I have Returned from the Beach!!!

Hello everyone,
I have returned from my site and I am so pleasantly surprised. I will start from the beginning I took an eight hour bus ride through the mountains to Essouira. Essa is so cool it has pizza and french fries and a beach and beer! Our first night we hung out on the beach next to the castle in the sand where Jimi and Bob Marley used to hang out.

Then it was off to my site which is nessled between Argan trees and mountains. There are not mud huts but not houses either something in between. My host family has a 1, 2, and 3 year olds living there and my host mom is younger than me. She cant be any older than 22 and has three young children. I guess my first family planning lesson will begin at home. I also have a host dad and his sister, mom, and grandma live with us. It is a full household but for the most part I really like them. The kids are a blessing and an annoyance. The 2 year old reminds me of what Nikki looked like when she was little. When ever her crying gets to me I just pretend it is my little Nikki crying and I need to be patient.

My nurse at the Sbitar (hospital) told me that I would be catching a baby within my first month of service. By this he meant I would be helping with the births. I will admit this made me a little nervous but I am up for the challenge. I went to the Sbitar on Wednesday for vaccination day and got to give a 15 day old baby polio medicine and vitamin D stuff. My nurse is very willing to let me have a hands on experience.

I went on a six hour hike with a medicinal plant cooperative. This means a bunch of women who hike up to the mountains to collect thyme and wild oregano. During this hike we hiked up to a cell phone tower to have lunch with the man that lives in this tower to make sure we always have service. The hike was intense and amazing the only thing I could think of was that I wanted to bring all my friends to this beautiful place. I would download pictures but it takes hours and I dont know how to do it. I promise I will figure it out within the next couple of days.

I have a new address: Emmy Josefson
BP 54
Smimou, 44050
Morocco
Essouira Province

The only bad thing about my site is that I have flees in my bed and they have done a great job at attacking me. I need to figure out how to defeat this problem the only ideas i have so far is having someone send me a flee collar? If any of you out there are experts on this issue please inform me because I hate trying to sleep while I can feel bugs bouncing all over my skin.

I love my new site and I am so happy the people are nice.

I love you all and will be in contact soon.
Love
Emmy