MY FIRST CARE PACKAGE

Well, it finally happened!  I finally got a care package!  My amazing girl friends from JMU sent me a birthday package....which amazingly arrived the day before my birthday.  Sadly, our mail gets checked rarely so I wasn't notified that I had a package for weeks and then I had to go in person to collect the goods.  Why, you ask?  Because 'gifts are dutiable' (unless they're gifts for the government).  Confused?  Well, essentially they can tax me for importing goods, even if they are gifts!

I got to the post office and when they showed me my package (they wouldbn't actually give it to me), they informed me that if the cost of the goods + cost of shipping exceeded 20,000MK (~$120) I'd have to pay duty something in the ballpark of ~40%.  Outraged, I begged them just to tax the contents in the box and not the cost of shipping itself (which was $65).  I didn't even have enough cash on me to pay the 40% tax!  I explained that people never write the actual amount on customs forms and that the best way to evaluate the value of the good was to open the package up and look for themselves.  (I also begged and pleased a little bit, "Please don't make me pay for my own birthday present!")

Brilliantly, my friend had used CANDY as packing peanuts!  So when they opened it up I was able to convince them the entire thing was actually for Halloween and that it was just candy.   Seriously, way to go SAC!!!

BRILLIANT PACKING!

Honestly, if they made me pay for the contents, I would have.  I guess I get it.  But the shipping?  Come on man, that's ridiculous.  So for all of you other folks who are just dying to send me care packages (which is probably one of you, hi mom), make sure the contents + shipping are under $120.

When I got home, I emptied the box to find this at the bottom....which also explained the half eaten snickers I found.  Oh well, minor setback :-)

hundreds of tiny ants and some remnants from a mouse or two

so the candy all got a quick rinse!

HUGE thanks to all of the JMU girls for extending my birthday by several weeks!  The velveeta mac and cheese was consumed almost immediately but I have a feeling the candy will last ages.... or at least another week!

A year in the life....

I’ve just relayed our conversation to my EVP who is actually going to be in DC next Thursday, 26th, and wondered if you could meet with him.  Unfortunately, he’s literally booked back to back from 7am that day, but if you’d be willing to meet him at 6am at his hotel (TBD, but somewhere in central DC), he’d be glad to meet you then.

I should have known from that point on that this year would be a crazy one.  An interview...at 6am!?

I've been reflecting a lot recently - I've just had another birthday and my one year anniversary in Malawi is now upon us.  It's funny to think back to the day I got my offer because after the entire recruiting process (5 rounds of interviews!?) I got the offer and.... I hesitated.  Did I really want to pick up and move again...to Africa?  Did I really want to leave my family and friends...again... for a job I wasn't even sure I'd like?  I thought it would be so clear cut - you get the job, you go.  Done. 

But it just wasn't that simple. 

I wasn't very happy in DC but the risk of the unknown was almost enough to deter me from coming here.  Thinking back, I'm just so fortunate to have had such an amazing support system in my life to listen to me flip flop a thousand times and ultimately decide that I did indeed want to give this a shot.  I can't imagine how difficult it was for my parents, "No honey, we're reeeeeaaally excited for you to move thousands of miles away from us.  AGAIN." 

Right.  Sure you were :-)

Looking back one year later, I know for a fact I made the right decision.  My life has changed a lot in the last year, and it's quite possible that I have too, but I don't regret it for an instant.  I decided to commemorate my year here with a compilation of Facebook status updates from the past year (you know, trying to be all tech savvy/social networky and whatnot).  


cat's out of the bag..... I'M MOVING TO AFRICA!
September 22, 2010 at 2:00am

"To Do" list five miles long

Thanks for all of the birthday wishes! Crazy weekend but I'm all packed up and en route to Boston.....peace out, DC!
October 10, 2010 at 6:02pm via mobile

i wish i could post the video of them singing.....

needs some good book recommendations.....long flights ahead!
October 14, 2010 at 3:36pm


Ready or not, here I go!
October 18, 2010 at 10:12am via mobile

with some of my cousins the day before i left

one of the plus sides of being in a place with no hot water and regular blackouts - being able to cross the border to watch the sunset in Zambia.......
November 1, 2010 at 11:32pm

randomly stopped to buy mangoes on the side of the road in central Malawi. look carefully at this woman's t-shirt. what are the chances!?!
November 17, 2010 at 10:30pm

woke up in a remote village without electricity or running water for the 2nd day in a row. Although I won't be having a real thanksgiving celebration tonight, I'm thankful to be back in Lilongwe with some basic amenities!!! Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!
November 25, 2010 at 4:46pm

Conference call by candlelight - not as romantic as you'd think!

beginning the long trip home! lilongwe - addis - rome - dc - boston......nyc
December 18, 2010 at 11:57am


forgot how much i love being woken up at 5am. oh malawi, how i've missed you.
January 5 at 7:24am

having meetings all weekend is made only slightly better by the fact that said meetings are in south africa......
January 28 at 9:58am

