bridges over the atlantic

i'm excited to share. i want to let people know what life was like. but i don't know where to start. people ask me questions like : "how was Chad?" or "what did you do?" or "tell me what you learned?" and i feel like i'm telling a single tale over and over again. there is so much more i want to share, but sometimes i feel like there is no way to bridge the gap. how can i talk about my experiences like getting accosted by shoe sales men, having my head fall off in class, or ripping my panier while teaching? so many good stories that are not getting told because they are so different.
i don't expect people to make the jump to N'Djamena easily. but sometimes it would be nice to be able to talk to people without having to build that bridge first. sure i like to be exotic. i like it when people stare and comment about the yards of fabric tied around my head. but when people understand boule (like taylor), or know what it's like to fit three people and a goat on the back of a bike (nicole and melody), i feel like my story has some grounding. maybe this world is too different, and maybe the big stories are all people will be able to grasp, but i miss the details. and the bridge i'm building can't hold all that weight.

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