Every morning when I wake up its like a party. My small community in Andasibe is filled with tropical African music and the sounds of children laughing, crying and singing fill the air along with the shrieking of pigs, morning calls from roosters and unique howling of lemurs. It may sound schoatic and overwhelming but it puts me at ease and somehow comforts me, constantly reminding me of how warm and welcoming the Malagasy families have been. Staying in a small community and living in an even smaller home or living space, im constantly surrounded by family. There is no escaping them but even in there presence I am still able to have moments to myself where I can reflect and reenergize. I partially thank the language barrier for this. We are not always able to successfully communicate with each so I feel like we are forced to give each other space. Even still the small living arrangement forces me to appreciate the room I share with my sister and re-evaluate my idea of what makes a home great. Even withwhat seems to be so little, my host family and the families around me are fillled with happiness. I dont constantly hear them comparing their life to tthe life they believe all Americans live. They truly seem to value the life they have.
