Peace Corps Tanzania: June 2012 - August 2014: It has been a while since my last post! Nothing to...

Peace Corps Tanzania: June 2012 - August 2014: It has been a while since my last post! Nothing to...: It has been a while since my last post! Nothing too new to report. Days are long, in part because I make them that way. Trying to get some ...

A note about wickilinks on wickispeaks

I thought I'd briefly detail why I chose to post certain websites under "wickilinks" (links located to the right of the main page):

GambiaRising

• A non-profit 501(c)3 which was started by my former Peace Corps country director (his tenure is now completed) to raise scholarship money for students who cannot afford to pay their school fees in The Gambia. I am currently one of the trustees for this non-profit. Read about the students' desires to continue their education and how people can help.

Musings in Africa

• A blog written by my friend, Becca, who served in Peace Corps-The Gambia with me. She's working in Liberia for the summer on a girls education project.

Stephanie in The Gambia

• My blog from when I was in Peace Corps. In case anyone wants to reminisce...

Stuff Expat Aid Workers Like

• A humorous and slightly satirical blog about well....what expat aid workers like.

Nail Polish? No, Chacos.

Today, I had my last official class of my first academic year of graduate school. Sweet.

And finally, despite the pending take-home exam I have to complete over the next 40 hours, I have actually started think about my departure to Ethiopia.

This morning, rather than wearing my running shoes to walk to the bus/train station to catch the bus to school, I decided to wear my Chaco sandals. Perhaps this was a subconscious effort on my part to begin "thinking" about Ethiopia. Doubt it. I think I just finally realized that my feet become really hot in my sneakers when it's 90 degrees outside. It only took me two weeks (or a lifetime of bad habit) to realize this. Oops.

Anyway, as I was walking off the train this afternoon after class, I noticed two women around my age looking at my feet. As the train door opened, one of the women said to me, "I really like the color of your toe nail polish." But then I realized that she didn't actually say that. She really didn't; I imagined it. But thankfully, before I responded wrongly to her statement, I realized what she actually said: "I really like the color of your Chacos."

Thrown off guard, I said "thanks" with a smile and then muttered, "they're old."

Clearly she knows I'm heading to Ethiopia, but apparently, I haven't quite realized it yet. Soon, I hope.

Like a pot-holed tarmac road, this blog is under construction

Stay tuned for maniacal, Mefloquine-induced musings capturing my short stint in Ethiopia this summer. . .