Sprinting to the Finish Line

It gets harder and harder to find time to write postings. With only about two weeks left before I leave Longido (probably January 31st), the list of things I really want to get done seems to be never-ending.

And just when it's time to leave...I'm getting signs of yet another step forward in my acceptance here. Little Arnold is finally happy to run to my arms for a hug. Today I saw (and contributed to the demise of) the biggest spider-like critter to have ever appeared here in our relatively bug-free guest house...yikes, I'll be tucking in the corners of my bed net tonight! My young housemates seem to have forgotten that I'm mzungu, and think nothing of offering to share a humble dinner of sorghum porridge (which I'm actually quite okay with accepting, so long as it's not an every day thing!). I continue in my role of problem-solver, but as the weeks go by the problems become far more personal and at times far more serious. There are still a lot of shared laughs...but now we've grown into occasional shared tears as well. In short, I'm feeling very much like part of this huge family.

My TEMBO colleagues called the other night from Canada, asking what I wanted stocked in my fridge on my return. At the time I was so taken aback by just the thought of having a refrigerator, that I couldn't come up with much in the way of a list of contents for it. But a few hours later I found myself food-obsessed for the first time since arriving here (other than my craving for Indian food which I've satisfied twice now in Arusha). I'd actually been able to put all thoughts of missed food out of my mind since arriving here. Amazing to remember how much I love cheese, yogurt, whole grain bread, asparagus...the list goes on and on. Actually, the list DID go on and on when I got around to sending an emailed reply to the grocery provision offer.

So yes, it'll be great to come home for a while. To see my family, my friends...celebrate a little late Christmas with them...toss a log onto my fireplace...stare at the fridge in awe...remember how it feels to be cold...thrill to high-speed internet...all such things.