So I have been slacking on my blog the last month and a half. Primarily because I have been extremely busy but also because towards the end of July I hit the pause button on my love affair with this country and experience. I hit a low in my rollercoaster of emotions and was somehow struggling to get out of it. Looking ahead at the next 20 months seemed daunting and I couldn’t find the way to put everything into words. They tell you when you first arrive in country that you will experience a range of emotions. You don’t realize how extreme that range will be until you are actually in the midst of it. And boy does it really suck at times.

One of my biggest struggles has been finding my own time and space while living here. You are on everyone’s radar 24/7. There is no escaping it. You walk down the street and you will inevitably hear “Vahzah!! Vahzah!!” You sit somewhere in town to get some quiet reading time in and someone (Sometimes more than one) will come sit with you and decide to spark a conversation. And even when you say “Tsy Mazava “ (I don’t understand) even though you really do but you just don’t feel like talking they will still stay there and just stare at you. I don’t know about you but I have never been a fan of people staring. I find it a bit creepy and even more so when they do it with a smile on their face because they find everything you do amusing. I go to my house to be alone and just end up with more people staring at me.

I know they mean well and much of this behavior is driven by curiosity but after a while it can definitely start to wear on you. It got so bad that one day I flipped out on this poor Malagasy guy who asked me to teach him English. I was walking by the bank and one of my flip flops had just fallen apart. I was dripping in sweat and all I wanted was a sip of water and some shoes. The only thought going through my mind was great I have to walk home like this and will probably get more parasites in my feet. In his defense he just picked the wrong time to ask me one more time if I could teach him English. I counter his defense with mine (which at the time made complete sense to me): He had it coming at some point because I have explained to him on numerous occasions that I am not here to teach English and if all I do is teach English I won’t be able to do the job I am actually here to do. I have even directed him to my site mates English club. After thinking it through I did come to the realization that the extent of my unleashing was a bit unwarranted. Note that I am nowhere close to being a celebrity but now I know why celebrities go crazy on paparazzi…LOL!

I am not this person and in an effort to get myself back to a place of zen I have started kicking everyone out of my house for a couple of hours every evening and doing my workout routines. It has helped my moods considerably. I also find the wee early hours of the morning are great for “me” time. I spend most of them online chatting with folks back home. It helps set me in a good mood for the day. Little by little I am finding ways to cope and get myself to a much better place mentally. And I also went out a brought myself 2 new pairs of flip flops. Oh it’s the little things in life that make such a difference.

So now that I have managed to come out of my black hole of self-pity I realize I actually accomplished quite a bit in the month and half I swore I was clinically depressed. (After some time in country you inevitably start to self-diagnose yourself. ) My biggest accomplishment: I conducted my first of what I hope will be many business training sessions with the leaders of all the different Lutheran Church Women’s Associations. To make it even more rewarding I did it all in Malagasy. If someone told me 5 years that today I would be conducting Marketing, Pricing & Costing, and Leadership trainings in Malagasy I would never believe it. Granted, I did need a translator in the room for those few questions I couldn’t understand but all in all I thought I did fairly well. Golf clap for me!!! And I bow J I have even been asked to conduct a few more sessions in the capital and in other parts of Madagascar. What’s most rewarding was the conversation the trainings sparked and how these women were able to apply many of the concepts back to their own businesses. It gave purpose and meaning to why I am here. It made me revisit one of the many reasons I decided to do this. These trainings also helped me generate new ideas of things I would like to do and accomplishment in my time here. I have also found new markets with new business for the basket weavers in my town as well as the embroidery association. In both cases there is a good chance of growth, reoccurring business and potential exporting of goods outside of the country. I am so excited about the possibilities I can hardly contain myself.

I have experienced a few highs in my short time here. My work is something I take great pride in and brings me a lot of joy and satisfaction. I am sure I will experience many more highs but one thing I am learning is that the low periods happen for a reason. It helps you appreciate all the wonderful things you have back in the states – small and big alike. I sat in a bar one day with Wes, another Peace Corp volunteer and probably one my closest friends here in Madagascar. We discussed the things we would do if we could be in the states for just one week. (Yes this is what I now do to pass the time!) Our list includes some of the most absurd thoughts ever and while we laughed so hard our stomachs hurt as we created the list, we were 100% serious about each and every one of them. I leave you with this list so you can see how simple and non-complicated your needs can become when you are stripped of all the things you use to have and take for granted.

