It's funny how me sitting outside on my front porch studying development materials can quickly turn into a gaggle of kids in my yard playing. My cute toddler friend Macy comes over to chat with her sister, a few neighbors kids join us, then she gets her "Malawian jump rope," more kids come (in their purple uniforms because they're on their way home from school), and before I know it, my yard has because a playground. Even though it can be frustrating when I actually need to get things done, sometimes being in the center of the village, surrounded by activity, a highly frequented produce stand, and children, can be a blessing.
April is coming to a close, and I need to do another update on my life. A whooooole lot changed this month, but the biggest changes were my location, my job, and my health. Last month in March, a bunch of emotional things happened. Two of my closest friends left Liberia, dry season heat was at its peak and making me miserable, and the lack of work at my site was reaching a tipping point. I thought long and hard about my options. My favorite little 9 month old is almost walking I felt torn. I didn’t really want to leave Liberia, but I also wasn’t sure how much more of my situation I could emotionally handle. I felt like I’d lost control over every aspect of my life; my well-being, privacy, daily routine, and happiness all felt dependent on my environment and the people around me. I tried not to stress about this realization, but I also felt like I’d reached an inescapable and unhealthy place. Thankfully, things sort of fell into place all at once. As I was...