Between moving on campus, my parents' move to Cambodia, and now my temporary move here, the concept of "home" has been a bit confusing over the past few years, so I use the term fairly loosely. But as I spend more time here, I find many of my surroundings becoming familiar and comfortable, rather than confusing and foreign, like they were at first.
For me, building relationships is a key to feeling "at home" in a new place. It's nice to know people and, in turn, to be known and recognized, isn't it? To walk into a place and have someone familiar come up and greet you and ask how you have been? As I get into my regular routine, there are a few key people who I am fortunate to spend time with each week and experience such familiarity with--like my French tutors, my language partners, and many of the clinic staff members.
The women in the social services office are some of my favorites. On Monday afternoons, I usually go to their office for a couple of hours, help with small tasks like filing, and practice my French. This past Monday, it was a pretty slow afternoon, so I got some time to talk to Fatou. She asked me if, after my nine months are up and I leave, I am going to come back here to Ivory Coast. I told her I don't know, and that it is sad [to think about not knowing whether I will return here again]. And I really meant it. Ivory Coast is becoming so special to me, and I know that it will be sad to leave in June. Fatou agreed, and simply reminded me, "Dieu est grand" (God is great). And that simple, yet faithful statement stuck in my head as I walked home.
Later that evening I wrote in my journal, "I can feel this place slowly starting to creep into my heart, little by little." Every little moment like the one I had with Fatou, I feel just a little bit more connected and a little bit more at home.
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