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Observations and Adventures

Final Post - Thank You, Fulbright

Jul 15, 2022 I’ve been struggling to write this post for a while. Coming back from Fulbright was somehow simultaneously hectic and...

wassa123

Jul 14, 20222 min read

Teaching Chronicles

Teaching Chronicles - Small Moments

Kids are funny. Here are things they've done to make me laugh or think. I've also added things they seem to like and things they hate...

wassa123

Jul 14, 20225 min read

Africa and Sustainability

I didn’t get to write as much about sustainability and climate change as I wanted to. Fairly early on, I gave up on doing research...

The Five Most Important Things for a Fulbrighter in Côte d’Ivoire

wassa123

Jun 29, 20222 min read

The Five Most Important Things for a Fulbrighter in Côte d’Ivoire

Here are five things I wish I kept in mind during my Fulbright Your resources are often out of sight It's really easy to feel like there...

wassa123

Jun 29, 20223 min read

Shopping and Abidjan

This is literally a general shopping guide for future Fulbrighters/CDI visitors! Food: Casino or Carrefour: the typical Western-style...

wassa123

Jun 29, 20225 min read

Les Cascades de Man

From my very first week here, my students, colleagues, and friends would constantly tell me about one of Côte d’Ivoire’s greatest natural...

Quotable Quotes Week 37 On: What Got You Here Won’t Get You There

wassa123

Jun 7, 20221 min read

Quotable Quotes Week 37 On: What Got You Here Won’t Get You There

"Sometimes closure is not good for you" "Miss Wassa, you are the wife of Pop Smoke" "She may not be a witch, but she’s the messenger"...

wassa123

May 26, 20225 min read

Final ETA Reflection

It’s been a little over a week since I taught my final class and left LCA... It’s bizarre to know I’m in my final two weeks and that I...

wassa123

May 19, 20222 min read

Observations and Adventures

Hear From Other Côte D'Ivoire ETAs!

I am not the only person in my cohort keeping a blog! Here are the links and descriptions for some of my friends here in Côte d'Ivoire...

What it Means to Live and Not Die for a Movement

wassa123

May 1, 20228 min read

What it Means to Live and Not Die for a Movement

Looking in the mirror and not recognizing yourself is a deeply jarring experience. During a late-night study session in my senior year of...

Returning to Myself: Senegal, Solo Trips, and Inner Child Work

wassa123

May 1, 20225 min read

Observations and Adventures

Returning to Myself: Senegal, Solo Trips, and Inner Child Work

For better or for worse, TikTok, Twitter, and other popular online platforms have decided that mental health buzzwords are the newest...

wassa123

May 1, 20224 min read

Senegal - Rose, Bud, Thorn

Three weeks of unexpected vacation in April spelled one thing: ~travel~ Though I tried to intentionally plan an explore Abidjan...

Quotable Quotes Weeks 32 - 34:Speaking Truth in the Face of Oppression is the Greatest Form of Jihad

wassa123

Apr 28, 20221 min read

Quotable Quotes Weeks 32 - 34:Speaking Truth in the Face of Oppression is the Greatest Form of Jihad

Week 34: "Speaking truth in the face of oppression is the greatest form of Jihad" "If we are to take seriously that oppressive policing...

wassa123

Apr 21, 20225 min read

House Hunting Part Two

In my original blog post, I mentioned that finding housing in Abidjan is not for the weak. Eight months in and I have to say that...

The Grand Mosque of Plateaux - Explore Abidjan Challenge

wassa123

Apr 17, 20222 min read

The Grand Mosque of Plateaux - Explore Abidjan Challenge

This post is a part of a week-long Explore Abidjan challenge where my roommate and I aimed to go to all of the local places on our bucket...

St. Paul’s Cathedral - Abidjan Explore Challenge

wassa123

Apr 17, 20222 min read

St. Paul’s Cathedral - Abidjan Explore Challenge

This post is a part of a week-long Explore Abidjan challenge where my roommate and I aimed to go to all of the local places on our bucket...

Quotable Quotes Week 29 - 31: A Dream Can be a Distraction Just as Easily as it Can be a Goal

wassa123

Apr 8, 20221 min read

Quotable Quotes Week 29 - 31: A Dream Can be a Distraction Just as Easily as it Can be a Goal

Week 31: "You’d be a good wife but you’re difficult" "Wait, you have a boyfriend? I wanted to marry you!!! Can your boyfriend fight??"...

Quotable Quotes Weeks 26 - 28: Suffering is Overrated

wassa123

Mar 22, 20221 min read

Quotable Quotes Weeks 26 - 28: Suffering is Overrated

clearly, I've been busy. here are some top quotes from the past month Week 28: "Suffering is overrated" “We can have hot girl syndrome...

Happy International Women's Day - Celebrating 1949Books

wassa123

Mar 8, 20222 min read

Happy International Women's Day - Celebrating 1949Books

It is such a rare and beautiful gift to stumble upon a place that represents your love and passion. An organization or community that...

wassa123

Mar 5, 20222 min read

Minor Lessons Learned Three Months In:

sorry, this has been sitting in my drafts for months now Know your local pharmacy. This isn’t just for medical things; many taxi drivers...

The Mid-Grant Doldrums - An Email Exchange with a Mentor

wassa123

Mar 5, 202210 min read

The Mid-Grant Doldrums - An Email Exchange with a Mentor

In addition to my journal and this blog, I’ve found my emails with mentors as helpful snapshots of my experience here. In this exchange,...

A Day in My Life as a Fulbrighter, Six Months In

wassa123

Feb 26, 20223 min read

A Day in My Life as a Fulbrighter, Six Months In

Typical Weekday: 6:10: alarm goes off. Snooze. 6:20: alarm goes off. Snooze..... Upstairs neighbor’s 6:30 alarm goes off. Get up, make...

wassa123

Feb 26, 20223 min read

Language Acquisition and Friendship

Okay so language acquisition and friendship seem like lazy blog post pairings, but here, they’re deeply connected. I’m writing this in...

Quotable Quotes Week 25: I'm Trying to Use My Life, not Give My Life

wassa123

Feb 26, 20221 min read