Bright Lights, Big City

So for the past 2 weeks I have been in Lusaka partaking in what is officially called IST (gotta love the Peace Corps. acronyms) -In Service Training, with the group of people that I came into country with. The thought behind these past two weeks is that we've all been at our sites for approximately three months and therefore should know what our villages want to focus on the most. We then go to Lusaka and learn more about those subject areas. Its also really great to see everyone and see how much everyone has changed in the past three months and to take a little breather from the village life. As a whole most of the men got a a bit hairier and skinnier, and the women, well, the women stayed exactly the same...therefore further staking our claim as the more resilient of the two species. All 46 of us who remain stayed in dormitory style housing-together- shared bathrooms and all- for the two weeks. Needless to say, no one got enough sleep and at the end almost everyone was sick, just like in college. There are some many things about this experience that remind me of a mix between college and summer camp...

We also had a counterpart workshop during the two weeks where we got a bring a villager to Lusaka and spend time with them in a project design workshop which was cool because it was able to bring Peace Corps. to another level in their eyes. My counterpart, Patrick, and I made big plans during our workshop sessions of many things we want to carry out when I get back to the village (like a soya cooking demo and a demo permagarden plot). I think it definitely got him hyped up to do work with me when I get back and that makes me excited too.

So the general topic that Peace Corps. volunteers talk about the most is...FOOD. You become pretty obsessed with food while out in the bush. And Lusaka, being the bustling metropolis that it is does have quite a variety to choose from (chinese, thai, indian, "western", mexican), all of which were extremely exciting for those of us who've been lacking variety and/or spices in our diet. I was most excited about ice cream, however the only thing that made me sick both times when I had it was- Ice Cream. I dont think I can live being lactose intolerant or ice cream sensitive so I am just going to pretend that those were isolated incidents that will never happen again. Seriously.

As fun as being with a bunch of muzungus in Lusaka was I was ready to get back to my home sweet hut. I missed my village and my kids. A lot. Which I think is a really really good sign because there was a time where I couldnt have imagined getting so attached, but its official I am pretty much obsessed with my village. And Chipata for that matter. Listening to other volunteers complain about their boma's/Provincial capitals made me realize that even though I may not have any Peace Corps. neighbors I still have the best boma in all of Zambia because Chipata has EVERYTHING (I'm not being bold here. I am legit speaking the truth). We've got delivery pizza and burritos, which is absolutely unheard of in Zambia, outside of Lusaka. And beautiful views, and amazing people. This is starting to sound a little bias, but I promise you that its not. Its the truth.

As excited as I was to go back to village I only got to be there for a few days because I am off again to go to Victoria Falls for a vacation (think safari, gorge swing, SWIMMING-even though the last thing I want to be wearing about two weeks in Lusaka is a bathing suit, and sunset river cruise). But then I am back in the village for awhile and will be excited to be there