"Generally, as the Rooster and Rabbit are not very compatible with each other, you can expect a little difficulty for the Rooster this year." Excellent, just what I like to hear!  Gung Hay Fat Choi everyone! (I still expect some lai see in the mail... even though they'll take months to get here!)
February 3 at 3:00pm


on a conference call at work...no screens on the windows so I'm trying to hide from the mosquitoes by sitting in complete darkness....it's creepy.... really really creepy!
February 7 at 5:45pm

is going gorilla trekking with MS tomorrow! Let's hope we return with all of our limbs!!
February 17 at 9:55pm

what an amazing experience! this little baby gorilla was only 16 days old...and clearly the most precious thing EVER!
February 18 at 7:08pm

is off to Swaziland for a few days!!
March 16 at 7:39am

won my first rat race tonight. you know, like a horse race but with rats......
March 20 at 12:46am

Just waited for over an hour in a petrol queue for $8/gal gasoline.... So all you folks complaining about $4/gal in the US can shut your pie hole!
April 8 at 3:37pm via mobile

My roommate T took this photo yesterday (you can see cars ALLLLL the way down this road) as the city has been dry for over a week

lots and lots of jerry cans....

all these status updates about the Boston Marathon is making me miss home. Happy Patriot's Day!
April 18 at 6:19pm

Oh how time flies! Lilongwe From Home: the 6 month mark...
April 20 at 12:15am


Just crossed the border into Mozambique....think we'll make it to Mozambique Island by.....sunrise?????
April 21 at 5:42pm via mobile

NOPE!  From this point, the trip took another 24 hours to get to our destination....

but we made it...and we had a great time!

Anyone in LLW want lemons? I think we have one or two to spare!
April 30 at 3:25pm via mobile

A night camping at the lake is just what this week needed....
May 13 at 5:19pm via mobile

Camping at Senga Bay

and later visiting Salima

...and Nkhata Bay

...and Monkey Bay

After all of these times transiting THROUGH Addis Ababa, I am finally stopping for a visit. Can't wait to see LK!
May 15 at 8:12pm

Will be in NYC in 24 hours!!!!!
May 20 at 12:49pm via mobile

in NYC with MWH

at my bro's graduation

GO SOX!

 Off to charlottesville for the long-awaited wedding of AP and MJ!!!
May 27 at 4:40pm

the bride with the JMU gymnastics team

and then some quality time with the JMU girls

beginning the long journey back to Lilongwe....hoping i don't get robbed again in Johannesburg!!!!
June 5 at 10:08am

Waking up in the middle of the night to watch the B's win the Stanley Cup....totally worth it!! Yeah B's!!!
June 16 at 5:28am

At 2am I thought limbo was a fantastic idea...today I am regretting that decision...
June 19 at 10:18am via mobile


is forcing the lilongwe crew to celebrate America today....(jello shots and water balloons may, or may not, be included).
July 3 at 1:13pm

Turns out petrol was the least of my worries....at the clinic with my dad...
July 15 at 4:09pm via mobile

petrol was still a concern though, love the $13 black market stuff!

which allowed us to get to Nkhotakota! (well, that and the fact that Dad turned out to be A-OK!)

Manuka Fashion Show!
July 31 at 9:50pm

after many years of bachelorette parties, apparently it's about time for my very first 'hen do'...celebrating EA's last weekend as a single lady!
September 10 at 5:10pm

hen do at the full moon party

and the beautiful wedding at Pumulani, of course!

New keychain... And quite possibly my new most prized possession! Love those Ls and Rs!
September 18 at 9:57am via mobile

Bikini + sunscreen + gin sachets + plenty of black market petrol = LAKE OF STARS!!!
September 30 at 5:44pm via mobile

my victorious canoe race

A sincere thank you for all of the birthday love! Special thanks to my amazing team of party planner extraordinaires and everyone who came out to help celebrate my 30th in person! It was great fun...until, in true Malawian fashion, the power went out!! :-)
October 10 at 11:35am

recognize that cake?

amazing roommates!

Since those silly status updates didn't capture everything, here are some other things that kept us busy:

we had a scavenger hunt

Our roommate T hosted a Passover Seder

we randomly got to see Organised Family perform while on a field visit

We ran a 5k

There was some political tension 1 | 2 |3

I made a quilt

we saw a lunar eclipse

we got dolled up and attended a benefit dinner

I traveled all over the country

my volleyball team celebrated a HUGE victory!

we rescued (and ultimately probably killed) a tiny kitten.  RIP Bubs

And finally, I (barely) survived my first leaving season which, as many of you know, I DESPISED.  We had to say goodbye to:

this guy

this guy (don't worry, we didn't blow his head off with a cannon)

this guy

and this guy.

One year ago today, I first set foot in Malawi.  Part of me feels like I've been here for ages, and part of me feels like my old life in DC was just a blink away.  Crazy how this so-called-time thing works.  When I arrived I thought I'd be here for one year.  Now, one year in, I'm simply not ready to leave.  I'm looking forward to seeing what the next 6 months have in store!!