Countdowns

I love a good countdown.  In fact, I love anything that allows me to check things off of a list.  It's my type A personality 100% coming out, and it gives me a sense of satisfaction for completing something else.  So with that said, here's my countdown as of right now.  It is long, extends for 6 months, and includes events that are really only a big deal to me (not all are events, but just important dates).

• Possible river trip- 5 days
• Month 7 starts- 8 days
• July 4th and party fun- 11 to 12 days
• Jessie's wedding that I am missing :( - 27 days
• Month 8, only 4 to go- 39 days
• End of term 2 for students- 54 days
• August holiday- 59 days
• Month 9- 70 days
• Amanda and Mark come to NAMIBIA!- 82 days
• Month 10- 100 days
• End of service meeting- 124 days
• Halloween- 130 days
• Month 11, 1 left- 131 days
• Thanksgiving- 158 days
• Month 12- 161 days
• End of term 3- 163 days
• End of my teaching career in Namibia- 166 days
• Fly home- 179 days

Well that's all of them for now.  179 days seems like a long time, but I have a feeling that things will fly by pretty quickly, especially once we make it to term 3.  I've been told that term 1 is pretty fast because everything is new, you are adjusting, and you have a nice long break.  Term 2 is supposedly the term that feels the longest because you are no longer new and have no long weekends to go on quick trips.  Term 3 is also fast because you are trying to finish up with teaching, see last minute things, and prepare for your return home. 

Halfway done. Halfway home.

No longer am I counting up to see how long I have been in Namibia.  Today marks the official start to a countdown.  In exactly 6 months, I will be boarding an airplane, flying home to Texas where I will be greeted with hopefully cold weather, big hugs, the best holiday ever, and a warm bath.  It is crazy to think that I am officially halfway done with this journey.  It is crazy that I have made it so far.  It is crazy how much I have already grown from these past 6 months.

Leaving the country will be both rewarding and challenging.  It will be so nice to be back home with my family and friends, but it will be hard to say goodbye to these students that I know I will never see again.  Let’s face it, a Namibian trip probably only happens once in a lifetime, especially because of the cost and time it takes to get here.  So when I say goodbye, it is really a goodbye.  I hope that within the next 6 months my students will learn something from me that sticks with them for months to come (or a lifetime).  I hope they start to understand how big our world is.  I hope they start to think more seriously about attending university.  And lastly, I hope that at the end of the year, they will understand how much I admire them, respect them, and care for them.

America vs. Europe

For the first time in a very long time, I want to settle down in America.  As long as I can remember, starting back to when you are actually old enough to plan your future, I have seen myself in Europe.  I still see myself there actually.  The food, the people, the fashion, the beauty, it all speaks to me.  However, recently I’ve been having different thoughts.  It scares me to be honest.  I feel like I’ve always been the girl that’s headed on some kind of adventure, so to want to put a hold on that is weird and a little “what am I doing?”  Being in Namibia though has made me stop and really analyze what is best for me.  I don’t know that staying state side is best, but at this point, it seems like it.  I want to eventually have a job that lasts longer than a year, get a sweet pup, get plugged into an awesome community of believers, and start a life.

Here’s the problem I face though… When I think of finally saying I’m not moving to Europe, I’m not going to pursue that dream, it gets harder to breathe.  That’s a huge part of me that I am giving up.  What if I regret it?  What if I never get to live out that dream after I settle down somewhere?  What if American living leads to the same old monotonous lifestyle that so many people complain about?  I know many of you are thinking you’re young, you have plenty of time, but I feel that is what so many of us say.  Oh we’ll do it eventually…But then, then we are in our lives and it is never the right time to go.  There’s work.  There’s a boy.  There’s family. Money. What what (Namibian etc.).

At the end of the day, there’s really no solution to these ramblings just yet.  They are merely that, just ramblings.  Just me expressing my concerns for my future.  Maybe they are things that y’all can relate to and even advise on, but for now, it is me putting these thoughts out there, which in some odd way helps me to understand my own situations better.

BOOKS Galore

Hello blogger friends!

I am currently in the process of trying to provide my new school, Odibo CS, with a collection of books for the learners.  Since resources are very low in country, I am hoping to raise $1,000 USD in order to buy books, new and used, and have them shipped all the way to Namibia.  If you feel called, please donate to my cause.  The smallest donation will make a difference and provide continuous education for my learners once I am gone.

http://www.youcaring.com/nonprofits/i-read-you-read-help-namibia-read-/66342

Thanks for your constant support.  All my Love,
Taylor

Village Days

Blogs on blogs on blogs.  It’s a week of sharing because as we all know, sharing is caring!  With that said, I’m gonna share a play-by-play of living in a village so that everyone has a better understanding of my little life here.  So here it goes:

5:50 my first alarm goes off and I pretend like I may do yoga…I don’t.

6:20 I wake up and start getting ready.  I dress for the cold, but prepare for the summer heat as well.  It is about 50 in the morning, but back to the 90s by the time I get out of school.

7:00 I walk to school and arrive around 7:10

7:45 Morning devotional and assembly.

