Yovotome

Dear Family and Friends,

I have landed safely back in Benin. America was wonderful, and I will be happy to be home again for good in less than a year. In the meantime I am back in Africa and the updates will have to also go back to blog land and not in person :(...

I really enjoyed my time at home (maybe a bit too much) and am definitely having a bit of trouble readjusting to being away from the people who love and care about me.

Home was great.. there is hot water in sinks. You can eat almost anything at a restaurant. People pay with little plastic cards. I was just so CLEAN the entire time I was there. Not to mention all of the other little things such as sweaters and boots and cuddling up under blankets and just not being the center of attention 24/7. I could not be a celebrity, being so noticed all the time is honestly my least favorite part of being a PCV.

It was an eventful trip home as well, for those of you who don't know.. this trip home was so that I could meet my brand new nephew who is just the most loved and most adorable thing ever and I can't wait until he is old enough to talk to me. Then of course, as if becoming an aunt isn't big enough in and of itself, Erik and I are now officially engaged. (And yes I was completely surprised) –

Even with all these big things happening in my life, the best part of it all was getting to see so many of my friends. I lucked out with spending a chunk of my trip on the west coast, which means I got to see family that I wouldn't have gotten to see otherwise. Back home in the Philly area some of my best friends made the trip to Chez Moi to see me, which made me feel really special and loved – and allowed for such activities as eating pumpkin pie straight from the box.. and drinking champagne to celebrate over jigsaw puzzles. You guys make it really hard to leave (and that's a good thing).

Hopefully in a few days I will feel re-acclimated.
For now I feel hot and sweaty and homesick.
But that is perfectly normal.. I think

Love
Z