Overall the trip was great and I had a fabulous time. However, there were 4 days when we went "up-country" that I did not fare as well as I hoped I would. Well 2 of the days I was ok, but 2 of them were down-right miserable. When we were in JangJan Bureh I had two serious breakdowns that forced me into a personal timeout so I didn't completely lose it in front of the students.
There are a few things you should know about me: I hate being in situations where there is no escape, I hate sweating for no reason, and I hate bugs.
I mean, it's not that I'm some giant girly girl that can't hack it when times get rough. But this place was just beastly. First, there was no electricity. And I don't mean, parts of the camp had no electricity, or that we ran on generators. I literally mean Little House on the Prairie NO ELECTRICITY. No A/C, no fans, no lights, nada.
Now, I didn't have a thermometer, but I would say that the temps were between 95 and 100. Now, it gets that hot in Indiana, but we have electricity. And A/C. And places I can go to remove myself from the hellish heat. But at JangJan Bureh I was trapped. There was absolutely no where I could go and nothing I could do to make myself cool down. The thought of being paralyzed with no options was almost as bad as the situation itself. Hi, my name is Control Freak.
The camp was made up of little mud huts with low roofs that seemed intent on making a bad situation worse. The heat got trapped in the huts and wouldn't leave. This made the 95-100 degrees seem like heaven. It was probably 110 degrees in the hut. And like the story of my life, my hut was the absolute farthest hut on the property away from the river. So even if there were the smallest breeze, it would never get to me in a million years. The last night we were there is rained for a short bit (early rainy season) and I was hoping it had cooled off my hut even just a tiny bit...but no. It was still a billion degrees.
The entire time I was at JangJan Bureh I didn't stop sweating. Like I said, I hate sweating for no reason. If I'm working out? Or working in a hot, sweaty Nigerian clinic and I know that when I'm done I get to go back to my hotel with crisp A/C? Totally can hack it. When I'm laying in my hut trying to sleep and sweat is just pouring out of me and soaking my bed? Absolutely not.
Everyone was hot and everyone was taking a million showers a day to try and cool off. Of course, story of my life, my shower didn't work properly. It was barely a trickle. By the time the water hit my feet my hair would be almost dry. I think someone could have spit on me and it would have been more refreshing. However, I gritted my teeth and tried to bear it. BUT, I actually had to pack up my stuff and take a shower in a student's room because my shower just stopped working at one point. Turned it on, nothing came out. Again, this is the story of my life.
In general there are just way too many bugs on the planet. There are even more in Africa. And I think the amount of bugs in The Gambia is just criminal. I have always thought of mosquitos as being my mortal enemy #1, but the flies in The Gambia gave the mosquitos a run for their money. Now combine both unbearable amounts of mosquitos and flies with the above-mentioned lack of electricity and stifling heat. I wanted to die. I actually thought that I might. And this is how I came to have two near-nervous breakdowns on the trip.
Luckily I am not a complete baby and was able to realize that I was at my breaking point and was able to remove myself from the general group and have my pity party by myself (or by myself with Ange on the phone). I mean, pretty much everyone was miserable, but I try to at least keep a positive outlook for the sake of the students. Students in general are weak and whiny, but in reality, they are very, very resilient. They will make it through just fine and then have all these revisionist memories about how awesome it was. So as the leaders our job is to make them get through it with the best attitude possible. Emil is much better at this than me. This is something I have to work on. In general I can do this, but when I'm suffering it's realllllly hard for me to pretend to be positive.
Of the entire trip I'd have to say this was the biggest disappointment for me personally. I feel like I did a pretty good job for a first-timer, but looking back at it I am saddened that I wasn't hardier during the four days up-country. Saddened, but realistically, looking back at it, I don't know that I could have done any better given what I went into it with. In the future if I were to do it I think I could hack it a little better. I would do some serious investing in some battery operated fans. Even the slightest breeze would have made the world of difference. And really, there was nothing to do in JangJan Bureh which made it even harder. It's one thing to be hot and busy, but it's totally another to be hot and bored. I think one day would have sufficed. The only problem with that plan is that it's way the hell out in the middle of nowhere. So logistically one night would be difficult.
The biggest realization that I had on the trip is that I would not be as awesome of a Survivor player as I had once thought I would...
