My American July

After 5 glorious weeks in sweet home Alabama, I am now sitting in the Birmingham airport, waiting on my flight back to Senegal.

It seems like just yesterday I landed. But I have been able to cram the past 5 weeks with all sorts of wonderful-ness.

I  spent time with my favorite road trip buddy, BFF, and adventure finder... my mom :)

I spent time with other family too.

And of course I can't leave out time spent with my two favorite girls - my nieces. 

I went to my family reunion.

I saw friends, and apparently I only remembered pictures with two of them...

 

I spent a week in Mobile for Alabama's annual MEGA Conference. 

I visited some churches.

I ate good food.

And I saw pretty scenery.

I read.

I helped my brother and sister-in-law move.

I practiced the art of patience.

I (and my new class) was blessed in amazingly generous ways.

I visited farmer's markets and fruit stands.

I enjoyed being in sweet home Alabama and the good ol' USA while I could.

I bought a sticker to remind me of how blessed I am to do what I do. I'm livin' the dream y'all. I really am :)

I took one last family photo.

And I ended up at the airport today, on the last day of July, having my last taste of Chikfila and a Dr Pepper full of ice before heading back to continue livin' the dream.

All in all, I'd say my American July was a nice one :)

Dakar and Me 8 Years

It's been 8 years.

How is that possible?

8 years since I stepped onto Senegalese soil for the very first time...

If I close my eyes, I can picture myself there in the Atlanta airport, leaving my parents and brother, and walking towards security/customs. 

It was bittersweet.

On the one hand, I was saying goodbye to my family, my home country, and all that is familiar and comfortable.

But on the other hand, I was saying hello to the anticipation of what was to come. 

And now, here I am in a similar position.

Tonight I will say goodbye to my sister-in-law and nieces. Then tomorrow, I will say goodbye to my mom and brother as I board a plane in Birmingham, hearing back to Dakar. 

But I'll have that familiar excitement in my heart because as sad as my goodbye will be, I am so very ready to head back to where God's called me, to do what God's called me to do. 

It's been 8 years.

Recently, someone asked me how long I was planning to stay in Dakar.

Some days, I could see myself there forever. However, only God knows what's in store for my future. But there's one thing I do know.

God has been with me every step of the way these past 8 years. And I know He'll be with me the next 8 years (and beyond) too.

What's Up July

Happy Last Wednesday of June!  Today I'm joining  Mel, Shay, and Sheaffer for their monthly What's Up Wednesday link-up party. 

 

Every month we answer the same few questions based on how things are currently going in our lives. 

The questions are...

 

What am I eating this week?

I'm almost at the end of my quick summer vacation to sweet home Alabama. Since being here, I have enjoyed eating my Mama's good ol' Southern home cookin' :)

What am I reminiscing about? 

Sunday will mark 8 years from the first time I stepped into Senegalese soil. And it honestly seems like just yesterday. So I've been looking through pictures from my time in Dakar, reminiscing about some amazing memories :)

What am I loving?

That's easy. I'm loving being with family :)

What have I been up to?

I've been shopping for the last few supplies I need to take back to Dakar with me. And yes, these pineapple plates from Walmart will be making an appearance in my classroom at some point this year :)

What am I dreading?

I'm dreading saying goodbye to these girls (and the rest of my family, too) as I head back to Dakar next week. Yes, I'm happy/excited to be heading back, doing all God's called me to do. But y'all... The goodbyes never get any easier. Just sayin'

What am I working on?

Making memories with these two... This upcoming goodbye will be a hard one, knowing it'll be a full year before I see them face to face again. Oh this makes my Aunt Zizzie heart sad :(

What am I excited about?

I spent the week before last at MEGA. It's an annual educator's conference put on by the AL State Dept. of Education. It's amazing! I am so very grateful that I was able to attend so many workshops and seminars that I know will help me teach the incredible group of kids God is going to place in my classroom this coming school year. And I am so excited to implement all the tips, tricks, and ideas I received at MEGA. LINK!!!

What am I watching?

My mom and I have rotated between watching  The Golden Girls, Frazier, or various Food Network shows. 

What am I reading?

This summer, our staff is reading the book, You Are What You Love by James K.A. Smith. Then we'll discuss it during our Professional Development time st the beginning of the school year. I wouldn't necessarily call this my most favorite book ever. It's definitely not a quick read. But I am learning a good bit from it. So I'll still say it's a good book :)

What am I listening to?

This CD's tracks on repeat...

What am I wearing?

I ordered this hat online not long ago and it finally came in the other day. I love it!

*Woven Willow Boutique*

What am I doing this weekend?

I'm having a sleepover with my two favorite girls. Then I'm going to my family reunion on Sunday morning. I'll also need to finish packing, and to make a quick Walmart run for extra things to fill the empty spaces in my luggage. Then Sunday night, we're having one last family dinner and I'll say my goodbyes because on Monday afternoon, I head back to Senegal and won't see my family for a year... So I'll have a jam-packed, full, bittersweet weekend :)

What am I looking forward to next month?

School starts back next month and the dream God placed on my heart way back when will finally, finally become a reality. To say I'm ecstatic about that is an understatement!

What else is new?

I've had an idea for a writing project for a while. I've played around with it for a bit. But after starting and restarting it a few times, I just pushed it aside and ignored it not long ago.

Anywho, I saw this quote the other day, and it really hit home. I'm so worried about the end result, and getting it perfect, that I have trouble simply getting my ideas down on paper. So I'm getting back at it. And I'm loving it! I've always loved to write so this is perfect!

And then there is a special question each month, as well. 

What's your favorite part about summer?

As a teacher, the best part of summer is not having to wake up by an alarm clock every morning :)

My summers are almost always jam-packed, busy the entire time, since I always take my summer vacation to the States. But this summer has been nice and relaxing. Yes, it's been busy at times. But overall, it's been really nice. And I've enjoyed myself. I'll probably blog a summer recap next week some time.

So what are YOU up to this month?