Dioka Ndial Ndiaganiao!
Thank you Ndiaganiao! As I took my final taxi collectif back to Dakar (as usual, I was sitting in the back row) I was filled with emotions. My past six weeks in rural Senegal have changed my life, and I was sad to leave my host family. I am so thankful that everyone in Ndiaganiao was so welcoming and was willing to teach me Serrer (the local language) and share Senegalese culture. I ate with my hands, danced, made tea, laughed with my family, went to markets and was the only person that spoke English in a tiny village that I can now call home.
I realized that I have changed so much since I arrived in Senegal on the 22nd of August, 2024. I have spent four months in Senegal, and I have learned how to ask questions in order to learn more about the culture. I have also become more confident in asking for help when I'm struggling. During my time in Senegal, I got sick, I felt homesick and at times I struggled to find food as a vegetarian. The cool thing is that everyone in my program was also studying abroad and feeling the same emotions as me!
Throughout my time in Senegal, I've explored all of Dakar, its two islands and four of its suburbs.
