Bonte

Today has made me feel like this trip was worth making, because next steps are becoming clearer as I talk to more people. This is a complex system, with obstacles galore (some of which are not readily apparent), so my work is cut out for me. But finding allies and a sense of direction with this work feels pretty great.

Tomorrow I am going on a roadtrip, and will be reunited with one of the people I feel closest to in this country. He is a truly kind soul, and just because he already knew my father, he went way out of his way on my last trip to welcome me, and treated me like family. When I called him today to let him know I would be coming, he sounded overjoyed, and kept repeating, "I am waiting for you! I am waiting for you!"

Ah to bring back some of the warmth of interactions here to my chilly New England city. When I got home last time, I found myself smiling and acknowledging each passerby on the street, and it seriously weirded people out. True, it is nice to not have people stare and shout "blan" (white person) when I walk through my city, but it would be nice if everyone at home didn't work quite so hard to ignore everyone around them. Prepare yourself New England, for I am on a mission to make you a friendlier place.