L'Ambassadeur. . .

At my going away party in village, I had to give a little speech, thanking everyone for their hospitality during my two years there. Of course, I had to include Adrien. “He doesn’t just wash my clothes and sweep my floors. Everyone jokes that I’m an ambassador of the US. Honestly, he’s the ambassador, who has helped me more than anyone to understand and accept culture here in Benin.” I’m sure that my relationship with Adrien confuses people. No he’s not my boyfriend, he’s too old to be my child. He’s my best friend in Benin – a relationship that is uniquely itself. Within 24 hours of his arrival, I was making new friends. He was chatting with my neighbors, playing with their dogs, making his way through Ouidah like a star. My quality of life is definetly better when he's around, but now he's on his way back to village where he needs to stay the course and finish the first cycle with a passing grade. He'll be back down for Christmas. That's not too far away.