One Year

The one year mark has officially come and gone. One year ago, my Birthday, June 6th, we arrived here in Lesotho. Looking back over my blogs I realize I have left out much of the "Africa" from my African Adventure. It is hard when you live here and are immersed in the life everyday to sit and really reflect on the smaller things that make living away from home scary and magical at the same time.

I was planning on sitting here, in the office, and working on my reporting that Peace Corps requires. I have been racking my brain to think of what I have done and can claim as work for the last year. When not actually listing what I have done, I feel like I have accomplished nothing in my time here and one more year does not seem like enough to do all that I wanted to do. But then I take another look at the last year of my life and realize that, really, every day I have accomplished some part of the Peace Corps goals. I may not be saving the world, I may not have had success in my projects, but I talked and listened and shared with everyone I took the time to greet. What I have learned from my failures and the tools I gave those I worked with even if our project failed are more valuable than if our farm had produced more than corn and a hand full of beans. The friends I made at the Ballroom dance club got more from learning better communication and body language than from having perfect steps when Waltzing.

Here is a list of what, after one year, Lesotho is to me. Hopefully it conveys some of the strange magic that makes this "the worst and the best" time of my life.

Lesotho is...
30 people in a 15 person taxi
a greeting from a stranger
children following you just to see what you do
adults following you just to see what you do
A friend sharing a sparkle on a taxi
Waiting on the side of the road with 4 bags for a hitch that might never come
a clear day where you can see every detail on the mountains
"ke kopa lipompong" candy please
"ke kopa chelete" money please
A baby sheep, not 5 minutes old
carrying a baby on your back
wearing a blanket and having people laugh
Friends rolling their eyes and saying "o ausi" because you did something too American
sun bathing on Christmas
Bo-ntate and their "I Love you"s
watching a student make a discovery
talking to people about HIV/AIDS
people walking up to you on the street and asking you about HIV/AIDS
Learning the Cha Cha... in Africa?
holding a friends hand while talking
people always touching you
Not seeing another white person in 3 weeks
Sitting around a heater enjoying being a part of a family
Crying with your family
Learning more from people than you could ever teach them
peeing in a bucket in front of friends
...Magic