Dear Family and Friends,

I can hardly believe we are half-way through the third month of 2025. My Peace Corps service will be coming to a close in less than six months! Events, weather patterns, the blossoming of certain plants that I think of happening yesterday, I realize happened a year ago. What a blessing to have been somewhere long enough to be baffled by the year cycling around again. I am working on a “bucket list” of what I want to do here before I leave.

I have some exciting news for future plans. I have accepted an offer from University of Virginia for their doctorate program in History! After years of puzzling over places, people, and connections during my travels, I am heading back to the library and the archives to piece it all together. I look forward to being in an academic community and working on long term projects again. And, of course, I’m happy to know I’ll be a little closer to many of the people I love. (That said, I don’t know the area at all, so if you have knowledge of or connections in Charlottesville, please let me know! Zorro and I will need to live somewhere and make some friends). 

After Zorro’s escapade a couple weeks ago, we have been taking walks every morning and evening, and he stays at the house otherwise. He has adapted surprisingly quickly to the new lifestyle — although I think he would love to run and hunt with other dogs sometimes. I am quite enjoying having my day framed by these walks too. Walking through the fields and bush allows me to pay special attention to the trees, the birds, the sounds. I find myself stretching my ability to orient myself as I try out new little paths around my house. Nearly two years in, and there’s still so much to discover here. In addition to improving my own attention, it’s fascinating to watch how Zorro observes and engages with the world. His nose moves in a hundred different ways as he takes on a scent. He spots people and animals long before I do. He uses his paws, nose, and mouth to investigate. And all that observation makes him clearly so happy. 

Our school garden is carrying along well. Some over zealous watering has led the nursery beds to be less fruitful than we hoped. But we’ll do a bit of transplanting this week and try for a couple new seedling rows in the nursery. With upcoming exams, the school’s cultural week, and my own travel, I feel like I have hardly anytime left at the school. But my goal is to continue the garden, try a neem leaf insecticide, and start a tree nursery. 

In my own garden, I was able to transplant some tomato seedlings yesterday. And there’s a whole little cluster of new basil seedlings starting. If nothing else, I’ll have some good sauce for my pasta. 

I’ve started a new writing project. Through an organization called Reach the World, I’ve been matched with a fourth and fifth grade class in the U.S. I’m sharing my experience as a traveler with them. I have written two articles for them so far and it’s been fun to stretch my writing muscles in new ways. The website is public so you can take a look if you’d like! For any of my friends working in education, it seems like a great program so far. I think it’s fairly open for educators to just apply to be matched with a traveler. 

Otherwise, life here is fairly simple these days. I spend my mornings fetching water, gardening, walking with Zorro, cooking, and maybe reading or writing. Sometimes there’s meetings and events in the morning too, of course. It’s so blazing hot in the middle of the day that I take a solid nap after lunch. Then, on school days, its off to school followed by visiting some friends along the route home. The ceremony season has just finished so work will pick up pace again soon. Two nights ago we had our first big rain storm. I forgot just how powerful they can be — ripping up trees and roofs. But, the next morning, it felt good to have some fresh air and have the dust blown off enough to see my favorite mountain again. It will be a while yet until the rains are consistent. But once they are, I will be distributing my sweet-potato vines and green bean seeds again. 

There is much to look forward to in the coming months. I am sure it will fly by far too quickly.

I hope you are all well!

Love from Togo,

J