On to month 2!

Four days ago we passed the one-month mark. I can’t believe it’s only been that long, I feel like I’ve been here forever. The experiences I’ve amassed in the past month have already been enough to sustain me for a lifetime, and I can’t wait for what else is headed my way! We got back from Limbe yesterday, a short weekend trip to the beach. We spent the whole of Friday traveling, and because it was raining (in Yaoundé and in Limbe) the whole ride was freezing. It was the first time since I got off the plane (other than when I shower) that I’ve been cold here. I’ll take it. We spent Saturday visiting Buea, watching a little bit of the Mt. Cameroon race before hitting the beach. The Mt. Cameroon race amazes me. The participants make it all the way to the summit of the mountain (the second highest mountain in Africa) and back down, some in five hours or less. I struggle to walk up the hills in Yaoundé without taking a break. After watching the first few people make it down the mountain we ventured over the beach in Limbe, which is a picture perfect black sand landscape.

My Cameroonian skills are improving—I am slowly improving my laundry technique and am getting pretty adept at removing spots from my clothing. Cooking is another matter, but I made eggs the other day and they turned out pretty well… everyone has to start somewhere. My next goal is balancing things on my head, and I started to practice last night. My youngest host brother and I walked over to the market to buy water, and I tried to carry it home on my head. I probably should have started off with something a little lighter, maybe next time I’ll try one bottle of water instead of six. Understandably he couldn’t stop laughing at me, but I will prove myself!

In other news, I am trying and failing to imagine the way I’m going to feel when I return to the US. It is hard to imagine having running water all the time and constant access to the internet. I feel like most people say that when you go to another country that has a drastically different way of life, you realize how many things you take for granted at home. For me however, I’ve really begun to realize how many things at home are so unnecessary. I could name a million examples, but I don’t want to dwell on what I own that I don’t need. I know that over time here in Cameroon I will grow more used to going without certain things, and I hope that when I get back to the US, those habits will slowly work their way into place. But for now, I am simply attempting to get back into the school routine after our relaxing weekend away. Until next time!