Is the Worst of it over??*

So far, during my time in Mali, every day I have pretty much thought "I don't know if this is for me"...But over the past week or so, I have decided to plan trips in 'the future' to come home for vacation, so I think I may be getting out of that funk. I am starting to think of Mali as more of a home, and I have made some friendships that I know are life~long! I could not have asked for a better group of people to serve with, and although HomeStay is extremely difficult, God placed the right people there with me (even though I miss the rest of the group terribly when I am away from them.) My new 'best friends' Pamela and Zach are the glue that holds me together when I am down in the dumps and need to vent every other second, about things like a certain smell that turns your stomach, language barrier frustrations, our constant longing for cheese and sauces, and really any little thing that sets us off from time to time ;) 

Today We went on a 'field trip' to Bamako. Although my 'American Club day' was the best day yet, this day comes in at a close second. Wat/San and Education split up and went to different areas so I figured we would miss out on some things, but we actually learned a lot about Water Sanitation in Mali and ways that we can improve our Sites when we figure out where we are going. We visited a lab where they treat the water, and we spent the day in air conditioned luxury. I left my hair down for the first day since I left (It was a great hair day, today!!) We then went to a fabulous restaurant in Bamako where lots of Tubabs (White People) tend to hang out!! What did I eat?? or should you ask "WHAT DIDN'T I EAT!!!" Pamela and I split...two cokes, a LARGE cheese, mushroom, and ham pizza, a chocolate milkshake, a plate of fries with KETCHUP, a piece of cake and a bowl of ice cream!...I would skip out on dinner tonight, due to my glutinous ways at lunch, however I know I will probably go hungry for the next week, so I'll probably splurge at dinner tonight as well. :)

We leave in the morning to go back to Homestay, although I cant lie and say i miss my smelly, nasty, bug infested, hot bedroom, or the smells of Dialiakorobugu, or the lack of WIFI, I do kind of miss my family there, and I know they will be there to greet me as soon as I return. :) 

I'm not too depressed about leaving Tubaniso either, because I get to come back for the 4th of July :) (aka the most beautiful, talented, and smartest girl in the whole entire worlds 18 birthday~Micha, we get to skype on your bday ;)...and then we go back to Dialiakorobugu on the 5th, and BACK to Tubaniso next thursday July 7th!! The 7th is a HUGE day for me because I meet my 'homologue' (person who will be my work partner and the one i will trust with my life for the next 2years) and I FIND OUT MY SITE!!(which is where I will be living for the next two years)...HOORAY!!!*

When we got to Tubaniso this time, all of the current Volunteers were like, 'man yall are some tough trainees'...because we broke a record for the longest first homestay EVER! Every other group has been blessed with the opportunity to come back after like 2weeks, but because of scheduling conflicts, we had to stay THREE!!!~That may not sound like a big deal to yall, but we earned major street cred because of it!!!*

Miss yall!!*...Keep me in your prayers*xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo*   Love from Mali to America and Back*