to the Starting Line

What's up people! It's been a minute, but good news is I'm still kicking. We just got to Addis today, leaving Butajira and our host families behind. It was surprisingly sad watching people say bye. Little kids and parents crying, because their beloved forenjis turned friends/family were leaving.

My family was pretty adorable. My dad and I went out last night and had a few drinks together, talking in an Amharic/English mix which attracted confused looks and questions per usual. Then this morning I said goodbye to my host sister Hiwot and tried to get her to smile, to no avail. Luckily I promised to come back for New Years / Addis Amat, which is September 11th. Go ahead, let that one sink in. 

I became part of my family enough to help Mimi cook my dinners and breakfasts. I actually was able to do most of it one night and serve my family. It was fun pouring the water over their hands and asking them min chamaran? AKA I'm putting more of something on your plate so you'd better pick. 

The past 10 weeks have pretty much flown by. After my site visit I got into a nice daily routine of running in the morning and studying at night, which produced results both in my pace/kilometer and Amharic proficiency. 

Our Amharic group was me and two girls from Connecticut. The only group to be kept together. The girls are pretty flipping gobez, which is annoying, because they're always remembering things. 

But after reading through the book a little bit before bed and drinking fewer beers each night, my fidel competency significantly improved. It's really fun to be able to read words in fidel, it's kind of like playing Mad Gab. Pretty much the same thing if you ask me. I still sound like I'm in the 1st grade. Blue or Green group, I'm not nearly gobez enough for the Red group. I think Matt Libman might be the only person who will get that Mrs. Quinn reference.

We'll be in Addis until Sunday. Saturday we swear in at the US Embassy and then we are off to our sites in the morning, on house arrest for 3 months. Ipso facto I won't be able to access internet again until In Service Training in July. 

It's been interesting seeing everyone's take on PST and going to site. I don't know if I'm a cold-blooded human, or that I am just super determined to do this thing well, or maybe both. Either way I feel pretty well adjusted and excited to go to site. 

You know in The Sandlot when the Babe tells Benny people often miss their chance at moments in life, because they're either too afraid or don't recognize it when it spits on their shoes? Of course you do. If you don't, kindly stop reading this blog and Youtube that. I'm not attaching a link, your internet connection is better than mine and will take you a fraction of the time. 

Anyways, I think this service is exactly what I have been waiting for. PST has been super fun, but it has kind of felt like college all over again. I'm learning things, but it's still a crutch being around Americans constantly. When I get to site, I will finally be forced to actually implement the things I do know and even more so all the things I don't know. In Amharic, Agewnya, public health, manamen. 

"I been ready for it" as Young Drizzy Drake would say.