Writing a letter to me

On Aug. 22 of last year, Peace Corps had me write a letter to myself. They planned to return that letter to me in a year's time. Here, my friends, is the content of that letter:

"Hey, future Blythe,

I hope you have left your hut every day since you moved in. Keep in mind that you're here to DO SOMETHING but that you won't always know or see what you've done. I bet you've read 50 books by now, at least. Remember that you wanted to keep reading public health journal articles? How's that working out for you? No time like the present to start, am I right?

Give my best to Jack. Remember that he's here for you -- he rearranged his whole life around your plans. That's pretty special.

Think of who your friends are. Who's your best friend in (your village)? How did you meet him or her? What goals do you still have that you haven't met?

Keep in mind that 20 years from now, you won't remember the days you spent alone in your hut. You'll remember the days you spent out and about in (your village), meeting people and working with them. I hope the clinic staff is supportive, and I hope you've been able to work with the schools.

When you're having a hard time, remember "A League of Their Own": "It's supposed to be hard. If it were easy, everyone would do it." That is 100 percent true of Peace Corps. One hundred percent.

Keep fighting the good fight, girl.

XO,
B"

This letter made me smile. A lot of volunteers said their letters made them sad or disappointed. Many had listed accomplishments they'd hoped to achieve by the time a year came to pass. I don't think I had any special insight at the time, but I remember trying to keep in mind the advice I received about expectations: Try to avoid having any. A year in, I can name my best friend in town and how I met her. The clinic staff HAS been supportive. It IS awesome that Jack's here. And, yes, I've slacked off in reading public health journal articles.

Do I know myself, or what?

I will note that my "A League of Their Own" quote is slightly off, but I was working from memory. Sue me.

That said, I think the letter was all right. And I suppose it's even better that it didn't make me feel like a schlub -- at least not any more than usual.

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It's come to my attention that maybe I should write a bit more about my parents' visit.

Highlights:

- They stayed at a hotel near the Joburg airport and had no problems (aside from an expected wake-up call that never came). No one was kidnapped or stabbed. Success from the beginning! AND they had to leave their luggage at the aiport overnight, and it was safe! No one could believe that. H/T to Delta on that one, I think.

- We stayed at a place called Notten's Bush Camp outside Kruger in the Sabi Sand Reserve. It's not *technically* Kruger, but it had come highly recommended. It was expensive but worth it. The food was absolutely amazing, and the staff was top-notch. The overall experience was just incredible. It doesn't hurt that all drinks were included. First and only time I'll see Papa T with a fancy Scotch? Only time will tell.

- The place we stayed in St. Lucia, Parker Cottages, also was amazing. We knew this from experience. It's run by a fantastic guy, and every room they have is lovely. Totally recommend it if you ever find your way to the eastern coast of South Africa.

- On my homestead, Babe again went through a couple of costume changes to show the fam different traditional Swazi apparel. He and my parents were able to talk cows and corn. We shot a lot of photos, and my parents were able to see how I live. I think they walked away feeling more comfortable about my safety.

- We went to the Swazi cultural village, which was a real hit. Jack was called up to learn the dance with the ladies, which was awesome. Mama T has threatened to send the footage to the KU alumni magazine. I, of course, fully support this plan.

I wouldn't say there were any lowlights, if that's a thing, but I did almost get charged by a warthog. It was outside my parents' room at Notten's, and I was trying to sneak around it to call them to come outside and look. The hog knew I was there the whole time. This was apparently not enough reassurance, though, so at one point it turned and took a few fast and scary steps my way. Jack caught it on video, so I'm hoping he can post it soon. You will also note that he backs away quickly. Oh, my knight in shining armor.

Just kidding. I probably would not jump in front of a charging warthog for him, either.

The whole thing was kind of amazing.

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In hut news, my bats have breached the perimeter and actually entered the hut. We're trying to figure out a solution to this problem, but it turns out it's not easy to humanely remove bats. And when they're in the ceiling, you don't just want to kill 'em and let 'em rot up there. So ... we'll see how we go. They might outlast me in the hut.

Salani kahle!

Parents' visit!

Hey, team America,

My parents visited, and it was lovely! We went to Kruger in South Africa and to St. Lucia, where weather foiled us in our attempt to see whales. BUT we saw some awesome animals and had a grand time.

We stayed three nights in Kruger, two of which we spent at an amazing all-inclusive spot. We went on four game drives. On the last one, we saw a leopard (which my dad spotted down the road) and a male lion. We also saw a fair number of baby animals, including two baby rhinos. Check out the mad photo action below.