I miss Africa...

Today, like most days, I miss Africa. I miss the warm weather, I miss the smells, the sights, the sounds. I miss walking from home to work, to the market, to the hillside, to the next town over. I miss the smiling faces of the little ones running around yelling, "Muzungu, Muzungu!" I miss the new experiences, the getting out of my comfort zone, the stretching of my soul as opposed to the stretching of my mind, I miss being a part of God's creation that's lush, with great hills and trees, as opposed to flat and covered in corn. I miss interacting with people who know what a tough life really is and me feeling completely guilty about mine, because when you are that close to extreme poverty, you'll actually change your ways. I miss the sense of community that was there, the understanding that we are brothers and sister no matter who our mamma is and that what is mine is yours and vice versa....I miss the greetings, everyone greets everyone, it doesn't matter fi they are young or old or rich or poor, they greet, b/c that's the polite thing to do, no one is worried about their earbuds or cell phones, they acknowledge another person's existence. I miss Africa, because I'm a different person in Africa, I listen better, am more compassionate, more involved, and more motivated. Here I have all that I could need and more, and yet I feel as though I am only a shadow of myself.
I don't know, maybe Africa won't change everything, maybe it is something that goes on inside of me and not the culture around me that makes me feel incomplete.....but all I know, is that today, I miss Africa and I hope to see her again sometime soon