Closer and closer :)

Well, Benin, Africa is getting better with just a little communication here and there. I am still sweating every drop of water I drink out right after my bike ride to school in the morning. AND YES IT IS THE RAINY SEASON! Haha I hate to say it, but I might miss the snow….oh not yet!! I am making a lot of new friends—we are def. a big family here. We are full of all kinds of excitement and great ideas. We will be model teaching soon which is where the trainees will be practicing teaching with a friend and getting some feedback….I got this covered…haha so I hope! ;p Went and hung out with some of the stagiers today after school. It was tons of fun. I actually had my first beer from Benin. Everyone was like IT IS ABOUT TIME!!  Been a little sick lately in the bathroom situation, but I believe it will get better. I am determined not to get sick….ugh I know I know it will happen. I think I am just going to cut back on the spicy foods and drink MORE WATER if that is even possible! I get to see my post soon!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Taking it one day at a time….served my mama dinner, did the dishes, brought in my bike from outside, and took out the trash….moving up in the world…I guess tomorrow I am going to be preparing DINNER!! YIKES!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I think they are in for a  dinner. Haha I will prepare with my sister so no one gets sick…miss everyone!! Xoxox

MY TRIP TO AN FROM LOKOSSA!

The day has come that I have visited my post. It was an amazing experience. I travelled by taxi to Lokossa with my director, three other TEFL volunteers and their directors. Yes, all of us in one taxi. If you could only imagine how sardines feel? Haha It took approx. 3 hours to get to my post. We stopped along the way so our driver could pee behind the car, pay people at various stops for some reason I do not know, and to buy fish, bread, and some other stuff from street vendors. They would just shove the raw fish in my face like I would want it more if I can smell it and see the eyeballs staring back at me saying EAT ME EAT ME!! I was a little woozy! My host family was nice. I had to stay in a room where there was a dead bolt that worked well, but I could not open it back up…It broke constantly…I had to have my little brother come free me from this outside room which by the way was far away from the bathroom (shared with gramps). Interesting having to pass through his room to use the bathroom and shower…I ate pretty well, saw my house—where I will be staying for the next 2 years—went to the market which only happens every four days..there was live crab, yes, more fish, and anything else I will ever need to survive. There are lots of cybers with internet around town and even other Americans. If I need anything, I can go visit the American missionaries that feed my mint choc. Ice cream. I have no idea where they bought it, but they have it! I will learn my way around town pretty quick, I am sure. Sleeping is also kind of hard there. There are baby goats crying all night, roosters and chickens everywhere and I was worried about lions and hippos. I guess I can go see some hippos somewhere close to my post. Heard they like to follow you around. Oh crap, first it was birds, now hippos!!! Haha I might pee my pants and not even care. I mean who cares, people pee wherever they want here anyways. After a couple days at my post, I travelled back to Porto Novo all by myself. The taxi driver actually brought my straight to my house! I must be ok with my French esp. if it a matter of being lost in Africa! I was packed in the taxi like a sardine again and this time there were chickens in a shopping bag just chilling on the floor behind me. Yes, chickens—in the taxi--! I get to have cake again tomorrow bc it’s my host sisters 23rd birthday! Oh, and I had a petit go and buy me a Coca Cola today. It’s great! So, yes, I am surviving and yes I am going to have a ton of stories to tell when I get back—but just know—noone can really understand the life here if you do not live it! Miss and love you all!!! XOXOXOXO p.s. look @ pics on FACEBOOK! 