A year ago today, the girls and I boarded a plane for Addis Ababa. Reading through my first few posts after we arrived, I remember how exciting it all was. Everything was new. The big things: the language, the culture, the religion, the food. And there were little things, like no street addresses, and the lack of certain cheeses, to contend with. There are people who really don’t like this city. I’ve heard them describe it as “death by a thousand cuts.” I understand that, because I do feel overwhelmed sometimes by the many little hardships of my everyday life. In general, this is a perfectly nice place to live. We have a lot going on here: good schools, entertainment, a huge expat community, great weather (most of the year). But there are downsides. The traffic here keeps me a little bit isolated. This morning, for example, I tried to go to yoga class. An hour into my drive, I was barely out of my neighborhood. I turned around and went back home. (Experiences like that are frustrating, but certainly not limited to Addis.) On the bright side, when I got home Charley offered me a private yoga lesson. It wasn’t half bad.
The past year has been challenging, but in a good way. I feel like I can take on just about anything now. I also feel like I need a good long nap. On that note, I am going to bed. But first, some photos from today:
