Reflections from the Halfway Point

To Emily of August 2014,

It's me, your older, wiser, and better looking self from the future. I've made it to the halfway point of our YAGM year. I know I must seem a million miles away from you--and in some ways, I am--but I'm closer around the corner than you think. Time will seem to creep along glacially and time will seem to vanish, in that cruel way that time waxes and wanes. From the summit of my year, before I take the descending journey through to the end of July, I want to leave you with some advice.

• Orientation will be the best week in the history of the world. You won't realize it until it's over, so savor it now.
• When you get to Rwanda, try not to be so overwhelmed. You're here for a year, I promise all of this strangeness will soon feel normal.
• Study harder in Kinyarwanda lessons. I know your brain is tired, but you'll thank yourself.
• Your doctor was an idiot, so make sure you take your malaria medication with food. You will save yourself a lot of pain...literally.
• When you get to your placement you're going to be stressed and overwhelmed and homesick. Cry it out and then pull yourself together. You're in this for the long haul.
• You're going to want to buy some boots sooner. Trust me on this one.
• This too will pass: I remember October being difficult. I also can't remember a single thing about October. This is your life, so just live through it, the ups and the downs.
• November will bring all of the YAGM friendship. You can make it. It's worth it.
• Really? It's December...you should be studying more Kinyarwanda than you are.
• Wear more sunscreen in Burundi. Yes, more. Even more than that.
• Your mood will greatly improve when you institute daily dance parties into your schedule. I recommend you begin this habit sooner.
• Basin baths are a lot more fun when you do them in your room. Instead of being wary of spiders getting into your water, you can watch Grey's Anatomy while you wash your hair. It's a win-win.
• Ralph is a rat who lives in your room. You will try to kill him multiple times and he will not die. While you write this blog post, he will leap over your bed and run out of your room. He is probably an animagus.
• You can't even begin to understand how good the pineapple is. Get ready.
• The staff at Peace Guest House will become your best friends. Start going their earlier, they make delicious sandwiches.
• Things will feel normal. Things will feel good. You will be happy, you will laugh. You will also miss people and miss places, miss foods and beers, unlimited internet and snapchat. You will find joy in the small moments, feel the tangible beauty of a sunset over Lake Kivu, and realize play crosses language barriers. Things are different. It isn't always better, but it isn't always worse. It just is. You will be a lot happier when you realize this.

Best of luck as you start your year. Don't stress out so much about packing, and hug all of your friends one more time. A year is a long time, but love finds connections in the most unexpected ways. You will have adventures you can't imagine. It's a beautiful world, welcome to it.

All my love,

Emily of February 2015