a little overly stubborn in that belief because there were times when we'd all be out on the soccer field or basketball court and because we're vezahs there'd be swarms of kids around. I'd usually play soccer or just talk with the kids because they always have a million questions for me but the other volunteers would just sit and watch or they'd just play basketball with themselves. But then after a while a volunteer would pull out their phone and the kids would swarm them and cheer and be super cute which I'm sure made for a great picture but I hate fabricated moments like that where those volunteers know nothing about the kids and don't even really spend any time with them but then they'll post all over social media about how great these kids are. And so I decided I don't want to be like that and that I'd rather actually spend time with people then just take pictures to show off. Sorry, rant over. And I know taking none is a little extreme and I'll try to take more/post more. (And honestly if I just let my friends have my phone there's usually a photo shoot to follow, so I just need to carry my phone around with me more)
How are the middle schoolers in Madagascar the same/different than the youth you've worked with in the States?
They're so tiny here! At least it feels that way. But I'd say the biggest difference is the way they spend their time. Since none of the kids have phones for computers they are actually forced to interact with each other. The middle schoolers in the states were constantly on some kind of device and were dependent on that for entertainment. Kids here are just content going for walks, picking fruit, and playing sports. I'm really learning to enjoy the simplicity of life here.
But in some ways the kids are similar too. They're still immature and figuring things out. For instance, the other day when I was helping with the tree planting program at another volunteers site, we were making little seed bombs out of clay and dirt and had to confiscate a couple penis shaped seed bombs. So yeah some things are definitely the same.
Have you gotten up the nerve to play soccer or are you still a spectator?
I haven't played in any legit games yet. The guys here are actually pretty good and it would require me buying cleats so I haven't decided whether I even really do want to come out of retirement. But I do play soccer a lot, usually just with little kids or students. I'll juggle every now and then too with my host brothers and its been a good bonding activity. Surprising I have also started to play a lot of basketball. Not a lot of girls play soccer (which is one thing I'm hoping to change soon), but they play basketball so I've started playing more, and who knows, maybe I'll come out of these two years and not be quite as terrible. There's always hope.
Have you tried to plant a garden yet?
Good question, I'm still conflicted on this because if I grow a garden then that means I'm not buying food from people at the market and I like contributing to the economy and I just like going out to my market because it gives me a chance to talk to all my market friends. However, I do like the idea of having a garden and I think it would be a fun hobby but I'm still thinking of how I could do it and use it as a learning tool or as a way to help my community in some way.
Are there kids there starving like the kids in Kenya?
Poverty all over the world looks different and even in Madagascar it's different. For instance urban poverty and rural poverty look very different here. Just speaking from my personal experience at my site, the people don't have a lot of money, but there are lots of fruits and vegetables and everyone eats rice. However meat is rarely eaten at my site and so the most common form of protein is beans. There is a lack of information about the food groups and it I common here for people to have three square meals of rice. So at least at my site, I haven't seen people starving and while they may not have a lot of money, everyone looks out for their friends and family so there aren't kids begging on the streets or anything.
What's it like there? How are you?
I don't have an adequate answer to that first question. Beautiful. Transformative. Relational. Challenging. Amazing. The list could go on. Hopefully my previous answers have given some insight into what it's like here but you all should come check it out for yourself :)
I'm so incredibly happy here guys. Even my worst days here there is always something that happens that just lifts my heart. Some days I can hardly believe that this is actually my life.
Ready to re-up?
Ha! It's still early but as of right now, as much as I love it here, I don't plan on extending for a third year, but who knows! Ask me again in 20 months.
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