Yep. I'm still here.

I may have alarmed some after my last post, please don't be. Although I'm not naive to the situation here, i'm also not going to walk around paranoid and afraid of anything either. It is what is, I am what I am, and i'm here. 8 weeks down and 5 more to go before I'm off on my east African vacation. The question I seem to get quite a bit is if this is worth it. The nightmares, the inability to sleep, the heat, the rice and beans and beans and rice, the horrible roads, the feelings that i'm not operating at my full capacity or abilities, the fear, the unpredictability of things, missing family, missing a summer in the states, missing friends....yeah despite all that I still believe this experience is worth it. I have learned something about myself, what i'm comfortable with and just how far I can push myself before I take a step back. I don't know if this type environment is the right fit for me per se, but I wouldn't know otherwise if I hadn't came to begin with. Life is unpredictable and I have no idea where I will go from here. All I know is I have a better idea of what I can and cannot handle.

In 8 days Southern Sudan will become the Republic of South Sudan. I am happy and excited to be able to witness the birth of this nation. This has been a wonderful opportunity that I will do my best not to take for granted.