There is an air conditioner over my head

Well as you could see from the date of my last blog, it has been a while. I’ve been in site for way too long this time- about 5 weeks (minus one quick less than 24 hour stint in Bamako). It feels so good to be sitting in front of a computer I can’t even tell you. I’m at the new Peace Corps Bureau under the air conditioning, and with temperatures threatening to break 110 degrees, it is certainly a blessing. The last couple of days I’ve been useless, counting down the hours until my escape. Even my Bambara is cloudy. I always feel like I want to stay in site as long as possible but this time I’ve learned that once it gets too long, you grow stale and restless until you get a little refresher. So I hope that this will be one and that I’ll return renewed and ready for action.
The last five weeks have generally been great, though I’ve been a little homesick, especially after a recent tragedy back in my hometown. (My continual prayers go out for the Cannon family). Little annoyances can get to you in village after being around for so long. People asking you for stuff (I tried as an experiment to keep track for a week, but lost count after about 3 days and over a dozen requests), people interrupting what you are focused on to give you a zillion greetings, you know, all that normal everyday stuff. And I found myself getting a bit detached, my dreams of post Peace Corps life becoming more and more serious and frequent. I know I toyed with the idea of extending my service, but with the way things are going in such a natural and fulfilling progression, I think that in September, I’ll be ready. I can visualize the next 6 months, the competition and follow up of my projects, and I know when it’s time to go, I’ll be thoroughly satisfied. And then…? Who knows? I’d like to get a Masters in Public Health but that wouldn’t start until July 2011 at the earliest. I want to be home for a while, but also want to travel and see East Africa (Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda). I want to research a story out there that I had written a play about in college and maybe even do some volunteering. But I still strive to embrace this unique life I’m living now. Watching malnourished babies get fat and plump never looses its enchantment. One day I’ll leave this village for another refresher, like now, to get a break from the annoyances, but the difference will be that I won’t be coming back. And who knows, when I’m back, it might be those little annoyances that I’ll terribly miss.
But I’m still happy, still doing great, and still thinking of all of you. And I have only had one foot infection since I came back that didn’t even require oral antibiotics. Life is good.