From Beans to Beantown

So I’m officially announcing it here now: I’m moving to Boston. For at least three months, I’ll be an intern at a non-profit organization that is associated with the Catholic Social Worker movement. I’ll be cooking, working as an administrative assistant, and living in the community there. The political beliefs of the founders are a bit radical for my tastes, but I can stand behind their goal of helping others by providing food, housing, and emotional support and I think it will be a fascinating and fulfilling time.

This change in plans gives me about six weeks left in Ethiopia. In this time I plan on doing some amazing things: hitting a number of the items on my “Ethiopian Bucket List” if you will. I’ll try to keep updating this blog with my “adventures”.
As for now, this is my last day of work before I leave for Awassa, a lake town in Southern Ethiopia, for a few days’ Easter Break. I’m hoping to see a hippo!

I’ve been enjoying my time living on campus. I don’t have a maid here (a fact that my neighbors, even the poorer ones, don’t understand) so my day starts with collecting water at 6:30 in the morning and ends with the last round of dishes at 8:00 at night. Things like sorting rice and finding containers for grain storage take longer than expected but are amusing. I like knowing that all of the little details of my place: the sunny smells of the rug, the lousy taste of the beans, are my fault and responsibility. I’ve learned to like the quiet and the work of the upkeep. I think I’ll miss it.

Anyway, I’ve never been to Boston before but it sounds like as good a place as any to re-adjust to American life and I’m looking forward to living in community again. And of course, I’ll start another blog.