Forcing Myself to Fulfill My New Year's Resolution....
It’s 2007!! I can’t seem to get used to that. Time is flying by! I hope everyone had a very eventful New Year’s Eve and started this year off right! I, being the complete lame-o I’ve become, was naturally in my pjs and reading by 9pm (In my defense, there wasn’t anything going on and no one around who actually celebrates the holiday). If it weren’t for my family, in very festive spirits, calling me when the “ball dropped” here in Senegal, I wouldn’t have even remembered it was NYE! But, I decided to make a New Year’s resolution that actually meant something…
Each Peace Corps. volunteer is issued a pretty sweet trek mountain bike; I guess you could say it’s one of the “perks” of service. I actually wouldn’t really know if they are sweet, but all the outdoorsy people in my group seem to think they are, and knowing nothing about anything outdoorsy I’ll take their word for it. After swearing-in we were all given tons of fancy bike equipment and all that good stuff, and while everyone crowded around trying to control their excitement and get everything, I went in the volunteer lounge and took a nap (lets just say, my relationship with the bike was doomed from the start). I really had no intention of ever riding it. The roads in town are crazy and I’d rather have just walked than risk being hit by a swerving taxi, charette (a chariot-ish contraption), or moto. Unfortunately, never riding my bike just wasn’t in the cards for me.
A couple of weeks ago, I received a call from the person in charge of the Peace Corps. Senegal “Emergency Action Plan” informing me that in the emergency phone list I am before someone that doesn’t have cell phone service. This means that during our emergency drills, and in any case of actual emergency, I will have to hop on my trusty bike and ride the 10k out to her village. Aside from the fact that I had absolutely zero idea where her village is located, I came to realize I was totally terrified of having to ride my bike. Any time I thought about it, I imagined myself wiping out in the middle of no where, or in front of a bunch of people calling me toubob, and wanting to die.
Long story short, after an unnamed person (Mom) brought to my attention that it was pretty ridiculous that I wouldn’t be afraid to move to Africa for two years but I’d be afraid to ride my bike, I decided to stop being a wussy. My New Year’s resolution was to suck it up and get on the bike.
Well folks, today I made the 20k trip to my neighbor’s village and back. It was a bit scary as first, but it turned out to be an awesome experience. I’ve been here for a month and a half and it was my first time getting out of town! My neighbor road out with me, I got to see her village, and then I road back alone. It was such a relaxing experience and Tamba is so beautiful when you get outside of town! I’ll be sure to bring my camera next time I make the trip. Riding through the winding village road, I felt like it was out of the Peace Corps. brochure for prospective volunteers.
Needless to say, I am terribly out of shape and trying to get home before it got dark was sort of a bitch. Although it’s quite funny how riding alone in the middle of a desert while it’s starting to get dark will give you energy to peddle faster than you ever thought you could. There was a point when I started to get a bit nervous about being alone in the middle of no where, and then I passed a village that had set up a car battery with their stereo to blast Sean Paul and Snoop Dogg. I had to laugh, only in Senegal! Today was a good day and the whole riding my bike thing didn’t turn out too bad.
I’ll definitely be hurting tomorrow though….
Each Peace Corps. volunteer is issued a pretty sweet trek mountain bike; I guess you could say it’s one of the “perks” of service. I actually wouldn’t really know if they are sweet, but all the outdoorsy people in my group seem to think they are, and knowing nothing about anything outdoorsy I’ll take their word for it. After swearing-in we were all given tons of fancy bike equipment and all that good stuff, and while everyone crowded around trying to control their excitement and get everything, I went in the volunteer lounge and took a nap (lets just say, my relationship with the bike was doomed from the start). I really had no intention of ever riding it. The roads in town are crazy and I’d rather have just walked than risk being hit by a swerving taxi, charette (a chariot-ish contraption), or moto. Unfortunately, never riding my bike just wasn’t in the cards for me.
A couple of weeks ago, I received a call from the person in charge of the Peace Corps. Senegal “Emergency Action Plan” informing me that in the emergency phone list I am before someone that doesn’t have cell phone service. This means that during our emergency drills, and in any case of actual emergency, I will have to hop on my trusty bike and ride the 10k out to her village. Aside from the fact that I had absolutely zero idea where her village is located, I came to realize I was totally terrified of having to ride my bike. Any time I thought about it, I imagined myself wiping out in the middle of no where, or in front of a bunch of people calling me toubob, and wanting to die.
Long story short, after an unnamed person (Mom) brought to my attention that it was pretty ridiculous that I wouldn’t be afraid to move to Africa for two years but I’d be afraid to ride my bike, I decided to stop being a wussy. My New Year’s resolution was to suck it up and get on the bike.
Well folks, today I made the 20k trip to my neighbor’s village and back. It was a bit scary as first, but it turned out to be an awesome experience. I’ve been here for a month and a half and it was my first time getting out of town! My neighbor road out with me, I got to see her village, and then I road back alone. It was such a relaxing experience and Tamba is so beautiful when you get outside of town! I’ll be sure to bring my camera next time I make the trip. Riding through the winding village road, I felt like it was out of the Peace Corps. brochure for prospective volunteers.
Needless to say, I am terribly out of shape and trying to get home before it got dark was sort of a bitch. Although it’s quite funny how riding alone in the middle of a desert while it’s starting to get dark will give you energy to peddle faster than you ever thought you could. There was a point when I started to get a bit nervous about being alone in the middle of no where, and then I passed a village that had set up a car battery with their stereo to blast Sean Paul and Snoop Dogg. I had to laugh, only in Senegal! Today was a good day and the whole riding my bike thing didn’t turn out too bad.
I’ll definitely be hurting tomorrow though….
posted by Ashleigh | 7:38 AM
4 Comments:
Bravo Ash. It's about time.
excellent! sounds like a fun adventure...use that bike to tour the area!!! but no getting stuck in a dark desert, ok?
-Amo
Ashleigh,
Do you carry anything to protect yourself from wild animals or people
for that matter? Have fun, but take
every precaution. love ya, aunt Cleo
ash you are awesome
oxo
Misa
Post a Comment
<< Home