There are a few things you should know about me: I hate being in situations where there is no escape, I hate sweating for no reason, and I hate bugs.
I mean, it's not that I'm some giant girly girl that can't hack it when times get rough. But this place was just beastly. First, there was no electricity. And I don't mean, parts of the camp had no electricity, or that we ran on generators. I literally mean Little House on the Prairie NO ELECTRICITY. No A/C, no fans, no lights, nada.
Now, I didn't have a thermometer, but I would say that the temps were between 95 and 100. Now, it gets that hot in Indiana, but we have electricity. And A/C. And places I can go to remove myself from the hellish heat. But at JangJan Bureh I was trapped. There was absolutely no where I could go and nothing I could do to make myself cool down. The thought of being paralyzed with no options was almost as bad as the situation itself. Hi, my name is Control Freak.
The camp was made up of little mud huts with low roofs that seemed intent on making a bad situation worse. The heat got trapped in the huts and wouldn't leave. This made the 95-100 degrees seem like heaven. It was probably 110 degrees in the hut. And like the story of my life, my hut was the absolute farthest hut on the property away from the river. So even if there were the smallest breeze, it would never get to me in a million years. The last night we were there is rained for a short bit (early rainy season) and I was hoping it had cooled off my hut even just a tiny bit...but no. It was still a billion degrees.
The entire time I was at JangJan Bureh I didn't stop sweating. Like I said, I hate sweating for no reason. If I'm working out? Or working in a hot, sweaty Nigerian clinic and I know that when I'm done I get to go back to my hotel with crisp A/C? Totally can hack it. When I'm laying in my hut trying to sleep and sweat is just pouring out of me and soaking my bed? Absolutely not.
Everyone was hot and everyone was taking a million showers a day to try and cool off. Of course, story of my life, my shower didn't work properly. It was barely a trickle. By the time the water hit my feet my hair would be almost dry. I think someone could have spit on me and it would have been more refreshing. However, I gritted my teeth and tried to bear it. BUT, I actually had to pack up my stuff and take a shower in a student's room because my shower just stopped working at one point. Turned it on, nothing came out. Again, this is the story of my life.
In general there are just way too many bugs on the planet. There are even more in Africa. And I think the amount of bugs in The Gambia is just criminal. I have always thought of mosquitos as being my mortal enemy #1, but the flies in The Gambia gave the mosquitos a run for their money. Now combine both unbearable amounts of mosquitos and flies with the above-mentioned lack of electricity and stifling heat. I wanted to die. I actually thought that I might. And this is how I came to have two near-nervous breakdowns on the trip.
Luckily I am not a complete baby and was able to realize that I was at my breaking point and was able to remove myself from the general group and have my pity party by myself (or by myself with Ange on the phone). I mean, pretty much everyone was miserable, but I try to at least keep a positive outlook for the sake of the students. Students in general are weak and whiny, but in reality, they are very, very resilient. They will make it through just fine and then have all these revisionist memories about how awesome it was. So as the leaders our job is to make them get through it with the best attitude possible. Emil is much better at this than me. This is something I have to work on. In general I can do this, but when I'm suffering it's realllllly hard for me to pretend to be positive.
Of the entire trip I'd have to say this was the biggest disappointment for me personally. I feel like I did a pretty good job for a first-timer, but looking back at it I am saddened that I wasn't hardier during the four days up-country. Saddened, but realistically, looking back at it, I don't know that I could have done any better given what I went into it with. In the future if I were to do it I think I could hack it a little better. I would do some serious investing in some battery operated fans. Even the slightest breeze would have made the world of difference. And really, there was nothing to do in JangJan Bureh which made it even harder. It's one thing to be hot and busy, but it's totally another to be hot and bored. I think one day would have sufficed. The only problem with that plan is that it's way the hell out in the middle of nowhere. So logistically one night would be difficult.
The biggest realization that I had on the trip is that I would not be as awesome of a Survivor player as I had once thought I would...
2 comments:
Well, I think you'd be an awesome Survivor player because it's not just about surviving, but it's about working with other people and that's what you're really good at!
I nearly freaked out just listening to your story the other night and reading it here was almost too much. Heck, I can't even EAT outside under normal conditions. :)
But yeah, I think it's perfectly ok to have to pull yourself back together a few times under those conditions.
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