Black is Back!

Friends, Romans, Countrymen (and women) I have returned! Returned to the blogosphere, returned to school, returned to Dakar. Where have I been, you might ask? Well, I’ve been here and there. It feels like almost everywhere.

I recently took the time to look back over my blog posts and realized that if you didn’t know me better you might think I spent the last year touring Europe. It doesn’t look like we ever did finish the ‘When in Rome’ series. Consider this the Reader’s Digest version: Basically we spent our last day in Venice wandering. We rode the vaparetto up and down the Grand Canal. We ate in the sun at a gorgeous outdoor pizzeria, and we saw Dame Judi Dench. On the way back to Rome our train broke down forcing us to wait on the station platform, exposed to the elements, until arrangements were made for another one. Our 4-hour window shrunk to 1-hour and we found ourselves running through Termini station like mad women, arriving just in time for our airport transfer. We caught our flight, without incident, and made it home safe and sound. The End.

The last quarter seemed to fly by. I enjoyed a visit from my mom and our friend Denise who made a side trip to Dakar on their way to Europe. I played tour guide and introduced them to a few of my favourite sights and restaurants in the city. They survived the insanity of Dakar traffic, though a little worse for wear. I stayed a few nights with them at a beautiful oceanfront hotel where we were treated like royalty. It was a mini-vacation for me and propelled me into the frenzy known as ‘the end of the school year.’

The last couple of weeks of school were a blur. I know that one of my highlights was teaching a unit on ancient Rome. Yes, I am a “true” teacher. What can I say? My recent vacation and some of the neat resources I had found in Rome and Pompeii inspired me. The kids seemed to be equally engaged. I even introduced them to Rick Steves.

The school celebrated its 50th Anniversary the last weekend of school. There was a plethora of activities commemorating staff, students and ministry at DA over the years. Visitors flew in from as far as Australia, and beyond, to be a part of the festivities. We enjoyed fireworks and cake at the closing ceremony only hours before I flew to North America. It made me feel a bit like a celebrity; attending the Academy Awards and then being whisked away to catch a red-eye flight to my waiting public.

Within an hour or two of landing in Washington, DC I found myself at Camden Yards watching the Orioles take on the Jays. I celebrated the beginning of summer with my team as they celebrated a win on the road. For those inquisitive minds out there, my first meal in North America was chicken tenders and fries at the game, followed by cheesecake at the Cheesecake Factory. Regrettably, the first cheesecake of the summer became the first tragedy of the summer when I forgot my leftovers in the hotel fridge.

The summer itself was a whirlwind of excitement and I loved every minute of it. My tight schedule continued to support my illusion of celebrity status with back-to-back lunches, dinners, coffee dates, and movie nights with friends. In addition to seeing friends and family some highlights included; visiting my previous school for a day and attending grade 8 graduation, 10 days in Newfoundland with my grandparents and a road trip home with my 2 favourite guys, a St. Jacobs day-trip, specially planned book club and small group meetings, and a 7-day vacation in Vegas with the girls.

My packed schedule kept me from thinking much about Senegal, but before I knew it I was back in the heat and humidity of Dakar. Though I must say, when you sweat here, in Africa, you know you're in good company. You also know you're in Africa when you go to bed and it feels like you're sleeping in a sandbox or, when you find yourself hunting lizards during a power outage...but those are stories for another day.

Keep checking in, pictures and posts coming soon to a blog near you.