Halfway Home

Well, I am now over the halfway mark for my time here in Djibouti.  I'm supposed to be here for a total of six months and I only have about two and a half left.  I was hoping the remaining time would pass quickly but then I thought of a mountain I climbed five years ago in Slovakia.  It was only 2,500 meters but the two-hour walk to the base had already tuckered me out.  I really struggled to reach the summit but once I did, I heaved a sigh of relief.  I mean, after all, I knew the walk back down would be much easier than the climb up.  Yet, when I began the descent, I began to experience worse pain than I could have possibly imagined.  Every time my foot hit a rock, a jolting pain would shoot up my spine.  At the end, I was totally worn out and demoralized.

I hope the descent in Djibouti doesn't have the same effect on me!