Days Like This
They told me there would be days like this.
Days when you were up sick the whole night before, and your internet access becomes slim to none, and the meeting you were preparing for gets cancelled after you muster all your strength to make it in to the office, and you fall off your bike on the way home.
What they didn’t say is that you have good friends, with indoor toilets, who welcome you to stay when you’re throwing up, and your colleague happily volunteers to take your internet stick to Lilongwe with him to get it fixed, and your parents call out of the blue just when you want to talk to them the most, and your host family detects your scrapes and insists on warm water and a soft cloth to wipe them off, and your 10 year old niece is extra protective and helpful and sweet because she knows you’re not feeling great.
And so you go to sleep with a smile, knowing that despite the highs and the lows, everything is going to be just fine.
Update: 02/09/10 – Thanks everyone for all the kind words and good thoughts. I’m definitely feeling all better, and really didn’t mean for this to be a draw on all your sympathies, (although its been really great hearing from everyone!) but rather a demonstration of the ups and downs that come with living in a developing country and the importance of friends and family. Thanks for reading, al
Lyss Into Malawi 
Awww I hope that you feel better soon if not already! I’m thinking about you 🙂 I hope that the new year has started off well and that this year is a year of great success and finding joy in life!
Love Hannah
Sending hugs alyssa! Hope you’re feeling better, keep that chin up, you are awesome and we’re thinking about you and there for you!!!
hug hug hug
katie 🙂
Alyssa! Hope you feeling better! This was an amazing post………….You are part of something special, you are special! 🙂
All the best in the world. We thinking about you here
Alyssa – we are sending our love to you from Canada – hoping you feel better soon and being amazed everyday at how strong you are:)
Love you lots
Andrew, Kelly , Griffin and Brady!!!!
Hope you are feeling better! Our problem here is snow and trying to get to work. (on time)
Just a matter of location what problems we are dealing with.
Love from Aunt Gloria
Oh Alyssa, so sorry to hear that you are (hopefully “were”)feeling so rotten. THis is when home can seem too far away.Certainly hope that the worst is past. As you so poignantly point out there is always something to be grateful for in the midst of a down time. Have enjoyed reading your insightful mailings – appreciate being educated. Take care. Peace and blessings
Linda Maw
We had the flu too. It was awful! We have slowly returned to normal. We sincerely hope you are feeling better and we are so glad you have that many amazing people around you. Keep your chin up!
Alyssa – by now you are probably well on the road to recovery. Is there anything else that could have gone wrong! Good for you keeping that postive and opimistic spirit with all of that nasty stuff going on at the same time. You are doing great things over there. Take care and all the best – Carol & Wally
Hi Alyssa!
Hope you are feeling better too 😦 and glad that everyone is taking care of you. I owe you a big email and will send it soon I promise. Sending hugs from me, Jay and Prince :).