Winds of Change

"The only way to make sense out of change is to

plunge into it, move with it, and join the dance."

~Alan Watts

Five months ago today I arrived in Togo. Wow, time has just flown by. I know I haven’t blogged in a while....very busy days in Kpalime. This is the last week of classes for the first trimester at school, so all my students are preparing for their exams next week, called the “compo.” These exams are not written by the teachers, but by the local education administrators of the Togolese government. I really hope my students do well.

I got some very sad news over the weekend. My dog, Lily, back home in Washington, passed away on Sunday. Lily was almost 17 years old. I know it was her time to go.....most dogs don’t even live that long, but it was still hard to hear the news. I was only six years old when we got Lily. She has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. When I was young, I talked to my dogs like they were people, like my best friends. Before I left in July, I made sure to say my final goodbyes, realizing that she wouldn’t make it to age 19, but it still didn’t make this Sunday's news any easier.

On a lighter note, the Harmattan season has officially begun. My school’s secretary, Nafi, explained to me that Harmattan lasts from mid-December to about the beginning of February. During this time winds blow from the Sahara desert south over West Africa to the ocean. This brings dry, dusty conditions to the northern parts of Western Sub Saharan Africa. In Kpalime the dust in the air is hardy noticeable. When you look up in the sky, it seems just a little bit fuzzier than normal, but it is still clear enough to see the stars at night. The only real difference I’ve noticed is an increase in the wind. It’s not intense or anything like the wind storms we get back home in the winter, though. The average high temperature in Kpalime is usually in the mid 90s every day with about 80% humidity. The breeze doesn’t change this too much during the day, but at night it is a little cooler. It’s been amusing to see my students wearing sweaters and sweatshirts, and listen to them complain about being COLD in the morning. 

So I have been thinking a lot about change these days, with the arrival of the Harmattan, my students facing school exams, and losing my dear Lily.

Life's about changing, good or bad, nothing ever stays the same...but life goes on.