Oh how the way things used to be

I think I had my first case of homesickness the other day. It started off with a malaria medication induced dream. Itís a side affect of the medication that produces extremely vivid and sometimes stressful dreams. There will be mornings when I wake up and I really thought I went somewhere else in the middle of the night. So when I dream about the states or people I miss back home, it sucks to wake up in a strange place thousands of miles away. We were all talking about this the other day. When you wake up after these dreams and you're lying in bed not wanting to open your eyes to reality but it's too late because you can now feel the boards under your thin foam mattress and those people yelling/crying outside your window are your host siblings. Someone had a dream about how they were in the states, using high speed internet with 15 windows open and were all staring around it in awe of it's speed.

I may have mentioned this before, but the largest contributor to missing my old life, is that there is nothing that reminds me of it here besides the things that I brought in two 50lb luggages and the other volunteers. Itís like everything Iíve experienced in my life is suddenly not there. And now Iíve just picked up a new life in another language that Iíve got to get used to it. Although there are some random times, like when I was helping my sisters cook dinner over the traditional fire stove, and we sing Usher and Rihanna. My host brother knows more about whats new in the U.S. elections than I do. My host father thinks that McCain won't win because he doesn't understand the "hip-hop".

There are some things that I would have never thought Iíd miss either. I would love to go to a baseball game right now. The convenience of a grocery store is huge. Even before you walk into the grocery store.. Automatic doors so you can stroll a cart on wheels through it. Before that though: parking lots. I'd look like a crazy person if I started taking pictures of automatic doors and paved roads.

I don't miss everything though and there are creative solutions to everything here. Cooking is a good example. No rolling pin solution: beer bottle. No plates or napkins= random scrap paper and toilet paper(sometimes). Picture for sangria and wine glasses, definitely don't have that but we use a water filter bucket and we cut plastic water bottles to make into stemware. And cooking utensils pretty much comprise a couple forks and spoons. And most of all, thanks to the other amazing trainees and volunteers here, things are not that bad at all.

18 days until I'm officially a volunteer and moving out into the east! Miss you all very much!