Happy Thanksgiving!!! I’m writing because I wanted to let you all know that I have in fact successfully survived my 97 kilometer bike ride to San on Tuesday. I’m a little sore, but all in all, it was a fun day…it took about 6 hours but I’m confident I could have done it in five if I do it again. The four of us who rode, received the most bizarre reactions from the Malians who just could not understand why we would do such a thing when we could afford bus tickets. Regardless, we set out early and it made for a lovely day…long, but fun.
Today there are eight of us cooking up a storm for Thanksgiving and it’s going to be great! My next several weeks are going to be incredibly busy so I’m just trying to enjoy the holidays and get wrapped up in what I’m doing so I don’t have to think about what I’m missing at home. It doesn’t really feel like Thanksgiving so it’s not too sad, the 80 degrees and nice breeze probably have something to do with weirdness of holidays. The saddest part of the day is that when we’re done eating, I won’t be decorating the house for Christmas.
December 1 is world AIDS day and Peace Corps San has sponsored a soccer game and dance on the 1st. I’m going home quickly on the 27th and then coming back to san on the 1st then back home on the second and back to San on the 5th to leave for Bamako on the 6th. I’m not sure if I’ll actually go back and forth both times, when I come up Tuesday, I might just stay until I leave for Bamako and just take a month off from site. I suppose it will be a good opportunity to reinvigorate myself and allow me to get my thoughts together and project ideas started.
Love,
Cait
