Many of you have noticed it has been many months since we have updated our blog. Why? Well, just because to be honest, not much has happened here. We quickly fell into a routine that has taken us through February and March. Monday we all head back to school and early Monday evening Jacob and I head down to the field for baseball practice. We play catch, run, sweat, and get dusty then we head up to whatever meal Juliet has fixed. Check the homework, read, and then bedtime. Monday is done. Tuesday wake up fix breakfast, pack lunches and off to school. Tuesday afternoons I have a tennis lesson, and then I help with Emily’s baseball practice. A quick shower and then dinner, and we start the bedtime routine. Wednesday is another tennis lesson for me, the kids have after school activities, and Gina has her workout and then, every other week, her massage. The week is half over. Thursday has more time for homework and an occasional trip out for the Tex-Mex buffet at the GQ. Friday is movie night. Saturday is game day, the shopping outing, cub scouts, and usually a get together with friends. Sunday is pool day and phone calls home. Monday we start again.
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Not much has happened to break that pattern. The sun rises and sets at the same time, the weather is hot, the power fails, and we just keep moving though the week. The kids get taller and Jacob’s hair gets longer. Every once in awhile we remember; we are living in Nigeria, we are in Africa! How did we get here and how did the idea of being here become routine? There isn’t any answer that pops into mind. So, that leads to the next question. Has this become home? Maybe. We definitely feel that we have some advantages here. The kids are doing well in school and are busy. They are making friends, going to birthdays, and having sleepovers. That sounds like home. Gina and I love our jobs; we enjoy our friends here, love the family time, and have enjoyed a few nice dinners out. That sounds like home. We are comfortable and feel safe, but we are still outsiders here. I’m not sure what it would take to call Africa home, but it is going to take more than a compound and a few months for me. I have read about people who come here and become captivated with the land and the people. We have met some very nice people and we have seen a little bit of the beautiful countryside. If it weren’t for the mounds of garbage, the beggars in the street, and the general turmoil of the place those things might be enough. Instead, we work our way through the week counting down the days to until we are off to some other place.
1 comment:
You write very well.
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