How Do You Measure a Year?

This past Saturday marked one year of me being in Rwanda.  I can't believe how fast a year has gone by!!  It feels like yesterday that I was graduating college, saying goodbye to the people that I love and boarding a plane with a bunch of people I barely knew to start this crazy journey of my Peace Corps Service.

In trying to think of how to sum up a roller coaster of a year I was inspired by a fellow PCV's instagram post quoting the song from RENT, "Seasons of Love" hence the title "How Do You Measure a Year?".  Thinking about the things that occupied my mind before I left, there is a pretty big difference now.  Many stayed the same, but looking at this list, never in a million years did I think this would be my life...

I measure my first year in Rwanda in...

• Cups of Coffee (Because that will never change...)
• Conversations where I don't understand anything yet somehow appear to.
• Bucket baths (not as many as you would think...)
• Scrstches on my knuckles from handwashing all of my clothes
• Pills counted and placed in baggies
• Insanity Workouts "successfully" completed
• Jars of Peanut Butter consumed (generally straight from the jar)
• Care packages filled with my favorite things
• Weeks filled with only mac n cheese as my diet because I don't feel like cooking
• Books
• Movies
• Naps
• Solo Dance PArties
• Sunburns (yet not as many as I eexpected)
• Dropped Phone Calls
• Phone Calls consisting of "Hello?" for at least 10 min
• Gardens built
• Speeches in Kinyarwanda
• Attempts to bargain at the market
• Much needed burritos in Kigali
• Downpours
• Successful and Failed cooking experiments
• Successful charcoal stove lightings
• Cold meals because I'm too lazy to light my charcoal stove
• Avocados
• Nights kept awake by my mouse roommate
• Spiders residing in my house
• mosquito bites
• Hikes (Complete with amazing views!!)
• Fantas with village friends
• Photos
• Emails
• Whatsapp messages
• Slips in the mud
• Lessons Learned 
• Friendships Made

This year truly has been one of the most amazing years of my life and I still have one more left!  I can't wait to see what year 2 holds for me and I hope I have enough time to get everything done that I want to.  They always say that "Peace Corps is the hardest job you'll ever love" and I can attest to that 100%.  

Before I finish and get back to work I just want to say thank you to everyone who has supported me through this journey and I love all of you! <3