Torn Between Two Worlds

I’m back in Addis and have been here for less than 24 hours.  I love it here.  I can’t put my finger on what exactly it is, but stepping off the airplane into the cool night made me super excited.  Yes, I was shivering (I thought I left the cold!) but I was also ecstatic.  Addis really feels like home to me.

I thought I was going to dread being at school today with the jet lag and a full schedule (Virtues all day!), but I was so so so happy to be there with my beautiful, wonderful, loving students.  I took a very deep 1 hour nap during lunch, but tried my best to get through the day and it turned out pretty alright.  I’m a trooper!

I can’t figure out where I would rather be - Ethiopia or the States.  I really miss high-speed internet (those two weeks were such a tease), one-stop shopping, my family and friends, and how easy basic living is in the United States.  But at the same time, I don’t miss those material things at all.  I am very happy here and I hope that after M1 (the first year of medical school), I will be able to come back to Ethiopia - or even a new African country (new for me) - for a medical service trip.

I feel like my heart is torn between two worlds.  My world of service, low-stress, and love…and my world of family, high-speed internet, competition, and microwaves.  I know that when I leave in July I will probably cry; I hope that I will never forget these memories and the wonderful people I have met and learned from here in Ethiopia.  This is truly an amazing experience and, if I could turn down medical school all over again, I would do so without hesitation.  Here’s to the next 6 months in my beloved temporary homeland.