All packed and ready to go…

I don’t know what it is about taking trips, but I get really excited about traveling. Whether it is leaving on a new adventure or returning home from one, I really enjoy the moving from place to place. And the packing. I love to pack! I don’t know whether it is some kind of combination of OCD and anxiety or something else, but I tend to start packing well before a journey. And I’m not talking a day or two early, but more like weeks. Here I am, 10 days away from leaving the Gambia and I could walk out the door in less than an hour. Because I am pretty much packed and ready to go and I have been for several days…ok, probably closer to a week. I can’t help it. I usually start with a list, but the list quickly turns into a pile. Once the pile is large enough, I pull out the suitcase and it’s all downhill from there. And even though I am already pretty much packed, I’ll probably unpack everything and repack it…just for fun.

My five months in the Gambia is coming to a close and I will really miss this country, my colleagues, and my students. I have made a home here and I am already trying to figure out how to come back. I will miss the beautiful beaches and the goats. Yeah, weird priorities there. It’s just that baby goats are soooo cute! How often in the US do you get to watch a baby goat walk past you while you check your email? I’m guessing not often. One thing I won’t miss…the hot season! I have been feeling hot and sticky for the last month. Combine that with the ever present dust and it is not a pretty picture. And while I do have a fan, which I cart from room to room and turn to face me at all times, that only works when there is electricity. Of which there is none currently. I usually enjoy the heat, but not the sweating. It is no fun typing on a computer when you can feel the sweat dripping off your elbows and chin. At least I like to shower. This type of weather is definitely 2 shower a day weather. I would swear that even my hair is sweating. Seriously. And traveling by public transportation makes this hot weather even more fun. I tend to feel like a sweaty sardine when I get out of the taxi. It is usually pretty tight which means both you and your neighbor(s) are tightly packed and sweating. Let’s just say I like to shower after taking a taxi home from work.

I wish it would rain. I have been in the Gambia for almost 5 months and it has rained three times, both of those times were in the past 2 weeks. So when they say it’s the dry season, they aren't kidding. June is the start of the rainy season, but it doesn't really get going until July and August. So I won’t see a lot of rain before I leave. Which is sad. One of my favorite memories from living in Togo was lying in bed at night, listening to the rain on my tin roof.

Well, I should check my laundry…something might be dry and then I could pack it! 

Happy Father's Day

Happy Father’s Day to all the dads out there, especially my dad, Dennis Reynolds. I can’t say enough or often enough how lucky I am to have you as my father. I know my sister would agree, we definitely got lucky in the parent lottery (and that goes for both parents)! Dad, I didn't have the opportunity to get you a Father’s Day card this year, so let this be my Father’s Day card. 

Dear Dad,

You have always been there for me. I remember you reading me Dr. Seuss’s Hop on Pop and letting me jump on you as they do in the story. Or when you would come home on your lunch hour to bring me 7-Up when I was home sick from school and to this day I still associate 7-Up with being sick and it never fails to make me feel better. Every swim meet and softball game, you was there to help celebrate a win or a good swim or console after a loss. You taught me how to ride a bike and later how to drive a car and how to check my oil. Or the fact that I still get a teddy bear every Valentine’s Day…even when I was living in the Gambia! You have always been a good listener when I need advice and while you might not always agree with my decisions, I know that doesn’t stop you from supporting my ability to choose my path in life. You are the best and I love you!

Love,

Erin