Thank you to all of my friends and colleagues who have done international work- for your words of wisdom and for correctly cautioning me against potential pitfalls. One of the phenomenons I was correctly cautioned against might be referred to as the 'one-month blues.' It is the point about one month into an international experience when the honeymoon period is over and some of the tough realities set in. Well, I have been here for a month and I think I have the one-month blues. While I am still enjoying the delights of my work and life here, I am feeling anxiety related to home-sickness, daily annoyances, inconveniences, and generally feeling like a cultural (and linguistic) outsider. So, to counteract this malaise, I am going to share a list of things I am very much enjoying about Botswana: In no particular order, other than the order they occurred to me.
Fruit! Lots of it and at really cheap prices.
Hanging clothes on the line for drying-- and the clothes drying really fast in the sun
Purposeful work and the respect of the community for the work BHP does
Wonderful friends and colleagues from all over the world doing amazing work here
Birds- beautiful little birds everywhere, (especially the brightly colored ones)
National pride for Botswana and its potential as a young nation
Sun, all day, everyday
Curious people asking me all sorts of interesting questions- where am I from, do I know of someone who can help them with this or that
Church and the fervor and enthusiasm with which my church family worships
And last, but not least, knowing that you are all thinking and praying for me!
Hang in there, Katie! Your list of things you enjoy is very inspiring, but it must also be challenging to live and work in a place that is so very different from the U.S. You have made a lot of adjustments in Botswana and this next phase of settling into a routine may seem daunting right now. I hope that you will soon be acclimated -- sounds like you are in that gap between "newbie" and "seasoned". We love you and are proud of the important work that you are doing, at great personal sacrifice.
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