6 Months in the Peace Corps!

It is hard to believe, but it's been 6 months since I left the United States.  After a half year of living abroad and being in Peace Corps, I'm happy to say that this finally feels like where I live and that I'm settled in ("tamana tsara" as they say in Malagasy).  One of the biggest hurdles to overcome is making the transition not from a tourist to an American living in a foreign country, but all the way to finally an American who works hand-in-hand with locals and has a vested interest.  It's difficult to describe, but imagine yourself traveling.  You see the sites, you eat the food, you enjoy the culture, and then you head home with some great pictures and fun stories.  Working here is a totally different experience on top of that.  I see the sites, eat the food, enjoy the culture, and have some great pictures and stories, but I also have a much better understanding of the challenges each person faces here: struggling with access to education, a poor food supply system, an unstable government, needing to build a new wall for the house because the old one is rotted through, etc.  Being able to work and to feel like I might be able to leave a mark on the country, as opposed to just passing through, gives it a completely different feeling (not necessarily better, just different; I'm still going to travel as a tourist anywhere and everywhere, don't you worry).

I attribute that a lot to the recent and exciting work that I have starting up:

1. Assisting with peer-lead health education training for commercial sex workers with Population Services International in Diego
2. Identifying and training community leaders as health educators in Siranana (writing a corresponding manual as well)
3. Rallying support and resources in my town to build a rainwater harvesting system at the local school and clinic
4. Starting a latrine use pilot program by beginning with community leaders
5. Finding suppliers and skilled masons for improving the town's wells 
6. Teaching English in Siranana weekly
7. Teaching English bi-weekly to workers at PSI in Diego
8. Giving health presentations and assisting with vaccines at my local clinic
9. Assisting with prenatal consultations at the Ambanja clinic
10. Potentially being a mentor for a Northwestern Bioengineering design class in the Fall

Yep, if there was one person who could make themselves crazy busy with my site, I guess it's me.  Not to worry though, I'm sticking to my original goals too.  I'll still read and relax Malagasy style too.  In fact, I'm happy to report that I'm making strides with my original goals: I really enjoy the alone time I get at site, have seen a bunch of cool cultural stuff, can cook a mean peanut sauce for stir-fry, have visited 3 national parks, read 19 books (a lot for me), have made a dent in that textbook I brought, have some close friends (Malagasy and American), feel like I get to talk to friends and family back home often, and have already made the trek to Ambanja and back via bicycle (though not in the same day).  I guess all that's missing are those "stupid human tricks" I mentioned.  Though I can carry 30 liters of water without spilling and that is a feat, trust me.

6 months flew by, see you guys all sooner than we think.