"Home."

Back in Sheffield. Apologies for the delay in writing. It's been a strange week of feeling jet lagged (even though there's only an hour difference between here and SL) and culture shocked. It's always weird when nothing at all has changed in the place you left, and it makes the time spent in a crazy environment acclimating to all sorts of crazy things feel like it never happened. You all know how I feel about Sheffield too, so needless to say it's especially difficult leaving Africa for a place I've found it so difficult to love. But having said that, I've had a few thoughts about blessings this year.

1. In the flurry of trying to get tickets, a visa, and a a place to live last September, I decided to ignore location and take whatever I could get. This is funny because all the places I was looking at (with location in mind) would've actually been on the wrong end of town from where I've ended up spending most of my academic time, and the house I live in is a reasonable 13-minute walk from my department, part of it through a big, quiet park. 

2. My house may be in the ghetto, and people may get mugged routinely on my street, but I continue to love my big loft bedroom. I can leave the windows open day and night, do yoga in the mornings, study, dry clothes up here; it is a little oasis of calm from the chaos of outside/next door/downstairs.  

3. A few months ago, I vented frustrations about the ever-unreliable UK education system switching things up yet again and giving me an entirely new dissertation supervisor starting this month. This turned out to be one of the most positive negatives, since my new supervisor is a very relaxed, thoughtful woman, who asks wise questions, listens carefully, and has broken down the writing process really well. She also gave me the thumbs up on going to Finland the last week of August (since she'll be away in Greece anyway), which is so so so so so great.

4. My amazing little old laptop just keeps going, and going, and going. It is four years old, but with a bit of Ben's magic touch at Christmastime, it is running faster now than ever before. It got hauled to work and back everyday in SL, dealt with ants, dust, and humidity, and was the only computer we had to input data with. It has been getting sub-par 'adapter power' for a year now, but has been acutely aware of how completely lost I would be if it died. Thanks, little Toshi. 

5. The Grind Cafe. In a town full of pubs, bars, liquor stores, more pubs, and the occasional chain coffee shop, I discovered a completely unique, bright, artsy little cafe a 10-minute walk from my house. They play Bob Dylan, make healthy food, and give me half-price sandwiches at closing time. I foresee the majority of the next month of writing being spent in this place.

A few photos from the last hectic day in Freetown...

An interview with the lovely Memuna at the Marie Stopes clinic.
On the way there it was downpouring; I got so soaked I was literally wringing
water out of my pants during the interview. Professional as always. 

Can't get enough of this ad. 

Dreadlocks Saloon... out of business for quite a while now. 

The Restless Development team. 

Our favourite member of staff, the janitor, Sinay,
who brought us sweet tea every morning. 

Goodbye, Freetown. 

Dad, this is the ferry I almost took to get to the airport.
Tickets were only $1. Kind of glad we stuck with the $4 option..

Airport dinner. Cucumber and leftover peanut pasta from a bag. 

First meal back in Sheffield.