Steadier Footing

Snow on Mt Hood

Since getting back from vacation I've been happily busy. I purposely started a few projects that would take off with the new school year, so being busy was no surprise, however it has been going much better than I expected. I have two camps coming up, one being a girl's camp that my region planned and the second being the environmental camp I planned (please donate if you haven't already!!!) While the girl's camp is completely planned, mine still has a few things to address since it's not for another few weeks. Needless to say I came back pretty worried about all the work I had, but have been amazingly efficient. This may sound silly. I mean of course I should be efficient, we all are when we need to get stuff done, well smarties efficient here doesn't mean just getting off my butt and doing. Here getting things done, unfortunately, depends on lots of other people, hence why so many of us feel so unproductive. When I came back my counterpart and camp co-director, had just left for school in Egypt, meaning no one to help run the camp. Admittedly that and a few other things had me really freaked, however, I thankfully found a replacement in Emma and Babacar, who are both new but excited (usually the best combo). So this week we set off to work and it has made me feel so much more confident in how everything will turn out. I also managed to bike all over tarnation and meet with my scholarship winners. This shouldn't be hard, but when ½ give you a wrong number, ½ can't understand you on the phone and all the houses in senegal look the same, it can be an adventure. Thankfully, after lots of wandering, asking random old people and going to a few wrong places, that task is also complete. So I'm set to take 7 girls with me to our girls' camp. I was originally really nervous, but like most things here, now that it's here I'm looking forward to it. I'm sure it won't be all fun, but predominately fun. Check for my blog in a weekish, where I'll tell about camp.

hanging with brutus, laura and some groomsmen at the Union 

My lovely welcoming committee

In these past few weeks I'm discovering I may finally have a hold on thing here. We all know the first year is an adjustment, and really the second will be too. Most volunteers even say their time is up just as they feel they've got the hang of this place. I like to think my recent success and happiness is because i've figured this place out and am finally becoming productive. However, I'm pretty sure I just have a new appreciation for Senegal. Going to and coming back from the US made me realize how quick this last year is going to go, and how quickly i'll have to start thinking about my next steps in life. That's honestly really stressful. I may even have had a few freakout in the states about this future thing. Being back I am appreciating being here, being able to enjoy the moment and enjoy the my nice slow life. Realizing it's all coming to an end has made me more forgiving about some of my shortcomings and some of Senegal's too. I'm prepared for this next year. For lack of better wording, I'm going to live the crap out of it.