If I Had A Week In The USA I Would: (By Amarilis Correa and Wes McCloskey)

- - See my family and friends (IMMEDIATELY)- - Hug and Kiss my nieces and nephews everyday - -Ask my mom to make me a home cooked meals- -Go to the movies and buy the largest bucket of popcorn and king size Diet Coke (there are no diet cokes in this country) --- Followed by king size M&M’s - -Take the longest hot shower ever (I appreciate my ability to conserve water now but a girl needs a long hot shower every once in a while) - -Mail myself a letter so I can remember what it’s like to receive mail in a timely fashion - -Stay online all day just because I can (Oh wait!! I do that now but with very slow internet service) - -Drive a car knowing there are good roads and I will be where I need to be in a reasonable amount of time - -Not have one person stare at me or get harassed (because no one cares who I am or what I do) - -Workout in a real gym- -Go for a run without being yelled at the entire run! - -Understand every word that is actually being spoken to me by others- -Talk on my cell phone for as long as I like because I don’t have to worry about buying credit- -Turn the light switches on and off and SMILE in the process - -Turn the water faucets on and off and SMILE in the process - -Go to Dunkin Donuts- -Go to a salon and get a wax, manicure, pedicure, and my hair done - -Use a toilet and repeatedly flush because I can (FYI - I was trying to determine if the toilet does in f-fact spin in the opposite direction in the southern hemisphere but then realized that I don’t remember what direction its spins in back home so I gave up) - -Eat considerable amounts of Pio Pio, Chipotle, Five Guys and Sushi (and probably gain about 10 pounds in the process) - -Drink a few bottles of red wine (and get drunk) - -Freeze every drink in the refrigerator so I can experience a chilling cold drink on a daily basis - -Enjoy REAL ice cream - -Not get attacked by Fleas, rats, hissing roaches or any other strange animals - -Not listen to any Celine Dion or Akon! - -Admire and touch screens on the windows - -Use a washer and dryer - -Enjoy a cigar! - -Watch a load of TV and news - -Read the newspaper- -Spend a day in Target….so I can Oooooo and Awwww at all my options and enjoy the air conditioning - -Go shopping without worrying about who is going to look in my bags and comment on what I purchased or getting ripped off because I am not Malagasy - -Wear my fabulous heels instead of sporting flip flops day in and day out - -Ride the Subway (Yes!!! I will take the NYC Subway system any day now after experiencing public transportation in this country)

Side Note: Being away from home on Sept 11th and re-reading this list makes me realize how proud I am to be an American citizen! I wouldn’t trade that privilege and honor for anything else in this world! While there are people who look to destroy us as a country one thing I have learned from this experience is that there are many more who would give anything to share this privilege with me. It makes me feel so fortunate and appreciative for the opportunities I do have.

The most common question I get from friends and family is “what does your day consist of?” So after some thought I figured the best way to describe my day to day life is by outlining the things that happened to me just this last week. Every day there is a new adventure, frustration or event and all I can say to myself is “only in Madagascar!” The way I see it these things really only occur here, and in some cases, only in the region where I live. I am pretty sure I will never experience them again when I leave this country. So here it is!

Only in Madagascar

-does an Embroidery Association tell you they want to start a business. You then explain they need to write a business plan if they plan on seeking financing and give them an outline to follow. A month later they come back and tell you they want to go into business raising turkeys! Really??!!! How did we go from embroidery to raising turkeys??? After some extensive conversation it became apparent that the business plan outline scared them quite a bit so we are now revisiting it to see what questions they can and really can’t answer and if the embroidery business is still a feasible one. Who knows…I may end up writing a business plan for a turkey farm business.

- - are you in a business meeting and a woman will breast feed her baby while speaking with you as if what she is doing is absolutely normal. This is not to imply that the act of breast feeding is not normal but in American culture breast feeding your child during a business meeting is not considered normal or appropriate. However here it is normal practice. There is no shame in it and no one frowns on it -- whether it’s in a business meeting, walking down the street, or sitting in their own home. When a baby needs to eat all is fair game! And let’s just say there is no discretion when it’s done. If you are sensitive about seeing breast in public this is not the country to visit.

- - are 75% of your meetings cancelled because Malagasy people just don’t show up!

- - Do you tell people you are not an English teacher and their next question to you is “can you teach me English?” Then you have to think through what you just said in Malagasy because you don’t know if it’s just that they don’t listen very well or your Malagasy is that bad!

