I am still waiting for my departure date. There is a little of a snag on completing all the HR paperwork online and I am trying to stay patient and have faith. I have just had so many issues previously, that I am on limited patience and faith. Hopefully it will all get worked out with IT and we can start applying for my VISA.

This weekend Durham and all of the east coast had promises of some Winter weather and the forecasters were right for once. It started early in the morning and when I woke up I had about 1 inch on the ground and it was coming down hard. The problem was that our downstairs HVAC did not appear to be working. It was freezing inside. Luckily we have an upstairs HVAC and it was much warmer, so I spent most of the day with Nina upstairs.

I am working on an application for a Writer’s Fellowship that I think I should be able to do while in South Sudan. There’s a stipend which would help subsidize the pay cut I have, working for MSF.

Nina loves the snow- she and I both thrive in the cold and really don’t tolerate the North Carolina summers. I am heading to Maine next weekend but have to fly. I was hoping to drive up with Nina as our last road trip for a year and for her to enjoy the snow up there!

Nikki has been out of town all weekend- she had planned a weekend in Orlando with her very best friend Laura (they went to High School and Cornell together and she officiated our wedding). They almost cancelled due to Omicron but have been wearing N95s and being very safe. They are experiencing Universal Studios again. Nik and I went in the Spring and I am just not an amusement park kind of gal.

Hope you all are staying warm, safe and dry! Until next time!