The things I'll miss

I'm lucky to experience Africa in rainy season. It's not dry, my heels aren't cracked and everything is a different shade of green. It has been raining every day this week. And I've been too sick to enjoy it. My head is pounding, nose is running and throat is almost too sore to speak! 

The rain here is fabulous. If you know me, you know that I despise the rainy weather; It makes me miserable. But here the rain makes me feel so wonderful. It starts off as just a sprinkle and you have about 1 minute to collect your things and bring them inside before the downpour becomes heavy and intense. Apparently I haven't seen the heaviest yet and I really hope I get to experience it while I'm here. I want to dance in it. I want to lie down on the basketball court and have a whole body experience of the rain coming at me from all directions. As it is, we can barely hear each other yelling over the heavy rain on our tin roof. 

The days are about 28*C, but the rainwater is quite cool. I've had to put a jumper on once or twice since being here. Most of the time I am sweating through my clothes, which is generally a maxi skirt and a t-shirt. 

I can't help but think about things I am going to miss about this place. I really should be just enjoying everything as it is in front of me but I am so sad about not having these moments forever. 

Things like singing to my nieces to sleep every night, listening to the type of birds that actually sing instead of tweet and chirp, watching Jummai cook, eating her delicious food- actually, I'm going to miss everything about Jummai. She is one of my favourite parts about Nigeria. I'll miss bedtime reading and puzzle books with Lollie, not necessarily talking or anything but the whole idea is that we were doing these things together. I'll miss the greetings, the Nigerian-English, the green and orange landscapes, the rain on the tin roof, picking and eating passionfruit the size of large oranges, the sense of real community, the modest fashion and cooking with a huge gas oven and stove! I'll even miss the reduced screen time and lack of power; the bucket baths we have to take when the hot water isn't working. The Nigerians in town calling "BATURI!" while trying to touch my white skin and standing out like a sore thumb. Ok so maybe I won't miss those last two things.. I certainly chose a bad time to be blonde. And even though I am fairly tanned to my standards, I could not be more white to these locals. 

Oh that turned out to be quite a long list of things I'll miss. I really do love it here. I wonder if I could have just as good an experience here without the comfort of my family. For now, I am grateful that I don't have to wonder.