"It's the closest place you can get to heaven-minus the trash."
- my little sister, Cerisa, after spending a week at my site.
- my little sister, Cerisa, after spending a week at my site.
I'm in Conakry right now, recovering. Recovering from what you may ask? Stress and the usual case of Giardia, Schisto, or Salmonella. I'll find out exactly what from the PCMO tomorrow when my results get in. But since I, like so many other volunteers live with the runs or live running from them (pardon if you just ate dinner), the last 3 cases are not out of the norm. For me, it was the stress that brought me to this wonderful refuge called Conakry.
It was here that I was reminded about the kind of person I am. I am a perfectionist. And being that type of person in a country like Guinea, where the protectors of law are the ones breaking them, things don't quite...well how do I say it? Ca marche pas! I've been so happy and healthy with my situation here because I love my site. It is here that I've been able to find my niche by forming strong relationships, feeling a sense of belonging within my community which leads into finally making a strange place into a home. I always believed that you can't be homesick when you're at home. It's when you leave home that you get sick and vomit everything you put into your body for 6 days straight!
I am so tired and I shouldn't be surprised considering that I sleep only 2 hours a night when in my home that I speak so highly of. It's so funny because I've been so at ease at my site that it becomes easy to forget that being an insomniac is unhealthy. If I were in the states getting that little rest I would be livid and I would have immediately done something about it. But no...something about Guinea makes you forget to take care of yourself. Maybe it's because there are so many other things to take care of that seems of greater priority.
Whether you're a fellow G15er or a certain best friend working in a big cooperate office please take this to heart. Remember yourself. It's not being selfish. It's being smart. Take care of yourself first.
2 comments:
seriously. you're supposed to STOP eating the food that you find a dead fly in. hehehahahahaha. that was probably the only time I was truly grossed out.
Ra Ra! It is so good to see a new post. Yikes! Yes, please take care of yourself. The boys would like a healthy auntie when you get back one day. We miss you so much, but we know you love what you are doing, so we are being patient about it. We love seeing your pics and videos, did you like Noah's message to you. Love you.
Charmela
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