- - Are you walking down the street and see a very large group of men with spears chanting, singing, shooting a gun into the sky (which is very rarely seen or used here) and running in your direction. (See Picture) I was finally able to ask the gentleman I work with what that was about and he explained that it is the celebration of a child being circumcised. Boys are circumcised between the ages of 1 to 5 and from what was explained to me, the actual circumcision happens at the crack of dawn and then everyone parties all day. The child is required to stay up all day to show that he is in fact now a man. Apparently when all the men come charging down the street they are usually carrying this said child on their shoulders. Mark my words, before I leave Madagascar I am going to go to a circumcision event. I need to see these festivities with my own two eyes.

- - Does an omby (Madagascars version of a cow) coming running and charging head first towards you as you are walking down the street minding your own business. Cows don’t really scare me but this incident made me shriek and jump on my friend who was walking alongside me at the time.

- - Does a cab driver try to scam you for more money than a ride is worth because he thinks you don’t understand his language. The best part is when you tell him that you just understood everything he said and he just starts laughing because he realizes he got caught but doesn’t really care.

- -do people you barely know ask you where is their “voandalana” (gift) because they know you went away for the weekend. Then you really think about it and wonder how in gods earth did they even know I was gone! Asking for a voandalana is customary here. If you go away, even if it’s just to the next town over, you are supposed to bring back family and friends a little gift. Unfortunately everyone here thinks if you speak to them you are their friend so they all expect a little something when you leave town.

- - Do you sit in a car with a group of Malagasies who don’t speak a lick of English for 4 hours while they just go on and on about different topics the entire ride . Meanwhile all you can do is just nod and say “Eka” (yes) the whole ride.

- - Do you declare war on a rat because it’s destroying your house and then wonder if it may actually be a mouse lemur that is causing the damage! I had a discussion with one of the other volunteers as to whether it could be a mouse lemur that was causing havoc in my home. After reviewing all the evidence though we quickly determined it was most likely a rat. If it had been a mouse lemur I may have gladly let it continue doing what it was doing. How often can you say you have a lemur living with you? Unfortunately it wasn’t and I am happy to say that I won the war.

- - Do you spend hours hand washing your clothing (no washing machines here) only to hang them and have a bird poop all over them.

- -Do you wake up in the morning to find a Madagascar hissing cockroach sitting above your face on the top of your mosquito net. For those of you who have never seen The Madagascar Hissing Cockroach I am including a picture. It is one of the largest and ugliest roaches you will ever find. It is harmless and moves as slow as a snail but nonetheless it is disturbing. Especially when it’s the first thing you see as you open your eyes in the morning.

One thing I am quickly learning is that there is never a dull moment and needless to say last week was full of excitement. Amazingly enough in the midst of all this craziness I am also starting to get extremely busy with work. Not sure how I ended up with so much to do in so little time but I have to say it does feel nice to have activities to occupy my time. I went from having nothing to do to now being involved in writing business plans, identifying some much needed new market opportunities for some of the local artisans, and pulling together some business topic presentations for a Womens Association seminar being conducted late in August.

So after a week of fighting a rat, dodging a cow, being stared at by a hissing cockroach and trying to get all my work completed for my new projects I decided to treat myself to a wonderful weekend in the city of Fort Dauphin! Fort Dauphin is about a 3 to 4 hour taxi brousse ride from where I live and extremely scenic and beautiful (I have included pics). It reminds me quite a bit of the Caribbean. It’s surrounded by mountains on one side and the Indian Ocean on the other. I am fortunate enough to visit at least once a month and have quickly made a wide range of new acquaintances.

Fort Dauphin is known for the foreign mining companies that have quickly taken over the town. There is much debate, from various organizations and groups, whether the mining companies are actually helping or hurting the town. As a result of the mining companies, you will see many South Africans, Australians, and even some Canadiens who now call Fort Dauphin their home. I have been lucky to spend some time and get to know some of these miners and they are actually a lot of fun. I have also made some Malagasy friends in the local area. My favorite is a group of kids who live right on the ocean, not far from one of the other volunteers (Jess) house. When they see us coming they run over screaming both our names….all you hear is Jess or Lilike! (Lilike is the Antandroy name that has been given to me here in Madagascar) The older kids will walk up to me and shake my hand while the little ones run up and hug my leg! Their enthusiasm never changes. It is so endearing because you realize how little they have and yet they always have the biggest smiles on their faces. (See pics below)

So once a month I get to retreat to this tropical haven and forget about the craziness I call Ambovombe. I eat some “vahzah” (term used for foreigners here in Madagascar) foods…like cheeseburgers, pizzas, and other goodies. None of it tastes quite like the food back home but when you live out in the middle of nowhere you learn not to be too picky. After a few days of paradise I then prepare myself mentally for a long ride home on some of the worst roads I have ever seen and back to what is now my day to day life.

