It's hard to believe I've been here for long enough to celebrate two birthdays. This year I decided to ring in my 25th year in the village and was accompanied by Sevren. We woke up and made omeletes and when I went to fetch water I was given a nice birthday surprise: a very important meeting at my clinic! When I told them it was my birthday and that my plans for the day were to make cake (cake on a brazure is an all-day affair) they told me, "it's okay, you can bring us cake!" As I was walking to my meeting, my two Peace Corps neighbors, Kristen and Maddy, arrived. I went to my meeting, as my job as a Peace Corps Volunteer is 24-7, and came back in enough time to make cake and celebrate with what has become my Peace Corps family here. Sevren was able to distract the children for a while and I was able to relax and reflect on my 24th year.
My neighbors have a baby, David, whom I like to call "bandume bandi" or "my brother." He turned 1 year on November 26th so Sevren and I went over and made an attempt at a duel-birthday celebration. Now, having a young brother in America, I knew that a 1 year old cannot blow out birthday candles, but we tried anyways. Needless to say, it was funny...and made me feel happy and blessed to be here at this moment in life.
