These Days…
These days I’m loving:
*Road-tripping it to Juba for immigration paperwork, an airport dropoff, and one glorious afternoon by the pool. Managed to eat my weight in pizza, Mongolian barbecue, Palak Paneer, and produce, often while sitting by the infamous Nile river. First time in 5 months that I had been to a restaurant with an actual menu (or used an actual flush toilet, but maybe that’s TMI).Golden pineapple slices consumed on the side of the road equals one moment of perfect happiness.
*Group participation in cross-word puzzles. To pass the time, we bought a paper at the Juba airport, and after reading of the heartbreaking fighting in Pibor, we worked together on the crossword puzzle found at the back of the paper. Who knew “larder” would be so hard to come up with as the answer to “food store”, or that we would feel such a sense of accomplishment in finishing a crossword designed for non-native English speakers??
* Reading one fascinating book after another. Not sure which I think is scarier: snake handling, or the challenge to make real, life-long, dependent relationships with those from divergent backgrounds. Both books challenged me to observe life more closely, to move towards those who are different from me, and to see the wonder of where I am and what is happening here. And of course, they both made me homesick for the South.
*Making plans for a Feb trip to the USofA for six weeks of counseling classes, catch-up with friends, and one awesome family wedding. Turkish Airlines, hope you carry me safely home, and that you are well-stocked with movies, because 11 hours is a long time to be on one plane!
* Enjoying coffee gifted from Scott before he left for Christmas. In a world without fresh dairy, my coffee creamer options are powdered milk or UHT boxed milk. For the length of my time in Sudan, I have been solely a powdered milk girl. But, this week, we bought some boxed milk, and I’ve been loving it in my cafe au lait!
*Beginning tentative plans for a counseling center in Mundri. Not sure where the plans will go, but looking with expectation for how mental health care, especially counseling and psycho-social education, can expand in Mundri this year.
I just tried to look up Mundri to Juba on google maps, but I’m not sure if it was the right places. I’m thinking of you! Glad you had a good road trip.