2008 In Review—stolen from Lori’s blog

Most Focussed Period
April-early May: determination to learn Sereer

Most "No way! Is That Real?" Moment
Leaving my family at the O’Hare International Airport an early Monday morning in March, finally heading off into the Peace Corps, something I had been thinking about for years. Even more so when we landed in Dakar.

Lowest Point
February 28: driving away from my apartment, friends, job…crying at Modern Times as Dad waited in the car for me outside. That was a rough day.
Mid-November: worst week In Country, nothing went right and I don’t really know why. I cracked and had no one to talk to about it. Thankfully it passed.

Best Feeling
The love I felt from everyone as I was leaving DC and every time I get a letter, email, or care package from the States.
Making neem lotion (mosquito repellent) with some women in my village. It was a rainy afternoon and there was a baptism in the morning, but more people than expected showed up and watched and listened. Afterwards, they expressed their appreciation, praying blessings on me, my work, the village (getting a health hut…of course), and then came into my hut, singing, clapping, and dancing just for me. I felt loved, accepted, and appreciated, right at a needed point in my service. Best afternoon in the village ever.

Most Pivotal Moment
Packing away my boxes and driving away from DC. Starting a new chapter in my life.

Most Humbling Experience
Realizing that it’s very easy for me to go to Kaolack or Thies every few weeks but many people in my village have never been even 30km away. Also, attempting to explain why I can’t live in the village for 10 years (like they all want), while realizing things like lack of electricity, plumbing, modern comforts, grad school, and much more, are things that most of them have to live without on a daily basis. When I finally explained I would miss my family and friends, they understood.

Favourite Weekend
My 23rd birthday weekend, when Em and I drove down to Williamsburg to meet up with Michelle and have a fun, cold, and snowy girls’ weekend.

Most Successful On-Pitch Moment
I don’t know what this means, so I will assume it’s a reference to Ultimate Frisbee, which I don’t play.

Toughest Day At Work
Work is very different here…however, the 3-day vaccine tourney in my first month at site was stressful, emotionally, psychologically, and physically draining, and ended with me being extremely ill for 4 days. At least kids got vaccinated and received mosquito nets.

Most Satisfying Day At Work
Taking Ndeye and her baby, Ibou, to the clinic in Foundiougne because he was “sick,” ie extremely malnourished. The nurse encouraged her to continue breastfeeding and give him powdered milk and water (the same suggestions I had given, but the nurse has more authority than this silly white girl) and told us to come back in a few weeks. He started gaining weight and she started producing more breastmilk. The most satisfying day was when I came back from helping with PST for a few weeks and saw Ndeye’s baby Ibou had chubby cheeks, thick arms and legs, and was no longer malnourished. I nearly cried I was so happy—and my family was so excited to tell me “Baby Ibou’s fat!” because they knew how important it was to me.

Longest Wait
11 months (April 8, 2007-March 10, 2008): timeline from official submission of my Peace Corps application until arrival at Staging in Philly. Daily: waiting for life to happen…now I always bring a book with me!

Most I-Can't-Believe-I-Just-Got-Away-With-That Moment
Getting paid for vacation missed right before leaving my office job. It was a nice little surprise!
Getting the Djilor Communaute Rurale truck to take me to Kaolack to buy fencing supplies for the garden. Shopping in Kaolack was still stressful (and I totally freaked out at the school director), but it was 100 times easier than it would have been without a private car.

Highest Point
Arriving in Thies on August 4 for IST, seeing fellow Volunteers, and knowing that we had survived the crucial (and excruciating) first 3 months at site.
Also, getting on the airplane to Paris, knowing that on the other end were my parents, sister, Saki, Theresa, Sommer, beautiful sites, food/wine/coffee, and a chance to blend in again, even just briefly.


My year was definitely divided by DC (my life pre-Peace Corps) and Peace Corps life. I was (mostly) happy with my jobs, especially at the coffeehouse, and enjoying the life of a college graduate. I loved my roommates Heidi and Vicky; Vicky and I had found a church we really liked; I was enjoying a healthy lifestyle: walking a lot and enjoying trying new types of food. I felt like I was coming into my own self and loving life in the city—I was content, so God decided to rock my world. Then I packed up my stuff, returned to CL, packed up even more, and hopped on a plane to Senegal and my life changed 180degrees. Peace Corps life was (is) challenging in ways I could never have predicted. I’ve made some great friends who are going through similar experiences and understand what it feels to be a toubab (foreigner, white person) here in Senegal, how slow it is to get work done, and who are becoming like family (celebrating holidays, etc). More challenges lay ahead in 2009, but 2008 was definitely a pivotal year for my growth as a person.

Ok, enough of this...