Thinking back on the good things

Things I will miss about life in Yabello

• Having Cora with me all the time
• Watching and helping Cora interact with a whole new culture/environment
• Chatu, Amini, Osama, & Fardoza
• Thunderous rainstorms
• Feeling like I lived up to the challenge of life as “the faranji” in Yabello
• Watching Nate flourish as a supervisor/field researcher
• Tibs chakala
• Mango/avocado juice “Express”
• Being able to step outside our gate and immediately access dozens of friends for Cora
• Scenes like this:

Things I am glad I learned in Ethiopia

• How to make “Grade A” chapatti
• Basic Afan Oromo language (when I didn’t really plan to)
• How to be really, really patient with kids who don’t speak my language
• How not to take some things personally – it’s nice to be able to blame the cultural difference sometimes
• If we ever live abroad again, I’m hiring someone else to do diapers and floors
• I can and will stand up for myself and Cora, even physically if necessary