6 months in Zambia: Riding rollarcoasters and loving the little things.

Thats right its been 6 months since I embarked on this tiny little adventure! 3mos in the village. I always say a lot has happened since I last wrote but mid July until now has been a rollarcoaster! In training they told us that the few weeks before IST(in service training) there would be a few "dips" in the rollarcoaster...understatement! So the week I was suppose to cook with my womens group I caught the flu. Yup flu in Africa, it lasted about 2weeks. The teachers at my school told me that I wasnt well and forced me to go home during classes. During this same time puppy Hendrix decided to eat, yes eat, my cell phone charger as well as pages from my journal. I was not a happy camper. Luckly the boma sells chargers. I also hurt my ankle during this time. Im clumsy and tripped twice in one day. It didnt seem like a big deal until my ankle was still hurting 3weeks later. While in Lusaka for IST medical made me get an x-ray and concluded that I tore ligaments and tendons in my ankle. I now have to wear a brace/bandage for 4-8 weeks. To top it all off in the grand scheme of it all I was dreading my trip to Lusaka. 2weeks away from the village and my dog and being blinded by the bright city lights, No thanks! But as a nice send off i had my 1st encounter(hopefully my last) with the black mamba. While walking to school I spotted a "hose" in the path. As I got closer, I noticed the "hose" was really a 6ft long black mamba. I told the kids to kill it and everyone came running. It was already dead the kids just left it there to see my reaction. Nice. But the good thing about being here(guess its really how you look at it) is that just as easily as something can change your day and make it seem bad, the tiniest things can turn it all around and make you realize its all about balance. Like sunsets that remind you to say "thank you", school visits where you are told you are a blessing and feed bush rabbit(my new fav meat). When bamayos come to your house to show you their culture and to invite you to be apart of it. When candy, crystal light and dance parties with local kids are kept afloat by the light of a full moon. When you show up to the post and every letter is for you... Its about taking the bad with the good and knowing that your reaction to it all is just as important as the situation it self. During the time of "the dip" I went to a zampop concert and had a really good time with friends in Lusaka so it wasnt all bad. And despite the fact that I still dont have funiture, apparently there are no more dips in the rollarcoaster untill APRIL! There are good days and bad days just like anything else but its the little things that make it worth it!