First Day Back to Work

Wednesday, August 1, 2008

Today was my first day back at the garden and let me tell you, it felt like first day of 3rd grade. In elementary school I remember, there would be many friends you wouldn’t see all summer, so that first day back was exciting, as well as the new outfit that typically came along with it. Well, going home to America for a month and coming back was just the same.

Little work was accomplished this first day back because I had to greet everybody, tell each of them individually how my trip home was, and apologize for not having enough space in my suitcase for them to come along. A few asked where their presents were, which was followed by a quick apology. Several people noticed that little Aziz had put on a few pounds and I must say, I was quite proud of that.

I didn’t really know what to expect coming back to the hospital and Senegal. I guess the best way for me to sum it up is that while I know it is not my home, I have now been living here longer than a lot of places I’ve lived in the past 7 years. While some things I can’t say I missed, it was nice to come back to those that I work with closely at the hospital, my host family, and my adapted host family that I teach English too. This is what it is about.