I recently went home for the first time since I moved to West Africa in January of 2014, 2.5 years ago. I wasn’t sure what to expect and actually wrote a blog post in anticipation of it, expressing my anxieties which I was so self conscious about offending people with, I later took it down from my blog. It’s no secret that going stateside is a source of very mixed feelings for me. Just as it is for many expats. As I sit here jet lagged at 4 am with no internet I decided it was time to write. In the past year I have blogged less than any other period since I began writing about my experiences abroad. A major factor in that is I have been pursuing a masters degree and it has been one of the most stressful, anxiety ridden periods of my life. With that said it has also been invaluable experience. The school I work for has invested in me and I am truly thankful for those who believed in me enough to give me the opportunity to better myself as an educator and expand my education and credentials. In the past year my priorities have shifted significantly. Not only did I get married and start a family of (fur babies) my own, but it has become clear to me what I want in life and more importantly what I don’t. Travel is in my blood. I get antsy easily and thrive on chaos. It’s not exactly a secret at this point. Everyones journey is different and mine just happens to be one that requires as many passport stamps as possible.
One of the first things we did when we got to Oregon was take a day trip to the Oregon Coast. while on the beach we met some lovely ladies partaking in a bachelorette party. They were curious about our life in Africa and we got to talking. One of them asked me what it is I missed most about living in the developed world, and the word “freedom” spilled out. It’s funny how such a seemingly casual conversation had such a profound impact on my ability to articulate my perspective. Living here is very much like being in a goldfish bowl. I am aware that I often miss being able to go sit in a park or a coffee shop or take a long walk, which is something I savor when I travel, but at this moment it really hit me. Freedom. I am not just talking about shopping and hiking and cafes. In many places in the world freedom is not a given. Nor is it a choice. As a westerner entitlement is a given. Freedom of speech, freedom to vote, freedom to vaccinate, there are so many freedoms we take for granted. In no way am I implying the systems are perfect, all countries have their flaws and certainly America is no exception.
There are countless examples I could use, but for purposes of current events let’s talk about the election. America is more divided right now than it has been since most people living can recall. The prospect of the possible outcomes of our upcoming election has potential to be a pivotal moment in America’s history. Experiencing this from the outside looking in, and being stateside during the RNC and DNC, incited some inner rage, but also put many things into perspective. As dysfunctional and divided as America is at the moment, there is the added perspective of having just experienced a West Africa election for the first time. Here in Niger, there was an election in February. It was the second “successful” Democratic election in the history of Niger since it gained its independence in the 60’s from France. I use the word democratic loosely. In short, there were 16 different candidates running against the incumbent. One of which ran his entire campaign from prison. In the months leading up to the election there was tension and a supposed Coup attempt, which was never proved. In the end a second vote was set for March, which proved to be irrelevant due to the opposition having to be evacuated to France due to his declining health from his time in prison. There are other theories about how this all went down, but for purposes of publishing information and heresy publicly if you would like more information to make up your own mind on the subject you can access plenty of news articles about the elections with a simple google search. My point here is not to demean Niger, but rather to give some context and perspective to issues that people face throughout the world. Corruption and politics go hand in hand, that’s just the world we live in.
Over the course of the last year I like to think I have grown and changed in ways that I am proud of. I feel proud of the life that I lead. I am not lucky, I have worked hard and I have created this life for myself. I make a lot of mistakes and I am only human. There is a lot happening in the world right now. My own opinion is that things haven’t really changed that much, we are just more aware and issues that people have always faced throughout the world are making their way onto Western soil. As the beginning of the school year commences here in Niamey I am hopeful. I am looking forward to what the next year will bring. Although I am disappointed I did not get to spend as much time as I wanted with the people I value most in this world while I was stateside, I know that the foundations of those relationships are strong enough to hold strong until the next time our paths cross. As we grow older our priorities change. People enter different stages in their lives and with that relationships either hold strong or fade away. I am seeing that clearer as time goes on, and beginning to understand how my behaviors impact my life and the environment I create for myself is based on those I choose to surround myself with, or not. 