8 MONTHS

Happy 4th of July! I had an excellent 4th celebration which was spent with a small group of Americans at WISER, a girls school in Muhuru Bay which is a village nearby. There are 4 American's working there right now (2 are going to be around for about the next year at least and 2 are headed back to the states by the end of this month) and one of them was nice enough to host Chris and I and another American who is working in a nearby village for some American food, wine and to celebrate of course! We didn't have any fireworks but we did have hamburgers and potato salad and lots of wine so I can't complain. It was unlike any 4th of July I've had before but it might have been one of the best.

July 4th also marks my 8 month anniversary of touching down in Nairobi. Time is definitely a funny thing, maybe especially in the Peace Corps. Its hard for me to believe that its already July, sometimes it feels like time has flown by and I can't believe the second term is almost coming to an end but when I think about how long its been since I have been home or seen my family and friends in the states it can feel longer than 8 months. But, as a tribute to 8 months in country, here are some lists of 8 that you might enjoy...

8 things that I hardly notice anymore:
1. The heat
2. Lack of electricity and running water
3. Waiting for hours for things, whether it be a vehicle to go to town or a meeting to start
4. The heavily armed police and security officers
5. Traveling 6-7 hours to get to Kisumu
6. Wearing a skirt everyday
7. Usually being the only white person for miles
8. Speaking at a slower pace while teaching so my students can understand me better

8 things that keep me happy at site:
1. My phone - not only allows me to call other PCVs but also has internet so I can occasionally (ok, everyday) check facebook and send an email home and get emails too
2. Books - pretty much the only consistent form of entertainment that I have at my disposal
3. A glass of wine - always nice after a 12-14 hour work day
4. My iPod - music is amazing
5. My students - These girls are amazing, they keep me motivated and also provide a constant source of entertainment
6. Long walks
7. Ear plugs - allows me to sleep through roosters, dogs barking and the bell that wakes the students or announces breakfast
8. The support of family and friends both here in Kenya and back in the States

8 things that can really make my day: (most of which I have to go to Kisumu or Nairobi to get)
1. A shower - a REAL shower with warm water
2. Cheese - really any food that I can't usually get at site
3. Going to see a movie
4. Going swimming
5. Getting mail or a package
6. Air conditioning
7. A Western toilet
8. Fast internet access

8 things that I use on a daily basis:
1. HEADLAMP!!!
2. cell phone
3. iPod
4. lantern
5. gas cooker
6. water filter
7. bug spray
8. sunscreen

8 new skills I have learned since coming to Kenya:
1. How to take a bucket bath
2. How to bargain in 2 foreign languages
3. How to wash all my clothes by hand
4. How to ignore constantly being yelled at by small children (Mzungu, mzungu how are you?)
5. How to sit still for long periods of time and wait
6. How to cook Kenyan foods
7. How to disassemble and reassemble a lantern
8. How to spell using British English

8 TV shows I miss (but I do miss TV less than I thought I would):
1. Grey's Anatomy
2. The Office
3. How I Met Your Mother
4. Weeds
5. Entourage
6. Its Always Sunny in Philadelphia
7. NCIS
8. Law and Order: SVU
(I'm sad to say there are more...)

8 life lessons:
1. Be patient
2. Try to judge people by their intentions not their actions
3. Have a sense of humor - laugh at yourself
4. Revel in the small victories
5. Listen
6. Be a good friend
7. Try your best
8. Be kind (though my mom's been telling me this for years... thanks mom)

Well, there you have it, 8 months in Kenya. Only 18 more to go!