Circumcision Festivities - Here they come!

People get out of the way!

Arriving in Ft. Dauphin

Scenic Indian Ocean Views

Right before Sunset

My little friends in Ft. Dauphin

They were so excited when I asked to take pics of them

Moonlight over the Indian Ocean with lightening in the background

Madagascar Hissing Cockroack - No that is not me holding it!

Every morning I wake up and my first thought is the line from the Wizard of Oz “Toto, I have a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore .” Well…actually….in my case it’s really “I KNOW I am not in New York anymore” and I really just talk to myself because I have no one else to talk to. The first sounds I hear when I wake are cows, roosters and geese. It immediately brings me to the reality that is now my life. On a side note, every so often I will have an incident that quickly reminds me that even though I am in a different place living a drastically different life many things about me haven’t changed. Point in case, yesterday I was taking my bucket bath. (I have learned that I can bathe, wash and condition my hair with one bucket of water. It makes me realize how much water I actually wasted when I took showers in the states). Anyway, I was working on scrubbing the bottom of my feet. As many of you know I have very little coordination and unfortunately scrubbing the bottom of your feet requires some type of balancing act. As I stood there slowly falling over I heard in my head my friend Kiki’s voice saying “Girl you know you are not that coordinated…why are you even trying that?” But that didn’t stop me from trying….let’s just say it required a few attempts! My point is something’s just don’t change!!!

Sorry, I digress; I will go back to my original thought of waking up. Yesterday morning while I still woke up to the usual roosters, cows and geese sounds I also heard the sound of a group of Antandroy men carrying spears, singing and chanting as they carried what looks like a coffin over their heads. This is a normal occurrence here in Ambovombe, a place where the people are deeply entrenched in their culture. Where I live in Madagascar the people are known as Antandroy. Their name means "people of the thorns" in reference to the spiny thickets of endemic plants that are found all over the southwestern region of Madagascar. They don’t look like the Malagasy from the northern highlands. Resembling more, what we as Americans, consider African in physical characteristics they are fiercely proud of their dialect, culture, heritage and customs -- respecting the codes of a very strict traditional society. (The people from the highlands have a distinctively different look --- much more Asian or Indonesian in appearance.) Let it be known that the Antandroy dialect is so different from that of what is called Malagasy Official that it really should be a different language. They actually get a chuckle when speaking with Northern Malagasies because they know if they speak very quickly and in their dialect the other Malagasy will have no idea what they are saying. Its rather amusing to watch this!

Speaking to the Antandroy people actually reminds me quite a bit of speaking to my family--- The Correa side of my family to be exact. It seems like they are yelling at you but it’s really just the way they speak. The Antandroy people are actually the kindest and most generous people you will ever meet (same applies to my family). With very little time knowing me they have gone out of their way to make me feel at home and comfortable. Of course, all that generosity doesn’t come without some effort on my part. Every day I have to show that I am willing to make an effort to speak their dialect, understand their customs and be a part of their community. Integration into this community is not easy by any means but once I started to understand the people it made calling this place home a bit easier.

I have a site mate who has quickly become a good friend and has been living in Ambovombe for a bit longer than me. He seems to have integrated himself fairly well. Originally from Ohio and an education volunteer, Paul has been living here for about 10 months. He is so entrenched in this community that I have to often remind him that he is actually white. A comment to which he quickly responds “Yeah I know but I like to think I am Malagasy.” Although if you saw him doing the Antandroy dance you might actually believe he was an albino Malagasy. From what I understand he is actually a very good Ringa wrestler as well --a sport that is practiced in this part of the country. I am hoping to become as much part of this community as he is – minus the Ringa!

