100 Days!

In honor of reaching day 100 in Namibia, here's a list of 100 things that are true about my life here. Only 237 days until I'm home!

Things I’m used to:

1.     cold showers

2.     cattle on the roads and pigs in the yard

3.     not ever knowing what to expect at school

4.     hitchhiking

5.     reckless drivers

6.     a lot of “me time”

7.     handwashing my clothes

8.     killing cockroaches swiftly

9.     going to bed when the sun sets

10. waking naturally before the sun rises

11. not ever using hot water to wash the dishes

12. unexpected power, water, and cell/internet service outages

13. umbrella = sunbrella

14. sweating constantly

15. Oshikwanyama greetings

16. eating food past its expiration date

17. trying new foods

Things I love:

18. sunsets (and, more recently, sunrises)

19. being called “sister”

20. laughing with learners

21. an inbox full of meaningful emails from home

22. catching up on books, movies, and tv shows

23. BBC global news podcasts

24. watching learners learn

25. justifying eating whatever I want “because I’m in Africa”

26. gaining weight and people thinking it’s beautiful

27. how slowly time passes on the weekends

Things I miss:

28. being surrounded by people who know me well

29. parmesan & brie cheeses

30. good Mexican or Italian food

31. sweet tea

32. going to church

33. calling home every day

34. relaxing socially

35. easy communication with friends

Things that are challenging:

36. being the only white person for miles

37. teaching

38. eating a balanced diet

Things I eat a lot:

39. oatmeal

40. pasta

41. cheddar cheese & crackers

42. apples

43. onions

44. bread

45. cheap Namibian cookies

46. Rice Krispies

47. eggs

Things I’m so glad I brought:

48. wide-mouthed Nalgene

49. an American surge protector

50. Kindle

51. photos from home

52. high capacity external harddrive

53. headlamp

54. Chacos

55. my clothes packed in Ziploc bags

56. 36-pack of Bic Mark-It permanent markers

57. cheap watch

58. Staples One-Touch stapler (the Rolls Royce of staplers)

Things I should have left at home:

59. non-Nike shorts

60. several of the dresses and skirts that I packed

61. whiteboard markers

62. construction paper

63. crayons & markers

Things I love receiving:

64. phone calls from Dad

65. weekly letters from Mandy

66. unexpected packages

67. electronic encouragement and updates

Things I use every day:

68. hot water boiler

69. frying pan

70. devotionals

71. Vineyard Vines bag – embarrassing, but useful and durable

72. fan

Things that are hanging on my walls:

73. photos from home

74. letters that I’ve received

75. maps: world, Africa, Namibia

76. “Namibia by the Numbers” list: just recently made it to 25 cold showers

77. emergency info

78. scripture encouragement

79. school calendar

80. coffeesleeves and postcards from Nashville

81. encouraging quotes calendar

82. two Hatch Show Print posters

83. AP quote canvas – “we pray that somehow in the spring the roots grow deep”

Things I’ve watched:

84. Friends (seasons 1-10)

85. The Office (seasons 2 and 5)

86. Parks & Recreation (season 2)

87. How I Met Your Mother (seasons 1-2)

88. Sex and the City (seasons 1-3)

89. Planet Earth

90. Lost (season 1)

Things I’ve read:

91. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe

92. The Poisonwood Bible

93. Room

94. The God of Small Things

95. How Soccer Explains the World

96. A Thousand Splendid Suns

97. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

98. Water for Elephants

99. Streams in the Desert

100.  Jesus Calling