Coming From America

I really enjoyed my time in America. I was able to see a lot of friends because they had come home for the holidays as well as a lot of my family and my extended family. I was able to travel to Arizona and spend Christmas with my family there, then for New Years I celebrated with a few college friends in Washington D.C. and between Arizona and D.C. I hung out with other close friends. I had a lot of fun. Still, it was pretty bizarre coming to America. The country that people in Togo talk about in a way that makes it seem like the promised land.

So immediately when I got off the plane I noticed how clean everything was. There were no black plastic bags littering the ground where I walked. Anyway, here is a list of some of the things I found strange after living and working for a year and a half in an impoverished West African country:

• General cleanliness of…well everything…the roads, stores, me
  
• How expensive everything was…for a dollar one can eat a really good lunch here in Togo
  
• There were no pot holes in the roads
  
• Even in the late evening there were people walking around and stores and restaurants were still open
  
• Faucets…and how when you turn it on there is hot and cold water
  
• Very hot showers
  
• Really just running water
  
• The internet was so fast
  
• Everyone was talking on their phone
  
• No one commented on whiteness
  
• Not including my friends and family, people passing by were pretty unfriendly
  
• Bartenders, waiters and waitresses were very friendly
  
• Speaking in English
  
• Outlets didn't spark when I plugged something in
  
• Etc…
  

It was weird the things I found weird. I never expected I would appreciate outlets that didn't spark or being able to drink water straight from the tap. I also didn't know how much I missed Adjengré and my house. I realized that I really have made this my home. I am missing my friends and family and fast internet of course, but it is good to be back.