So I've got a pretty bad cold, and I've been running a fever all day. I stayed home from school today, and I've been working on taking care of myself. I homemade chicken noodle soup last night, and I've been really intentional about eating lots of sick-friendly foods. I bought vitamin C tabs and I've been drinking hot liquids all week. One of the janitors at my school told me to juice many limes, heat the juice with honey and drink it hot. A friend who's lived here for the past two years (though is originally from Minnesota) told me to add cayenne pepper to this mix. This home remedy definitely clears out your sinuses and the honey is great for the throat. Still, despite my best efforts, I seem to be getting worse instead of better. Taking care of myself is exhausting. I am always mentally exhausted from so much learning, but the time intensive process of making soup, constantly making tea, and cleaning up after myself is physically exhausting. I am not so sick that I want my mommy, or anyone else for that matter, to come take care of me. But I am sick enough to wish for the comforts of the U.S.: I would love canned soup. I would love the convenience of honey that I can squirt out of a bear rather than spoon out of a jar. I would love a couch to lay on (my apartment does not have a living room, and therefore no couch or even upholstered chair). I would love a sweatshirt and a pair of slippers I didn't bring for lack of room in my suitcase. I would love a bathtub and hot water.
Still, I know that this experience is shaping me. This is why I'm here. Life is messy and uncomfortable at times, and I am definitely living down here. I have never been more aware of how alive I am. I have never been more conscious about the need to be intentional with my time and my actions. I have never been more aware of the direct relationship between that which makes me uncomfortable and the lesson I am learning from the experience. This experience is such a gift. This is why I'm here.
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