And, some Resolutions...

1. Whenever Mali or Malians make me upset, I will take a deep breath, count to 10 (or 20), and really think "Is this worth it?" before getting upset.

2. I will try to be more understanding of how I view "communication" differently than my friends in America - for example, I will try not to get upset when I never get emails or letters from people I've tried to talk to, because my idea of "communication" (sending letters, writing emails, and writing Facebook messages) is different than theirs (not having time to send a long email or response). I forget that I have a lot of time to think about existential life questions when compared to other people, but at the same time, I wish other people would realize that even just a quick "Hello, how are you, I'm busy but I'm thinking about you" response makes me smile. (Hint: Please send me those emails). I will just try to be more understanding and less judgmental. (But, again, THANK YOU to everyone who sends me messages of love and support regularly!)

3. I want to get as in shape as I was in high school. (Haha. These are in no particular order).

4. I want to write more about this experience here, and hopefully turn those writings into something publishable and/or graduate school appropriate.

5. I want to make sure that my village understands how our new Tax Committee will help them in the long run, even if they can't see results immediately. This is a pretty lofty goal, and I do have my doubts. Some people already understand what they call "American economics", and I want to work with them to get through to everyone. I am also going to try to not give up when obstacles come up, as they inevitably will, and I will try to remain positive and not cynical about the financial aid cycle and mindset in Mali.

6. I want to enjoy this last stretch here in Mali and not wish it away by applying for jobs too early!

As a very wise and sassy friend recently told me, "The next few challenges in your life serve as a marathon, not a race, so just keep the finish line in sight." I think that's a good way to start off 2012.

2012!

I really cannot believe that 2012 is already here! I remember receiving the big, blue envelope in April 2010 from Peace Corps and thinking, "Well, I guess it all starts now...", and then freaking out when I found out I was coming to Mali, one of the poorest countries in the world. I remember being constantly sick through Homestay and wondering, "How the shit am I going to make it through TWO YEARS of this?!" I remember trying to survive every day in my old village and thinking, "Well, maybe when I go home to America for a visit, I'll just never come back." I remember moving to my current site and realizing how volunteers can love their sites and stay there for months at a time, just hanging out and making friends with locals. And now, I am sitting here wondering where all of the time went, and thinking about how in 8 months, I will be home in America! (Mark your calenders, friends, and if you want a visit from me upon my return, you should all probably start returning my emails or remembering which country I've been living in for the past 18 months... just sayin'.)

So, 2012 is officially here! I rang in the new year in Bamako with a few friends, and it was a truly great night. We went out for pizza (which was DELICIOUS by Mali standards), carried our "adult beverages" with us in a backpack, and bar hopped until after midnight. At midnight, the salsa club we were at played American rap music (PITBULL! I knew it signaled the start of a great year), and city fireworks went off all around us. It was an awesome way to ring in the new year!

I also received the great news that my Rotary grant money should be arriving very soon! I found an excellent Rotarian in Bamako to facilitate all of the transactions, so within the month, my tax committee should be functioning. Finally, everything all seems to be coming together for me here.

Hiking through Dogon Country (http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Bandiagara_Escarpment) on Christmas was an amazing experience, even though it took a lot longer to get there than we thought it would... and despite the fact that we had to scale a LOT more rocks than I thought we would. It was interesting to see a part of Mali so different than where I live, and I really felt like I was in "Africa" - there were cliff dwellings, traditional masked dances, camels, tortoises, monkeys, and animist histories that just do not exist in my little village in the Sikasso region. It was nice to travel, visit new places, and see some old friends that I haven't seen in a LONG time, but I am really excited to go home to my village, my dog, and my routine that keeps me sane and happy.

Thanks again for following my blog, and for those of you who take the time to respond to my emails and blogs, THANKS EVEN MORE! It's always nice to see a new email or new comment after spending a month at site, and knowing that my friends care enough to send me a quick message or two really means a lot to me. I really have tried to send letters in the mail to EVERYONE who has written me letters, but I seem to have consistently bad luck with the Malian postal system. They always get sent back, and the letters I sent before Thanksgiving seem to have been lost in transit somewhere. Sigh, this is Africa. Again, I will keep sending and resending letters until they finally make it to America!

I hope everyone had a great Holiday and a Happy New Year! I'm crossing my fingers that 2012 will be a good year for everyone! See you in 8 months!