The Antandroy people are very family centered. Most children live with their families until they get married and even after marriage they live nearby, if not, with their families. Children are created for the purpose of helping the family. It’s not to say they are not loved…but they are expected and play an extremely large and important role in helping with household chores and functions. As you know children are not cheap so the more children are in a family the more likely that family has money. Polygamy is practiced in this part of the country and while many would think the concept of polygamy is to give a man the permission to sleep with many women its actual purpose is to help keep the family name in existence. By having many wives a man can have many more children thereby providing a better chance to keep his family or tribe in existence once he passes. I should explain that while polygamy is accepted here the husband does have to pay each of his wives (an amount that is previously agreed to) every time he decides to take on a new wife. This is not a cheap practice! So for all you men who think this is a wonderful concept you better have some deep pockets! I live on a compound, next door to a family, that has 7 children. The father and mother have also taken in other children from families that can’t afford to keep their kids. Let’s just say that there are so many children running around in that house that I can barely keep track. They have basically taken me into their family as well. So much so that when I am doing daily chores like laundry, brooming, or washing dishes the kids will come over and tell me that they can do it. At first they would just take over and I would stand there wondering what was going on but now I kindly explain to them that I can handle the chores but I appreciate the offer to help.

For the people of the Antandroy region life is truly centered on family --- a concept which I can relate to and completely understand. Family is so important that when one dies the person’s life and the fact that they are moving on to a better place is celebrated! Hence the singing and chanting by a group of men down the streets of the town while carrying what looks like coffin. Festivities at a death celebration include food, singing, and dancing. I was fortunate enough to be invited to a funeral in the country side and the number of people who attend is overwhelming. The family gives a gift to those who attend as a sign of their thanks. Usually the gifts involve a zebu or a goat --- some type of animal that then becomes dinner. From what I understand it’s quite a costly undertaking and all family members are expected to share in the expense.

For the most part I can relate to many of the practices of this culture and I have learned to appreciate those I can’t relate to. I am still learning so I reserve the right to change this thought down the line if necessary J However, there are two things that absolutely drive me crazy about the people here. The first one is they don’t understand that sometimes you just want to be alone. The concept of alone time is not really understood by anyone here. Primarily because no Malagasy is really ever alone…they are surrounded by family ALL THE TIME. I love my family but one American concept I love and cherish is my alone time. When I arrive home my house is immediately flooded with individuals from next door. Sometimes I just want to scream “GET OUT!!!” especially the days when I am exhausted from having to think in Malagasy all day. The only thing I want to do is close my door so I can watch a movie or read a book. The second thing that drives me crazy is the constant staring and hovering. I have had 5 or 6 people in my kitchen standing and staring at me while I cook. Or better yet, I can be lying on my bed reading a book or sitting at my desk working on my computer and they will walk into my house and sit there and stare at me. My only thought is “You MUST have something better to do than to sit here and stare at me!!” I was told by other volunteers that I have to draw boundaries and be very direct. I am working on that. It’s bit difficult to be that way when you are still learning the language but once I learn how to say what I feel I will have to lay down the law. Like I said --- something’s just don’t change J

So here I am. I currently live in Ambovombe, Madagascar. The last year has been such a whirlwind that I can hardly believe I am actually on an island off the coast of Africa writing a blog. Before I get into the details of what I am doing here I should probably explain how I got here.

At 35 years old I have neatly packed up my life in the states and decided to become a volunteer for the Peace Corps in what is considered one of the top ten poorest countries in the world -- Madagascar. At a time in my life when many of my friends are married with children, basking in the glory of their kid's accomplishments and enjoying the fruits of all their labor, I decided to have a mid life crisis.

When this concept was first presented to me by one of my friends I thought to myself "PLEEEAASSEEE...this is not a mid life crisis. This is just me doing what other people wish they could do or wish they had the nerves to do but just won't." I was that crusader.....the one out of all my friends who will venture into the unknown and try to make the best of it. But as I spend more time thinking through the implications of my decision I realize that this friend may have been dead on with her assessment. I am in fact having a mid life crisis. I was tired of the mundane day to day activities that had become my life. My career, while some would consider successful, became boring to me. I was burdened with financial responsibilities which quite honestly I knew as long as I kept living as I was would never disappear. I wanted a shocker in my life...something that would awaken and shake me into living. Not sure if that is what others call a "mid life crisis" but for me it sounds like a pretty good description. (Mid life insinuates I have lived 50% of my life already but I would like to think that is not the case but for lack of a better way of saying I will stick with it :) ) For the remainder of my life I will call these next 2 years as a Peace Corp Volunteer ---- my mid life crisis --and while I had issues with this label at first I have actually come to terms with it now and am actually starting to like it.

