Schools out for summer!!!

...well, almost.

I still have to fill out report cards, but other than that, I'm DONE! with a year of teaching! I find that a bit terrifying, but whatever.

So what does an education volunteer do over the 4-month-long summer vacation? (We start back Oct 1)

1. Help out at camps

I have two friends putting on camps - one right at the beginning of the summer (next week) and the other at the very end. I haven't done a camp yet, so I can't say for sure what I'll be doing, but basically it'll mean spending a week at their sites and helping with lessons and activities. Different camps have different themes depending on the interest of the volunteer, but I think both of the camps I'm going to will be mostly health-related.

2. Cultivate???

My village (like most in Burkina) is very agricultural; I would guess that there are less than 20 people in my 1300-person village who are not subsistence farmers. And even for those who aren't (e.g., my neighbor, Alice, is a midwife), their families are, and they help when they're not at work.

My neighbors promise me that they'll teach me how to cultivate, even though a couple of my students have expressed doubt at my ability to do so. (Because I'm white. Not cool, dude, not cool.)

I've been told that I could/should grow corn and peanuts in my courtyard...soooo, we'll see.

3. Help out at the health clinic with weekly baby weighings

Again, I haven't done this yet, so I have no idea what it involves. I'm guessing it has something to do with babies and scales. Also probably writing things down.

4. Travel!

In July I have a friend coming to visit (!!!!), so in addition to hanging in village a bit, we're going to go to SW Burkina where there are some cool touristy things (Banfora Falls, Sindou Peaks, Fabedougou Domes, and Tengrela Lake).

And thennnnn in September, my friend Meghan (another volunteer) and I are going to Morocco for two weeks!! Blue cities, leather, camels, sand surfing...I'm beyond pumped.

5. PLAY WITH MY NEW CAT!!!!!

That's right!!! I have a cat! Look out mice! 

His name is Indi(-ana Jones), and he is very cuddly, which of course I adore. I just got him this morning but I'm already in love! And not only because he already seems to understand that the appropriate place to go to the bathroom is outside.

6. Hope to get a dog

No explanation needed. I really want a dog. My friend Diana's dog is pregnant, so if I don't get one before then, I'll snag one of her pups. But that's gonna take so long! :/

Whenever number 6 works out, then there's also:

7. Train my dog

Because, duh. No one likes an untrained dog.

8. Read all the books ever

I just (/finally) started Game of Thrones. I was making myself wait until I finished school because I knew that once I started, it'd be hard to stop for pesky little things like lesson plans and grading. I'm finding that this was a good move.

...The end!

I didn't think I had much to do this summer, but after writing it out, I think it'll fly by! 

xo, chlo