What goes up...

So after a great first few days in Dar, I had my first bad day. And my, was it bad. But first, let's start with a re-cap of the weekend. The concert didn't happen so it ended up being really low key. Just lounging around reading, lots of talking at the beachfront pub next door, etc. The one major that thing happened this weekend was moving out of the hostel at Changanyikeni into my new house in Masaki. Masaki is an ex-pat area full of NGO workers and (at the moment) vacationers. I called a cab, threw my two bags in, and arrived 30 min later at my new place.

All of a sudden I was in a funk. The place didn't seem as great as it had a few days before, my friends didn't seem as close, and my loneliness seemed magnified. The first night I had a friend along so although I slept lightly I was mostly ok. The next night after she returned to the hostel my "funk" got worse. The room seemed dusty, grimy, and lonely. The house seemed empty, despite my 3 housemates. My housemates began to seem creepy instead of friendly and I despised the elitists ex-pats covering the town like a blanket of locusts.

Of course this made me wish I were at home and my eyes began brimming. For five seconds I let the negative thoughts flood in, let the doubt and fear and loneliness wash over me, then I shut it off. ( A technique adopted from the lead character "Jack" on ABC's LOST. lol) After five-seconds of an absolute break down (I'm talking body racking sobs, gasping, drooling, you name it) I pulled out a little note of encouragement written for me by a close friend, dried my eyes, and decided to reassess the situation. I've got food, clothing, and shelter. I'm in a great place, with wonderful weather, and friendly people. And most importantly, I'm going to be fine. I knew that it would be hard to convince myself that everything would be ok if I sat locked in my room crying all day, so I pulled open the shades, threw on a bright sundress, and called a few friends to hang out. Although the tears returned a few times throughout the day, getting out of the house definitely did the trick.

To add to the homesickness (or maybe b/c of the homesickness) I haven't been able to eat very much lately and I've been sleeping pretty lightly. It doesn't help that my stomach has been asking for McDonald's fries and Baja Fresh burritos. This morning I woke up feeling a lot better though.

On a happier note, today is MY FIRST DAY AT WORK. I'm actually at work right now. I've just been touring the buildings and reading background info on my project. I have, however, been informed that I will be leaving tomorrow for a three day trip to the field with two co-workers. lol. Thirty minutes on the job and I've been sent to the field already. lol. That should be an adventure since the area we're traveling to is very rural. wow. lol. I prob won't have access to the internet (much less a computer) while I'm out there so I'll tell you guys all about it when I get back.

Wish me luck in the field!!