It was wonderful to sleep, eat, think, drink coffee and be spoiled by the love of my family and friends while at home. It was a much needed sabbatical. I walked straight back into the crazy hectic life I live here. The first week I left home for school in the morning and returned home between 9-10pm each night for the first time completely worn out. I moved out of Tommy's house and into a house with Corrine, a retired American nurse who moved to VOH last April.  I walked into a completely empty room with my few belongings in trunks. The only piece of furniture being the air mattress that I brought with me.  Thankfully Tommy has graciously loaned me some furniture to use for a few months.  The harmattan is here, and I swear it blew the entire Sahara desert into the house.  Everything was covered in such a thick layer of dust I felt as if I were in a house that had been abandoned for years.  I have never seen such thick dust.  I have also returned to the land of creepy crawlies.  The ants are in and on everything, mice have been constantly spotted in the house.

It took a few weeks but I think the last of the Harmattan has past, and the last of the mice have been killed. (I won't relay the story of the mice flopping in the mouse trap, but you get the idea...) I have also finally started to settle back in my routine.  There are still some kinks to be worked out in my school schedule, but that will happen with time.  I am officially a student of Twi now.  Twi is the language most commonly spoken by locals.  I really would like to be more proficient in communicating.  It makes such a huge difference when they hear foreigners attempting to learn their language.  I have also begun driving.  As most of you know, I got my license last October.  But, had no car to drive.  While I still do not, Tommy Drinnen, a missionary who works as one of the managers here, has allowed me to drive his car whenever I need.  It has been so freeing!  I have learned rather quickly how to fit in with the local drivers.  The rules are pretty simple: dodge large holes in the cement, go around any car that is slow and in your way, honk often, drive closely behind anyone you meet, and be prepared to stop at any time.  There is nothing like driving a stick shift in Ghanaian traffic.  I love it!