I finally caved and gave into my lifelong hatred of cats.
The stray neighborhood cat was purring incessantly outside my bedroom window and after hours of sleeplessness, I finally decided to get up and see why it was crying so loudly. It was, after all, my fault the cat was homeless and hungry in the first place.
In late November, I had the opportunity to participate in Student Leadership Trek, a new Peace Corps program in The Gambia. Three teams of six volunteers each taught leadership sessions to Grade 10 students over the course of two days. In total, we were able to reach six schools, biking from one village to the next to deliver our curriculum that focused on goal-writing and teamwork.
My new niece was given my Gambian name, Fatoumata, and my host sister says she will call her “Jessica.”
Although a big river divides the country in half, an alarming number of Gambians don’t know how to swim. Superstitions and traditional tales have even inspired fear about the river and the crocodiles that hide in its waters.
My life of fro-yo, high-speed Internet and a trendy wardrobe is nothing but a distant memory. Everything in Gambia is different, including me. And somewhere along the line, dare I say, it all started feeling normal.
