Cruising Around

I met up with my friends Trina, Michelle, and Kelley the other day for a cruise around the Seattle area. (We all taught 4th Grade together in my former school district.) We added more good memories to our friendship with a cruise around Lake Union, through the Ballard Locks, out to Puget Sound and back to the city. Good times!

"I Will Not Leave Africa Without You!"

Wrapping up some loose ends here...

Uncle Frank's visit was super! In reality, we had hardly seen each other in 2+ years, so this was long overdue. And, now that we've both spent the intense time together that we did in Senegal, our relationship will never be the same again (in a good way!). My experience in Africa will always hold the memory of his visit. He made me laugh, I thoroughly enjoyed his cooking, and I appreciate how he notices the details of people and life.

On our way from Dakar to Seattle earlier this month, some of our flights were delayed and others canceled because of the complications with the East Coast snow storm. At one point, I thought we might need to split up and take different flights (i.e., he would travel before me with a different airline). My uncle keep saying, "I will not leave Africa without you! I promised your mom I'd bring you home." Well, we did made it back together.

Thank you, Uncle Frank, for visiting me.

Home VS. Senegal

How quickly one adjusts to a new environment.

I wouldn’t rate this as my strong suit (a quick adaptation to anything), yet I can see that I have done it because it is inevitable. You don’t realize, until you return somewhere familiar, how you’ve grown accustomed to something else.

Weather and cold temperature aside, there are so many things I’ve noticed about my homeland that I had forgotten in a new one:

• The water out of the tap can be extremely cold (Senegal: it is always lukewarm to blazing hot)

• So many cars – especially SUV’s, barely any people walking around (Senegal: the streets are flooded with people at all hours)

• Coffee shops on every second corner!! (Senegal: corner shops/mini marts abound)**

• Flat, manageable hair (Senegal: moist air always has my hair strutting its stuff)

• Blue jeans and sneakers as the dress of choice (Senegal: tradition dress and bright colors)

• Facial hair on older men (Senegal: none really)

**I've NEVER grown used to the lack of coffee shops (or forgotten about them). I simply had to mention this because it is one of the best things about Seattle!

Exercise Videos

In the second video, notice the guy hopping in the background. Highly effective exercise (focus: hamstrings) called the Backward Bunny Hop.