I spoke too soon :(

Day 6, July 7th

Today, my Peace Corps training took a slight turn: learning how to hydrate my body, when my body is trying to expel everything inside! It is a definite balance of science and faith, as are most things, in my opinion. For the past 12 hours, I have been pent up in the health clinic and it has been nothing but hell. My insides have been torn apart time and time again, I have had hot flashes soothed by the emptying of my stomach and the room is finally starting to stop spinning. I have never been this ill in my life and it wasn’t caused by a venomous snake or mosquito bite, it was caused by unwashed hands. I admit, when I use the restroom at home back in the States, I do not wash my hands every time, but in Mali, it is imperative that you wash your hands ALL the time. However, washing your own hands is just part of the equation, especially in Mali, where the cultural belief is that the washing of your hands will wash away your good fortune. Everyone needs to know the importance of washing their hands, because it is that serious and today, I’m proof of that. Whatever wrecked havoc to my system today must have had a really fun time, but in the end, I win.

P.S. I'm feeling 98% better this morning!