Hello, year two.

After the excitement of the “fete” in early November, I just bout a month to wind down any work I had going on but at the same times, plan out what I would like to do this upcoming year. I met with a couple of my women’s groups (GICs) a few times to see how their harvest was going, and to plan out any work and formations we would like to do once they are done. I have continued meeting with the village high school's (somewhat functioning) Health and Environmental Club. I sat in on their discussions on personal hygiene, malaria, HIV/AIDS, and would like to use my role in their group to promote more environmental education. I helped a few students with a presentation on tree nurseries, hoping that this new knowledge will better prepare them when planting all the young trees we just received from MINFOF. On my own time, I finished harvesting my soy and corn, storing everything neatly in my house to await my return from the U.S.

Waaaaaaaait a second. USA? As in the land of supermarkets, hot water, pavement, customer service, and all those other great things that make a PCV warm and happy inside? As much as I thought all this (and more) would turn my world upside-down, it was actually just a really nice visit home, and a great chance to see friends and family that I've missed so much this past year (and eat pizza, duh). As "normal" as it was to be back in the States, it did give me a pretty interesting opportunity to reflect on my life here in Cameroon. So many things that at first I considered crazy, alarming, exciting, and different are mostly regularly expected these days. I've allowed myself to become pretty jaded, both cynical about my work and perhaps oblivious to problems that I noticed earlier. After almost a year and a half in Cameroon, and over year living as a bone fide PCV, it hasn’t been easy—actually at times it has been pretty damn hard, but it has been enjoyable.

I'm going back to post today—pushing through my second year— with a fresh outlook and some refreshed motivation. I learned a lot this past year and I’m hoping to use that to make a better experience for myself in Cameroon, strengthen my work with my community, and of course bring it all back here, to all tell about it.