8:00 to 1:50 I am at school either teaching, lesson planning, marking books, or reading.

2:00 I pack up my stuff and walk home.  If it is Thursday though, I stay until 3:30 for my 10^th grade English Club.

2:15 I eat lunch and talk to mom.

2:30 Workout (Jillian Michaels and then yoga)

3:30 Heat water on the stove for a bath and sweep the floor (my house is very dusty…every day).

4:00 Take my bucket bath with warmish water thanks to my hot plate.

4:30 Work on WorldTeach info, mark books, get on the Internet.  It varies from day to day.

5:30 Start cooking dinner.

6:30 Eat dinner, watch TV, and drink some coffee (I found soy milk in Ondangwa!)

7:00 Do dishes in a bucket because I still do not have running water.

7:15 until 9:30 Watch TV shows, read, get on the Internet, talk to mom.

9:30 Get in bed

So that’s pretty much how each day goes.  It helps to have a routine in the village because it keeps me occupied, and well, I’m a person who loves some order in life.  I go to bed earlier than I have in probably 10+ years, and I am doing things I never really imagined (bucket bathing).  On Friday and also on the weekends, things change up a bit because I go to town for food, clean the house, do laundry (aka a girl comes to get it), and relax!

Matilda

Today, I tried to read Matilda with my grade 7 BIS class.  I thought this would be fun because the students have no exposure to library books and fun novels.  Yes, some of the words were too hard, and it’s difficult to follow a book when the teacher is reading it to you, but when I was a kid, I loved that part of my day.  In 4^th grade, the teacher would have reading time every day after recess.  I longed for that.  Longed for those stories that I had never heard.  Junie B. Jones was like a childhood friend.  This however, did not happen in Namibia.  The kids did not like it.  They did not want to hear the story or follow along.  In fact, they voted to not read the story.  At this point, I wish I didn’t give them that option.  I wish I wasn’t trying to be accommodating because instead, they chose news articles and topics that are not fun or pertinent to their lives.  My spirits were a little crushed by this.  I want them to understand not only the importance of reading stories, but also the beauty!  The book world has so much to offer us.  It helps us to be better writers, readers, listeners, and speakers.  In addition, it takes us to places we may never get to go.  So here’s my question to all of my teachers out there that have more experience.  Do I ignore their requests and continue to read the book because I think it is better for them, or do I let them read the articles from the Internet that are not as easy to find and are not on their level?  Thoughts?  Advice?  I need it!

Plane Tickets

I have officially confirmed my return ticket home to America.  My job in Namibia ends December 6^th, and from there, the plan is to travel through South Africa for a few weeks with friends.  Then on December 19, 2013, I will board a plane to return home to Texas.  It is still far away, in fact, it is 190 days away, so it is a little silly to post about this, but I am a dreamer, which is nothing new for those of you who know me well.  I am always dreaming of the future or trips that I want to take, so returning home is really no exception.  I dream about getting off the plane in New York and being bombarded by all of the people and cold weather.  I dream about arriving in Houston and being greeted by family.  I dream about going through customs and hearing the words “Welcome home!”  Those two words, they make me choke up just when I think about them.  They’re so simple to the person speaking them, but as the person on the other side, I know they will sound beautiful and will most likely move me to tears.

Senses

Oddly, my principal's office has a slight scent that reminds me of my Aunt Sandy's house.  I can't describe the smell to anyone at all, but whenever I go in there to make copies for class, I feel safe.  I feel connected to home and my family.  I feel the way I feel before going up North to see relatives.  It is crazy how our different senses work to remind us of different things.  I smell certain scents and I am instantly taken to the kitchen with my mother.  I hear certain songs and I am at a concert with my sister, singing in the car headed to Houston, or dancing at a club with my friends.  I see different landscapes and I can quietly hear the trees of Texas calling me home.  These things remind me that although I am very far from home, I am closer than I think.  No, I cannot go home on the weekends to see my mother and father.  No, I cannot easily drive to town and buy almond flour to make a delicious g-free treat that refreshes me physically and emotionally, but I can step outside and see the similarities within my two worlds.  They are far and few between, but they are there.  In the depths and in the small cracks, they are there.

Small bodies. Big Souls. Big Hearts

**This blog is for my preschoolers who are now going to kindergarten...CRAZY!**

One of our first grade teachers had to go to circuit today, which means her sweet first graders would be left unattended.  She asked me to go in and spend some time with them.  We went over sight words, months, days of the week, colors, etc., and I was able to use my awesome preschool songs with them.  Of course they had no idea what I was saying, but they sure did appreciate my dancing and clapping.  These events got me thinking about my babies that I left back home, which warmed my heart immensely.  I was so blessed to spend half a year with them and see them grow a little.  Working with the first graders reminded me how much I love these little people.  These little souls.  I love their missing teeth.  Their sticky hands.  Their hugs.  The excessive use (on my own part) of the words awesome, pretty, and sooo good.

