Packing...

...is probably one of the activities that stresses me out the most. Right now, what I'm doing couldn't really qualify as packing, as much as throwing things willy-nilly onto my floor, my couch, or my bed and trying to figure out how in the world I am going to fit everything into a suitcase and a carry-on. I'll sort out what I really need to take later, but for now, half of my closet is chilling out in my suitcase, along with a random assortment of medications (one for every occasion and more than I could possibly ever use), toiletries, and host family gifts.
Speaking of host families, I got the placement for my Dakar family! The mother's name is Elisa, and she's a widow, has a "dynamic personality" and is a great cook. She lives with one of her sons, Loulou, and his wife Djeyna, and their two sons Bebe Edouard François, who is three, and Warren, who is only ten months old. Also living with the famille is Elisa's niece Marie Louise and her daughter Martine Clorinda, who is seven. I'm so excited to have a Senegalese maman and a big family!