2 Months In...

Things I never thought I’d miss about home:

• Feeling comfortable going for a walk anytime, anywhere, by myself.

• BERRIES - I don’t care what kind of berry, I just miss them.

• Feeling cold enough to wrap myself up in a blanket.

• Easy access to any food at almost any hour.

• Being able to run your fruit and veggies under tap water and call them clean (or just eating them unwashed!)

• Going to the gym!

• The anonymity of the New York Subway.

• A washing machine and dryer.

Cultural Adjustments:

• Time is not the same here. An appointment for 1 pm could happen at 4 pm or never happen at all.

• Young women are expected to be married, and it causes a lot of confusion and unwanted attention when I say that I’m not.

• It is rude to not immediately answer a text or pick up the phone if someone’s calling - it doesn’t matter where you are or when they call. You have to greet every single person when you enter a new space.

• People will not ask you if you want to do something, they will tell you what you are doing and when. But then they often cancel at the last minute.

Those little annoyances:

• The never ending supply of ants that make their way into everything (and i mean everything: food, clothes, backpack)

• Cars not yielding to pedestrians - seriously, they will run you over.

• Having to go to three or four different places to get all my groceries: 2 or 3 grocery stores, the bakery, and the produce stand.

• People talking about me as if I’m not in the room.

• Every man that I meet wants to marry me and have children with me and assumes they have the right to do so.

Moments I’ve felt out of place or uncomfortable:

• When I’m sitting with a group of people, and I know they’re talking and laughing about me, but I don’t understand what they’re saying.

• In the teachers’ lounge at school with 85% male teachers speaking in French.

• Being told that someone wants to marry me and have a kiss and them refusing to take no for an answer.

Moments I’ve felt at home and welcomed:

• Playing with the neighborhood kids outside. They give so many hugs.

• Making a friend laugh when I was speaking in French.

• When I got sick and didn’t go to school for a week, every teacher I know texted me to check in.

• Students at the University’s American Space were so attentive and excited when I introduced myself.

• Telling my students what Ivorian foods I’ve tried and getting a huge cheer in response to everything I said.