Well, I suppose I should title this one “With love from Michigan.”

As some of you know, I returned to the U.S. last month due to some personal safety issues at my site. I am now safe and sound at home in Michigan. I am extremely happy to be surrounded by loved ones (and food that is not rice,) but leaving such a life-changing opportunity and all of the amazing people I met is heartbreaking.

Security issues aside, I have had an absolutely incredible experience and I have learned more than I could possibly say. The Gambian people taught me how to slow down and appreciate the world around me, how to live in a close knit community where you exist not as an individual, but as a member of a family, and how to live with the bare necessities… or even less.  Hurtling into to a totally different world also showed me how much I take for granted. Not the running water, electricity, or ice cream, but in being a member of the majority within a society. I had to learn what it is like to be a total outsider; to suddenly be bad at everything I try, and to give up my independence. When you stand out like a biker at a tea party you suddenly become very aware of every move you make and every word you say. Overall it has been a very humbling experience and I hope to use it as a starting point for more projects and different opportunities.

At the moment I am job searching in Michigan with the hopes of using my summers to volunteer in The Gambia or elsewhere. My new goal is to set up a program that is sustainable over time and that I can return to on a yearly basis.  If anyone has ideas or programs to think about please let me know! Square one is a scary but exciting place.