Return to Senegal - May 2010

Click here to view these pictures larger

Senegal: One Year Later....to be continued

Nothing like getting out of the city. The ticket is booked and I'm heading back to Senegal May 15 - 22 for little Hakim Land Sane's one year birthday. Couldn't be more excited.

A quick update....4 months later.

When I left Senegal nearly 4 months ago, I could have never predicted where I would end up. Over the course of a couple months in North Carolina, I landed what has been a great job in New York City. More importantly, many of the relationships that were developed in Senegal have not ended. Because many of you followed this site for so long, I wanted to post some pictures sent to me by the Sane family, some of the best friends and family somebody could ask for. Ramatoulaye, Ma Ouly and little Hakim Land Sane are growing up.

???The last post???

As I have spent the past week and a half in Charlotte relaxing, working on finding a job and thinking back over the past three and a half years, I just wanted to thank everyone who was there along the way as well as those who followed my adventure and this site. Your words of encouragement, thoughts and prayers during the application process, two years plus one and in the search of the next chapter have all been greatly appreciated.

Thank You!!!

SURPRISE!!!!

Back on US soil a few days 'early'. Came back and managed to surprise my mom for her birthday yesterday. Managed to get her pretty well.

Packing and finishing it up......Will be in Charlotte Monday, June 15

After 1155 days in Senegal, how do you spend the next few days to sum them up.....it is not easy for sure.

Somebody asked/told me tonight that "you must be stoked" to leave Senegal and you know what, I am not.

Dakar has been a solid home for the past three years. I can easily find flaws with the place as well as well some great moments, but it has been my home. Saying goodbye to friends and family is never easy, especially when you know you want to come back to visit but do not know when.

Peace Corps and Senegal have been my life for the past few years and I cherish them both for it and hopefully I will be a better person as a result of them.

Maouli Sane's Birthday

Friday was Maouli's fourth birthday, so I went up to the Sane's to help celebrate. Below are some pictures.






I promise I will write about my taxi ride home later....

Sound of Music...

Today, I was at the Hospital, checking in with the garden at the Psychiatry Department when Jared and myself heard some amazing music. We couldn't tell if it was coming from speakers across the wall or what. Finally, we realized a gentleman was playing a guitar beside the garden in a space hidden by a mango tree.

Because this is the type of thing we have wanted to happen in the garden, we invited him in to play. Mboup, the gardener walked in a few minutes later and it proved to be a great Friday. What more can you ask for, great music, friends, mangoes, sapooti, carosil all in a space you built from ground up.


Below is a short snippet of him playing. Sorry it is so short, was hoping to get a full song on video, but the head doctor ended up coming in for a meeting.