This week we had an opening celebration for the community center. And the following are excerpts from my journal.
The opening was a big success! Even though four organizations that RSVP-ed didn’t show. Kick4life brought four coaches and had great activities, teaching about AIDS and healthy living through sports. Almost everyone got involved in the games and had a really great time. We had about 200 people of all different ages come to the opening. And we didn’t run out of popcorn or fruit, and the drink mix was a surprisingly big hit and seemed to make up for the fact that there wasn’t any meat.
Before the opening I worked an American work schedule, 8 – 5 everyday, organizing the library, painting, and cutting, sealing and building the chicken tractors with the villagers. The design seems pretty simple, who would have thought they would turn out to be so much work? And we only finished one of the seven chicken tractors we have planned.
My home-life is going really well, I’ve had many little fun moments with my host family lately, like jumping rope with my host mom and sister and reading Where’s Waldo with my brother. Those every day little moments add up to so much. Also ausi Lebohang is back [in the village] and I spent a lovely afternoon with her, chatting and eating papa and meroho. She’s back on holiday from University, and is probably one of the few friends here that fully understands me and my American life. It’s great to have her back.
I just finished Daniel Deronda, my 57th book in Peace Corps, I’m not sure I’ll make it to 100 if I always pick such long books. And I’ve started running every morning again, now that both [my dog] Makoenya and I are back to being healthy. Although since it’s really hard to eat wholesomely here, I don’t consider myself as being really that healthy, but running at this altitude must help. And people have gotten used to my running and no longer stare in awe as I run past without an emergency or any particular destination.
The closer it gets for me to leave, less than seven months now, the less eager I am to go home. As different as it is, this has become my home. My life out here might be harder and certainly can be lonelier, but it has more purpose, more meaning, and more hard-earned joy. For some reason since happiness comes easier (at least for me) in the U.S., it seems less meaningful. But no matter where I am I know I can be happy. I’ll probably always miss or be nostalgic about some other time or place, but if I can focus on present joys and little fun moments, I know I can always be happy, not matter where I am.
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