With all of that said, I am so thankful that I got to teach preschoolers before coming to namibia.  I am so thankful for all of the days that I cam home exhausted, but with tons of stories about the funny things that my students said and did.  They were precious!  So my sweet babies, congrats on graduating from preschool.  Miss Mac misses you A LOT and is so proud of you!

P.S.  Lana sent me some lovely pictures that y'all drew and I loved every single one.  They were soooo awesome and sooo pretty :)

Homestead Homes

My first week of teaching in Odibo is over and I officially have a house!  This week started off with a lot of questions.  As of Monday, my principal was still unsure of where I was going to live, but by the end of the day, we finally had a taker.  A family close to the school agreed to let me stay with them.  Although I am technically living on a small homestead, I have my own section.  I am staying at “Doctor’s” house.  Doctor, my roommate, is a teacher in a different village and only comes home on weekends (not always).  I met him for the first time today when he came in and gave me some information about the house, family, village, etc.  He was quickly off to Ongwediva though.  So far, a great impression and he is being incredibly kind letting me take over his space.  In fact, everyone at the homestead has been incredibly kind.  There are two students who live here.  One is in 7B and the other is in 8C.  They have been taking care of me all week and I am so grateful for that.  The sweet girl washed my clothes and we went to get a cool drink the other day.  Doctor told me she is an orphan in the family, so they have taken her in.  The boy has been supplying me with water and helping with any manly work that needs to be done.  He has such a great outlook and has been so upbeat and supportive during this process. So in addition to that news, let me quickly catch you up on the exciting, entertaining things happening in Odibo.  Here is a brief list:

• ·     One of my teachers was jammin out to Dolly Parton the other day <3 span="">
• ·      Roosters are annoying and wake up around 4am.
• ·      My house currently has no running water so I am mastering the bucket bath and the grunge look.
• ·       This week I typed this message to my mom and realized that my English is awful in Namibia... “even if I don’t like doing the yoga always it makes me happier”
• ·      We have a puppy named Diva on my homestead.
• ·      My house is pink!
• ·      I am attempting two a days in the workout world…fingers crossed.
• ·      I really like my 9A class.
• ·      Grade 7 is so sweet and keeps asking me to come to their class whenever they have an off period.
• ·      My old secretary called this week to see how I am adjusting and to let me know the students miss me.  So sweet!
• ·      I am going to go to church again tomorrow with the St. Mary’s students.

Today marks the start of my sixth month in Namibia, and although I am eager to see home again, I am trying to take Abby’s advice and remember how much I will want a new adventure once I am home.  Not many people have this opportunity to live in Africa, so I need to soak it all in while I can.

One Year

For so long I said you can do anything for a year, and ultimately, I believe you can.  But, and this is a big but, that doesn’t mean it will be easy.  A year is a long time.  In the small picture it does not seem so grandiose, but when you look at it from the perspective of the big picture, it definitely is.  A year in a different country doesn’t just mean you are in some foreign, exotic land for 12 months living the life.  It means you are away from the people you love.  You are far from the things that make you feel complete.  You are confused, lonely, and possibly homesick.  This year, which is not even halfway over yet, is by far the hardest year of my life.  It surpasses the year I had brain surgery and makes Baylor look like a walk in the park.  This year is the most challenging thing I have ever done.  I want that to be said.  I want people to hear that because I know when you see pictures you see all of the good, and there is a lot of good here, but what those pictures don’t show are the ins and outs of everyday living.  The cold water.  The lack of communication.  The mornings.  The longing for family and friends.  Yes, I am blessed to be here, but never did God say that being blessed would bring rainbows and butterflies and daisies all the time.  Being blessed means having happiness and thankfulness, both of which I have for this country and for my sweet home in America.

Light

Well, village life is hard, I think that is a given no matter what village you are living in.  In some way or not, you are alone.  Yes, people are constantly surrounding you or are in the community, but in a way, you are the black sheep in the crowd.  You are the one that is different than others.  Not just because of nationality or color, but because of simple things like not knowing where to find a taxi, not knowing what time things close, or not knowing who to go to when the water goes out.  It is trying and challenging, but somewhere in these difficult days (mainly weekends), a sliver of light appears and continues to grow throughout the hours that pass.  You find ways to be productive.  You push yourself to do things that may not sound that fun (i.e. working out, laundry, etc.).  You rely on friends for advice on how to keep busy.  You create a routine and plan for exciting dates to come.

My sliver of light has come in different ways these past two weeks.  The obvious ones exist like talking to my mom, reading a good book, or watching a show that makes me feel like I am one of the friends, but slivers have emerged in different ways too.  For example, cooking a dinner that I actually think is quite tasty.  Relaxing while doing yoga.  Drinking decaf coffee, even if it is black (no soy milk in Oshikango).  Going to church in ENGLISH super early in the morning and being greeted by the sweetest 12^th graders.  These small things have given me a sense of pride and joy that I am tightly holding on to.  I know things will be good here.  I know that God has not forsaken me.  I know that if I continue to push, I will become a part of this community and actually miss Namibia when I go home.  I know that this year will have all been worth it.