happy holidays

so a majority of the year, this country is unbearably hot. like, consistent sweating, you don't pee more than once a day because your body is trying so hard to cool off, sticky, gross hot. now the weather is cooling down considerably, so much so that at the beginning of december i started sleeping inside. just in time for the holiday season, all of the volunteers are reconvening in nouakchott, the capital, for a little christmas celebration at our country director's house. what does that mean? that means christmas eve on the beach.
soft, light sand. beach as far as you can see, and deep blue ocean. hundreds of beautifully colored fishing boats lined on the shore. hundreds of thousands of shells washed up. sun. water so shockingly cold and waves taller than most of us. salt sticking on the corners of your lips, and drying little patterns on your skin when you return to lie in the sun. skipping rocks over the surface of the troughs. listening to music, playing frisbee, napping.
most of the time this experience is hard, challenging, frustrating and rewarding. and then sometimes it's just beautiful. just amazingly breathtaking and wonderful.
so while this is, for me and many of my fellow volunteers, the first christmas away from home, it is also unlike anything i've ever done. when you are opening up presents or singing carols know that i am missing you, and that i am laying on the beach thinking of you.