heading back...

this'll be my last post from ethiopia...since i'm leaving tomorrow! amazing how fast a month can fly by, although i have to say i'm ready to go home. maybe that's my limit in foreign places these days, around a month. for a variety of reasons, i've decided not to extend my stay here, and will be back in d.c. by friday!



it's been a whirlwind last week, but i finally got outside the city for a little bit! went hiking at mt. zuquallah -- an extinct volcano -- with a bunch of friends, about 45 km from addis...and let me tell you, the altitude kicked my butt! now i know i'm not the most in-shape person in the world, but it's not even that my legs were tired, just that i couldn't breathe!! had to stop about every five minutes to prevent myself from having a heart attack! our incentive to keep going was the pepsi stand at the top of the mountain, that and the monastery and crater lake. the view from the peak was beautiful and extends for miles...and it was nice to see a bit of greenery amidst the dry plains.

then the country director for iri got here on thursday, so it's been back-to-back meetings and administrative matters since then. have handed everything over to her so i'm breathing a big sigh of relief that it's all over and i'm no longer responsible for anything here! today will be spent packing and relaxing...maybe a chance to finally use the pool here, which i haven't yet done. apparently there is an abundance of natural hot springs in ethiopia, and the pool water here is hot spring water. hopefully it'll soak away all the stress of the past few weeks....

so it's off to rome for a few days, maybe i'll catch a glimpse of the pope from his hospital window....heehee. then landing at dulles fri afternoon, will probably spend the weekend in d.c. and then head back to north carolina on sun. i promise once i get home i'll send pictures and respond to emails individually! you'll also be able to reach me on my cell phone: 919-946-7777. can't wait to see people and catch up in person!!