Monkey See Monkey Do

That day when you are walking down a dirt road and 10 children up ahead are calling your name over and over (or a version of you name….”Kat,” pronounced like cat). Then when you reach them they cartwheel along side you while you walk, because a few weeks back you showed another volunteer how to cartwheel where someone could see (aka all of the children of the village were probably watching).

That feeling of joy way deep in your heart. The smile that never seems to leave your face; the one that makes your cheeks hurt because it’s been there so long. The moment your heart starts to beat just a little faster, and your face turns just a tad pink with enjoyment. That’s what I was experiencing at this exact moment. I couldn’t seem to keep that huge smile off my face because in this moment these children, again, made me feel truly at home.

These children have touched my heart everyday since I have arrived. Going from just giving me a thumbs up and saying “Bo,” to knowing my name and yelling, “Kaaatie, Kaaatie” as I walk to school in the morning. But today especially, they gave me a memory that I will always remember as one that made my face hurt because I was smiling too hard. Is that really a thing?...maybe only in Africa J

Feeling incredibly blessed.

#peacecorps