Time Flies!

5/14/15  It has been a while since I posted.  I think I am getting lazy about this whole blogging thing.  The biggest thing that comes to my mind is how time flies.  It has been a whole year since I arrived at site, and fifteen months since I landed in Ethiopia.  It has been an amazing year.  I have met great people, both habesha, and forenji.  I have met people who I will call friends for the rest of my life.  And I have seen things, both good and bad, that will forever be a part of me.  Looking forward to the year ahead I am worried that it is going to go TOO fast.  I have so much to do, so many things to see, and people who I want to work with.  In the next few months I hope to do two bee and honey training sessions, work more with the GAD committee, train both G12, and G13 on different subjects, have a mini-camp this summer in my town, improve the communities existing projects, continue my work with the bees, and have at least one bio-intensive garden training session.  I also have ideas for working on nutrition, oral rehydration solutions, sanitation, and about a dozen things that don't pop into my head at just this time.  On top of that my vacation in America is quickly approaching!  About once a day I get all excited about having the sand between my toes, sitting on a beach, with a drink in my hand and I get soo excited...Oh, and seeing family; that is what I really think of first...no really. 
We are all about to leave Addis.  G10 has been here for Mid-service conference and it has been amazing seeing everyone and, between sessions, trying to catch up.  It has been a week and a half of being stabbed by doctors, eating the buffet at the Sheraton hotel (the best food I have had in the last year), and sitting through sometimes great and sometimes terrible sessions.  I have a taxi taking me to the bus station tomorrow at 5:30AM.  Then it will be nine months until I get to see all these amazing people at one time again.  I have been saying all week how I wanted to leave early to go back to site.  I consider it one of my great accomplishments that I now consider Gassera home, and I am home sick.  That being said I am truly sad to have to be saying goodbye. 
Going forward I am preparing myself.  I have made a list of goals for myself.  Things like smiling at people more, taking it less personally when people call me forenji, and being more forceful in order to get people to help me with projects which are high on my list.  I also have a list of projects I want to accomplish before I leave.  On top of that, I am planning on having a horse within the next two weeks.  I know, I know; I have been saying that for a year.  I have even earned myself a line in the AG wheels on the bus song "the Trey on the bus, still no horse, still no horse."  I swear though, it is going to happen!  Also I just got my chickens; I ordered them about four months, and of course they choose to bring them the week that I am in training.  But, I am excited to become a chicken farmer.  All of this, and all within the constricts of travelling to Addis every two to three weeks until it is time for my vacation.  So here is too the next year, and my future sanity!
Miss you all everyday, and can't wait to be back for a whole MONTH!