One Year

First off, some shout outs are indeed in order:

Steve and Carol: Thank you guys so much for the Christmas package! Just when I thought my Christmas was over, I had another package waiting for me at the post office. You guys are great! And I loved the card with dogs on it. Good looking dogs are a rare sight for me these days and you guys sure have an eye for them. Love y'all!

Barbara, Baily, Ninh, Amanda, and Ellen: You guys are hilarious. I open your package and get vomited on by the quantity of Starburst flowing out of it. I particularly liked the list of "first world problems" that I don't have to deal with here (i.e.: iPad vs. Macbook). However, there are NEVER enough outlets in this country!!! Thank you guys so much for sending the love. Pile all your money together and send yourselves over here. Miss you guys.

Holmes Family: Much love to Pat, Jill, Jeb, and Jessie for thinking of me during the holidays! Miss you guys a lot and can't wait to see you when I get back.



        In case you don't remember, I left the USA just over one year ago. I filled out a bunch of paperwork for the application process, said goodbye to family and dear friends, got on a plane, became fast friends with a group of random, kinda weird, and very good hearted fellow PCVs. Then, we all got on a plane bound for an island in the Indian Ocean that about which many Americans ask, "Are there people in Madagascar?". Yes, there are people here. More than 20 million of them. And they are Malagasy people. Just Gasy (GAH-see) for short. And they are amongst the world's most impoverished peoples, both in their lack of income and in the lack of opportunity for improving their lives within the borders of their coasts. But they are also a people full of love as well. Since the day I was welcomed into the home of a random Gasy family during the homestay portion of my training a year ago, to the nightly conversations I have with my Gasy best friend at my site, Tahiry, I have become friends with the Malagasy. Yeah, they're weird. They're ignorant of a lot of things going on in the world ("Oh, you're from the Etazonia? That's close to Brazil and France, gotcha.") But I love em. And my Mama is coming in a little more than 3 weeks!!!! I can't wait to show this country to someone from back home and to see this country again through fresh eyes. It's strange to think that everyone that I have seen in the past year has only been in my life for that amount of time. So come on, Mama, can't wait for you to see this weird, crazy, beautiful, disgusting, fun, boring, loud, stinky, amazing place I live in.

Also, anyone else who wants to come (and can afford it) is always more than welcome to make their across the world and check this place out. Come anytime, we're always open.

Also, NO MORE BIG PACKAGES. Thanks sooooo much to everyone who sent me their love in a box! But please stop sending them. I am well stocked on everything I need and if I ain't got it, I don't need it. You guys are so awesome for sending so much great stuff. It also costs me 7 dollars (14000 Ariary) everytime I pick up a big package at the post office (plus holding fees if it takes me a while to get there). And on a $200/month budget, that can add up. So, again, thank you thank you thank you thank you! Now stop it stop it stop it stop it stop it stop it. Small things are fine, just not the boxes! You guys are great.

Take care everyone.
One year down.
One year to go.
See ya again before we know it.

James