I’ve had access to a hot shower for almost 3 weeks now (until today).  Walking through my friend’s town today I began to sweat and thought to myself Oh yeah, Kim, this is your life—sweating every day any time you step outside, knowing you kind of stink but won’t shower today and being generally ok with it.  I’ve just been a little spoiled recently, so it’s important to remind myself of reality. 

Why have I been so lucky recently? 

A few days into January (the 4^th I think) I left Metu and began my extended time out of site.  You see, that weekend was Ethiopian Christmas and I wanted to go back to my training town to visit my host family.  All in all, the journey back to my host family’s house took 3 days.  On the way I was able to go swimming in Jimma and meet up with friends in Addis, so it wasn’t all that bad.  Friday morning I got on a bus headed to the big town just past my training town.  As we got closer and closer to my town I was like a dog on her way back from the vet—I could smell home getting closer and I was practically jumping out of my seat with excitement.  When the bus was in the middle of my family’s town I yelled, “Wiraj!” (meaning stop NOW), said goodbye to my friends, and clamored through the crowded bus, down the steps, and onto the dusty street in Gonde.  It felt strange to be back in the tiny town where I spent my first few months in Ethiopia.  I walked down the road a few feet and into my host father’s pharmacy.  I was met there by my host dad, mom, and one of my sisters.  After many many big hugs and kisses my sister walked me to the family home.  On the way I passed some neighborhood kids who clearly didn’t know what to make of the foreigner being back in town.  Back at the house, I was surprised to see that all of my host sisters and brothers were in town, too.  I didn’t stop smiling the whole time I was there.  I love that family so so much, and since I couldn’t see my biological family for the American holidays it was a nice change to spend the Ethiopian holiday with my Ethiopian family.  When it was time for me to leave my sisters and mom walked me to the road to wait for the bus (carrying my bags for me of course).  When the bus came, we hugged goodbye at least 3 times before I finally got on the bus and drove away. 

I had to leave because I had to be in Addis for my In-Service Training which is a training required 6 months into service for all Peace Corps Volunteers.  I spent that Sunday night in Addis and had fun catching up with the other education volunteers that arrived in Ethiopia with me. 

Monday we all left for Ambo, the town where our training was actually being held.  For 2 weeks we had various training sessions from 8:00-5:00 and spent the evenings playing cards or going out in Ambo.  Over the weekend I was able to swim in the natural hot spring pool in Ambo and lay in the sun.  I also went on a 5 hours (approx.) hike around a crater lake.

We had elections during the conference and I was elected to a one year term on one of the PC committees.  The first meeting of the committee was scheduled for 9 days after the end of my training.  Nine days may sound like a long time, but when I live 2 days away it’s really not.  It wouldn’t have been worthwhile for me to spend 2 days getting back to site, stay there for a few days, then turn around and travel 2 days back to Addis again.  Because of this, I stayed in Addis for 4 days after training.  I finally feel like I know my way around the city a little bit. 

Oh, while I was there I also noticed a blister on my toe that turned out to be a chigger.  Stop reading this paragraph now if you get grossed out easily or don’t want to hear about medical things.  A chigger is a mite that lives in mud and burrows in (usually) lower limbs.  The chigger lays eggs in the skin which cause a blister and dead skin (so there’s a black spot inside the blister).  I noticed that my toe hurt while walking around one day.  Luckily I was in Addis and could consult with the PC doctor about the suspicious thing on my foot.  I said, “I think I have chiggers,” and right away he said, “Yes, you do!”  Two minutes later my toe was being numbed and he had a razor out to cut the thing out.  My favorite moments of the experience were when the doctor told me that if it ever happens again I can just take care of it myself at site with a sterile needle (haha yeah right!) and when he said, “Yeah, there were about a thousand eggs in there.”  I asked to see, but they didn’t look like much to me.  Now I have a little wound in my long middle toe, but it’s really no big deal.  I’m making it out to be more than it really is.

Today, I traveled to my friend’s site.  She only lives 5 hours from the capital.  I plan to visit a deaf school while I’m here and co-teach with her.  Saturday I will head back to Addis so that I can attend my meeting.  Then FINALLY I will be able to head back to Metu.  Although I will have to give up my hot showers once again (and remind myself that it’s ok to sweat), I’m really excited to go back “home.”  I’ve missed my house, my landlords, my site-mates, the teachers at my schools, the students, the women I buy tea from, the workers at the post office, and the settled feeling I have when I’m in Metu.