Double Rainbow.

It's rainy season right now in Togo, which means that almost every
day, like clockwork, the ominous gray clouds come rolling in from the
south to release copious amounts of precipitation. On most days, I
hang out with my cat and nap at home, staring at the mountains from my
back porch. Most of my time is spent reading or watching episodes of
Glee or hanging out with volunteers as they pass through my town, but
on the days that it rains, everything slows down to a crawl. This
change of pace can even be sensed among the hurried grande marché,
which is usually bustling with activity in the towns' center. A few
days ago, as the rain was beginning to subside in the late afternoon,
I decided to take a walk. The sun was beginning to set so the sky was
a rich golden hue that can only be described as warm honey, and
everything smelled clean (which is a rarity for this country, trust
me.) As I started walking down my road, I glanced over my shoulder and
saw one of the most magnificent sights I've witnessed since coming to
this country – a full double rainbow. I physically laughed out loud at
the sight, and ran back inside my house to get my camera. It's on days
like these, as cliché as it sounds, that I really felt connected to
this place. I have only seen a double rainbow once before, and it was
in a park in Plano by the house I grew up in. I still remember trying
to get my mom to come with me to try and find the pot of gold at the
end of it (give me a break, I was a young and impressionable 7 year
old.) A lot of things about this experience in Togo have been
difficult and trying, but it's nice to feel that there is still, and
always will be, beauty everywhere you look.

According to many volunteers, the month of September is one of the
slowest months at post. It's right before school starts and being
during the rainy seasons means that many people are out working the
fields, planting and harvesting crops for the coming months of
Harmatan, the "dry" season. Aside from my usual daily activities of
reading, studying, watching movies, and cooking, I have been slowly
building a contact list of possible work partners in my city. Being in
a large, centrally located city, the majority of my work will be
operational and technical related tasks with NGOs, but I am also
hoping to spend time working in a few of the local hospitals. My Peace
Corps assignment is Community Health, so I also plan on riding my bike
to some of the smaller surrounding villages to do presentations on
different health topics and to also help with baby weighing.
Sometimes, just being here feels like work, but I'm learning more and
more everyday and while I still feel like a stranger every time I walk
outside, I feel like I'm slowly beginning to integrate into my
immediate community. As they say, slow and steady wins the race. That
has become my new mantra.

Still in good health and spirits, but I miss everyone at home very
much. Thank you for your continued love and support! I'm hoping to try
and upload some pictures that I've taken before the end of the month.

Love love.