So here I sit in July of 2011, a few months shy of my 36th birthday, living in a small Southern Madagascar dusty and sandy town that could easily resemble a town in an old wild west film. I am a Small Business Development Volunteer, looking to advise and guide small business owners and entrepreneurs on various business topics, such as marketing, accounting, management, etc. I am essentially looking to unleash all the knowledge I have gained in my last 14 years of various work experience on some motivated Malagasies who are willing to be patient with the fact that my Malagasy language skills aren't quite where they need to be yet. I spent the first 2 months in country in training --- learning the language, cultural differences, and other skill sets the Peace Corp felt would be necessary for me to have a successful and enlightening experience in Madagascar. The last 3 months I have been living in this town that I will now call home for the next 2 years.

I live in a little wooden shack or as some of you may call it, a hut! I have no electricity or running water. For any of you who plan on joining the Peace Corp as a business volunteer and have the crazy idea that as a business volunteer there is no chance you will end up with a home without any of these amenities...think again! Oh it can and most likely will happen. While my little wooden hut is not what many people would call luxurious but it is located in the middle of a tropical oasis. It has a beautiful garden with all types of plants and coconut trees that will provide much needed shade and shelter from the hot sun once summer arrives. I am assured that summers here are unlike anything I have ever experienced and I will be grateful for all the shade when this time arrives.

I had no problem adjusting to having no running water. Primarily because my water gets delivered so I don't have to walk miles and miles to go fetch water but the lack of electricity has been a huge adjustment. My inability to use my computer or other electronics whenever I wanted had me going insane. Seems like such a minor issue when you live amongst some of the very poor but for me it was the one thing that was consuming my days and making me miserable. The thought that my computer, kindle or blackberry would be dead later in the evening and I would be left by candlelight with absolutely nothing to do was terrifying to me. I am a bit ashamed to say that now but at the time it was a very real thought. So much so that I went out and purchased a generator. Coupled with this anxiety about not having electricity was the feeling of being terribly homesick. I missed my family and friends..so much so...I cried to my mother in the middle of a restaurant at 1:00 in the afternoon. I did some thinking and I realized that the only other thing I felt I must have to be able to survive these next 2 years was constant access to those back home or what I like to call "the internet" so I did what any American would do ---- I went out a brought a USB modem stick. I now have daily internet access. While I feel guilty at times that I am able to purchase what my heart desires while others around me can't, my internet connection is my lifeline and for that I wont let my guilt get the better of me. It provides me with access to my family and friends, the people I hold dearest to my heart. Without their support I wouldn't be able to get through this.

In the last 5 months I have experienced so much that to list every experience would make you all wonder when this blog posting will end (I wont do that to you!) I have had all types of sickness --- from what feels like life ending diarrhea to an eye infection because I got sand in my eye to the common flu ---, My body has been destroyed due to flea and mosquitoe bites (yes people get fleas here!!), removing sand parasites from the bottom of my feet, I have had my po (the container that you urinate into at night when its too dark to go to the outhouse) taken hostage by the largest spider I have ever seen in my life forcing me to hold my urine until the early morning light, I've had a grasshopper jump on my face in the middle of the night lunging me off my bed and into the air screaming in the pitch dark, daily harassment and unwanted advances from men, and the list goes on.

But with the bad experiences have also come great ones - making new friends who will now be a part of my life forever because of this experience, making malagasy friends who genuinely are concerned for my well being and invite me into their lives, seeing ecological systems that can only be found here, learning a new language, learning new things about myself and that I, regardless of what luxuries I've had in the past, can adjust to just about anything, feeling like I am making a difference, and most importantly seeing someone's face light up when you walk them through details that can help improve their business and life. This last point outweighs any negative I have experienced thus far. I'm hoping to experience that over and over in the next 2 years.

While some of my family members and friends don't understand why I am still here...let alone came in the first place I have come to terms with my reason for being here. I may complain sometimes but I am actually enjoying this new chapter in my life. I hope through this blog I will get to share and live this experience with everyone.

I will be making new post every few days! Please come back and visit....Below are pics of my home and around Ambovombe - Enjoy!

The Spiny Forest!

My home and tropical oasis in the middle of the desert!

My wooden hut!