I know my written word has stirred up plenty of images, as if you accompanied me to Malawi and back, right? But on the fat chance (lol) that in the digital age of over-sharing pictures are still worth near a thousand words, I have put together a digital album. This involved being highly selective- I reduced some two thousand collected photos down to a manageable 180.
Oh relax- I didn't take all these by myself. I've curated a collection taken by me, my parents, and a friend or 2 in the country. Of note, Emily was useless. She contributed maybe seventeen photos to the mix though I'll admit they're of rather high quality. Literally: a pattern has emerged in that the photos Emily took on my camera are clocking in at double the megapixels that mine are. It must be that cameras are made for righties. I promise I won't be a surgeon.
It's hard to believe I've been home for almost a week, though harder to believe a week ago at this time I was sound asleep in Lilongwe. Naturally, as healthy as I was for my summer in Africa since home I have juggled some upper respiratory viral shenanigan caught from one of my parents as well as general body pains (a neat little symptom en vogue in Malawi that means a smattering of things- in my case, stomach discomfort). I don't think I have malaria or TB or even a fever but my mother's requesting I see a doctor. When you return home from Africa you're supposed to see a doctor, she instructed. There's absolutely no way I'm going to go to a doctor this week, I responded. End conversation. I'm fine.
To comment on my general mood: Aside from the occasional moments during which I blatantly and spontaneously and haphazardly forget that I'm now a calmer and more collected person, I've been pretty chill. I'm patient, I think, and have more or less been going with the flow. Easier, of course, when the flow involves sleeping eating reading and watching tv, but they say you have to start somewhere. When the grouchiness surfaces (and I'd say it does maybe 1.5 times/day), I've been trying very hard to redirect myself. I've tried apologizing and neverminding and rephrasing and I truly think it's achieved the desired effect. They still say fake it until you make it: I think just acting relaxed relaxes me, and by that I mean that I've always felt that what we say on the outside affects how we feel on the inside. Three tries and this still is not making sense? Take one for the team and just get on with it.
Alright: I'm clearly still enjoying writing (doubly more than I'm enjoying my residency application). Is it ok for me to continue on this blog even if I'm not in Malawi? Hashtag denial frown? I guess it's probably fine to write here a little longer because I have an inkling writing will cease when rotations restart anyway, and further I'll probably be commenting on Malawi for at least another handful of months.
Ok, c'est tout. Deep breaths.
R
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