A Birthday Surprise

The Linguere family threw me the most beautifully thought-out party for my 26th birthday last Friday. I spent my golden birthday last year in the village, so my one request this year was that I'd spend my birthday with friends out of site. Since I have a habit of planning things, Team Linguere decided that they'd organize a full day party for me in Dakar. I knew that they were planning something, but they kept the details a secret. I was so touched by the incredible day they came up with, and so relieved to not have to do any work to make it happen. I could learn to live with people leading me around from one fun activity to the next.

First, we had a picnic lunch of five kinds of cheese, vegetables, fruit, nutella, bread, and wine at Dakar's Parc de Hann. I can't believe I'd never been to the park before. It was beautiful! It has a zoo, a lake, trails for running or biking, etc. It has to be one of Dakar's best kept secrets, at least among Peace Corps volunteers.






After stuffing ourselves and walking around to digest, we went to a hotel on the water for sundown drinks. Team Linguere also arranged to have an ice cream cake served at the hotel.





After eating, drinking, and eating some more, we returned to the PC transit house to rest a bit and get ready for the night out. We made a last minute decision to skip dinner, because we couldn't have stuffed any more food in our stomachs if we wanted to. Instead, we went to Just 4 U, a restaurant with live music, for more drinks.



We ended the night in true Dakar fashion at 3 a.m. with Lebanese fast food.

I felt so lucky to be able to spend my birthday with my Linguere family this year. One of the great surprises of my Peace Corps service has been how attached I've grown to so many of my fellow volunteers, especially my region-mates. These people are my friends, my second family, my colleagues, and my support system all rolled into one. They have seen me at my best and my worst, and they know all my quirks and flaws, and yet they continue to love and support me.

When I signed up for the Peace Corps, I expected to spend two years in near isolation from other Americans, focusing on building strong relationships with Senegalese. And while I have forged many important friendships with my Senegalese neighbors over the past two years, my friendships with other PCVs have been at least as significant to me. I had no idea how much I would rely on other Americans going in. But much like my birthday party, it's been a series of pleasant surprises.