Insomnia

21 July

Insomnia

I can't sleep so ya'll get a journal entry – one I've been meaning to
write for a while now, but hadn't gotten around to yet.
It's funny how Edinburgh has become the place I consider 'home'. My
parents' house in California will always be home in a family sense, but
Edinburgh is home for me, my friends, the start of my independence and
my career.
It rained today, huge rivers from the sky for nearly 3 hours (a pretty
normal occurrence in southern Togo between May and July) but there's an
extra element of cool wind here in Mission Tove that brought my
thoughts right to Eidnburgh.
One of my last days in Edinburgh I decided to climb Arthur's Seat
again. It was January so the weather was even more bleak than normal.
The rain started just as I was heading up the hill and by the time I
got to the top I was soaked by the rain pelting me horizontally on both
sides. I felt like I was in the ocean, with the crests of two waves
colliding on the top of a lone rock. It was fantastic. Just the way I
wanted my last Arthur's Seat visit to be – wet, slippery, dirty and
exhilarating.
Feeling that wind yesterday throwing fat droplets at my face, filling
the gutters to overflowing and pounding on the tin roof obliterating
all other sound – well, it felt like Edinburgh.
Dude I miss you guys (all my buddies in Auld Reekie) so it's been
really fantastic to find two other volunteers who make me feel at home
Edinburgh-style.
There's a married couple here, L & I. They met at college while taking
ballroom dance lessons. I is a lawyer who specialises in environmental
law and L most recently worked for a State Park tourist bureau (or
something similar- must ask him again) They spend road trips reading
Harry Potter aloud to each other. L used to have long hair, he only cut
it because Peace Corps advised him to do so. He still has a nicely
trimmed moustache and goatee. I, for her part, loves dying her hair
wacky colors, although developed an antipathy for purple after ending
up with purple streaks down her face for a week after the last attempt.
Have you guessed yet why they remind me of Edinburgh?
Oh yes... and they are roleplayers.
Huzzah
Primarily of the D&D type, but I've already passed them my copy of Best
Friends by the illustrious Gregor and now we're just waiting to recruit
a couple more people to have us some good ol' gamin' fun. Yeehaw.

Book: I am so bored right now I'm reduced to reading PC protocol in the
hope it will put me to sleep
Music: mosquitos buzzing and crickets chirping