Peace Corps Memories...

The end of this month will mark a year since I've completed my service as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Malawi. Prior to leaving Malawi, I wrote in my journal all of my favorite memories, I will use this blog to share them with you. Although I will carry my time in Malawi with me wherever I go, it's time for me to start allowing myself some more memories. So here it goes...

Favorite Memories of Malawi

1. First night in homestay listening to people talking outside my hut and being paranoid that I would get robbed
2. Sitting on Shupe's porch with Jenn
3. First successful hitch experience with Jenn after an earlier attempt was intercepted by Peace Corps
4. Meeting my head Mr.Katanga and thinking that he didn't like me....now we're family  :)
5. Site visit! The heat and texting Carolyn about the heat
6. Moving to site and not being able to start a fire
7. Riding to Dwangwa on the back of a matola in the rain and a woman at Atupele's Restaurant giving Natalie and I something to keep warm
8. Carolyn and my hitch experience after the bridge washed out. From Lilongwe to Salima to Lilongwe to Mzuzu to Lilongwe to Kasungu to Nkhotakota
9. Camp CoCo-Life skilss camp at my school that I did during my first term break
10. Blantyre to watch the Flames for my birthday and the overnight bus ride with Carolyn and Chris
11. My stay at Mars(medical clinic) after eating a bad mandazi
12. Trip to Senga bay with Jazmian; the boat ride to Lizard Island, the tour guide getting too close, the american who taught me about fried nsima
13. Camp GLOW!
14. My one year in country celebration
15. Lake of Stars and my first ride on a jet ski
16. The after GRE party...delicious cake made by Stevi; strawberries and chocolate and wine
17. PCV of the week in Mpalale
18. Hanging out with Jazmian, Francis, Thom, and Chiwala
19. Women2Women!
20. Eunice's wedding Christmas Day and hitching to Lilongwe to have Christmas dinner with my PCV family
21. New Years Eve with Jaz, D'Lynn and Stevi
22. Lilongwe Wildlife Center and the one-eyed lion and being eletrocuted
23. The Hot Party and braii at Melissa's
24. Majestic Cottage on a beautiful Sunday with Pri, Ko, and Fiskani
25. Having a maize husk thrown at me after refusing to pay 10 kwacha to cross the death bridge; Carolyn already having her knife ready to shank someone
26. Eating dinne on the floor in my hall by candlelight with Martha and Chisomo
27. Talking about development in Malawi with my fellow teachers
28. Emily, Ellyn, and Faith my neighbor girls
29. Julia and Elicia, my girls who like to chat, have their nails painted, and to help get water
30. Moses my teacher's son who I named
31. Nights out with Jazmian! Fun times ducking behind cars, walking thru 47 at 1 am and hopping fences and splitting pants..(that was Jaz...)
32. Discussions with Melissa, Jaz, Darline, and D'Lynn
33. Hitching to Monkey Bay for Halloween with Mel
34. Sitting on the beach near Mel's house chatting
35. Chatting with Mel and Megan on Megan's porch
36. Bike rides along the lakeshore with Hassan
37. Hanging out with Eunice
38. Chatting with the Peace Corps Staff!
39. Jamming to "Green Light" with Carolyn
40. Chatting on Edith's porch
41. Jambulani! The kids coloring on my porch
42. Attending the different churches, football matches, and other events in my village