Things I Have Learned

I meant to write this blog post around the one year mark (one year in Mali was in July and one year in my actual village was at the beginning of September), but I wasn't in a good head space and couldn't do it. Back from vacation, I have a clearer vision of what I have learned and how I see things differently. My goal is to COS (Close of Service to go home) in July so I can begin grad school in August (ala ka son- if God agrees/ God willing), which means I am almost down to single digits in the number of months I have left in Mali. Here is what I came up with in a few minutes of brainstorming.

Patience: waiting hours for meetings to start, in understanding what people are saying to me, waiting for the appropriate season to do an activity or project, communication with Peace Corps and dealing with red tape

Going easy on myself/ Celebrating small successes: being happy to understand a conversation, hearing a woman put two letters together to make a syllable, getting Madou or Korotumou to play clapping games with me, teaching those at the mayor's office to read Bambara and speak English, getting an outfit tailored the way I want, not getting ripped off at the market, getting funding after redoing a proposal three times, seeing people wash their hands with soap and water, getting through Samogho greetings without being laughed at, cooking something new and tasty with my limited supplies, fetching water at the well, getting a compliment for sweeping my yard appropriately

World affairs: thank you BBC, having time to spend hours reading, knowing all of the countries on the map, understanding the situation in Libya, Sudan, Egypt, etc.

Powerhouse that is US: I never really understood out position in the world as a nation. It is amazing the influence we have and better understanding how we use this position

Being a minority and knowing how it feels: Malians generally like Americans, but you always know you are white and therefore different; you are perceived as being rich and seen as either spoiled or are envied. Even if people like you for what your skin and/or nationality stands for, it never feels good to feel so different from those around you. I also know that things get better and you can integrate and make friends, though it requires going easy on yourself for a very long time.

Friendship: That warm feeling you get when you see a friendly fellow American's face after three weeks at site and knowing that they totally 'get' what you are going through.

Home: I never want to be away from home this long ever again. The food, comfort of your own house, shopping in the same grocery store or at the same mall, TV shows and movies, driving around town without thinking about directions cannot be replaced by anything else. Living in my own country with people I understand without having to try is something I appreciate more than ever before.

Views on Africa: I get annoyed when people say, “I live in Africa” or “That's Africa” because I live in Mali. Africa is just as diverse as any other continent, if not more. That being said, the world as a whole knows so little about any part of Africa, let alone individuals countries. This is sad to me. Africa is so misunderstood as being backwards or uncivilized, and that isn't true. Malians are some of the nicest people I have every met. Every country has had some weird beliefs and behaviors throughout the years and Africa as a whole just hasn't had the time to develop as other countries have.

Opening a care package: knowing somebody went to the store to buy food or books for me or wrote me a letter is a great feeling. It is better than Christmas to be honest. It is unexpected when I received one and always appreciated

Fortune of being me in a western world: There are little to no restrictions on what I can do or say as me at home. School, work, hobbies, traveling alone, driving, etc, etc. These are all decisions I get to make for myself without worrying about receiving another person's permission beforehand.

Fatalism: How destruction it can be for a group of people to feel helpless to improve their own lives and how hard it can be to create change from this.

My strength: This goes along with celebrating small successes. Knowing I can lean on myself for weeks on end and can survive and do work in another country in another language gives you a good feeling about yourself.

Doing what you like: Peace Corps is not the perfect fit for me. I get frustrated, lonely, question myself, and want to quit once a week. I committed to this so I will finish, but in the future, I am determined to find work that is a better fit for me. This means having a schedule, having a clearly defined job description, and more structure in my day.