Dont Sweat the Small Stuff

The following are just some of the things I have learned not to care too much about in the past couple weeks...

1. Whether or not I will have running water (although its always important to check before using the toilet)
2. Whether or not I will have electricity
3. Where I am in a thunderstorm (if Im not already inside, its too late)
4. If the food I am eating is actually vegetarian or Rwanda "vegetarian" (as long as I cant see beef, goat, or chicken chunks, its veg)
5. Whether or not my clothes are clean or just "clean" (they dont smell, they are clean)
6. Whether I just said hello, goodbye, thank you, Im good, its cold, old man, or how are you in Kinyarwanda. Its all the same really
7. Whether the email I just sent actually sent or is sitting somewhere in the ether of the internet to rise again after the whole issue is resolved anyway
8. Whether I share my house with two people or two people, a mouse, and a chicken. More the merrier
9. Whether or not the kids yelling Muzungu are trying to be cute, funny, obnoxious, ask for money, or ask for marriage. They're kids after all. And easy to chase since they are scared of white people
10. Whether the magazine that I am reading was published within the last week. Obama won the democratic nomination? Britney lost custody of her kids? Michael Phelps is expected to win eight gold medals? I expect to find out who wins the presidential election sometime in April.
11. Whether that bean and cheese burrito is two days old or two weeks old. Seriously? Its a bean and cheese burrito. Im eating it!

Things I do still care about...
1. That I can find a place with bean and cheese burritos
2. That the mouse that I share my house with does not eat my avocados. There are rules
3. That there is a kiosk within a five minute walk that sells Mutzig
4. That the hills here are killer on a run. Im going to bulldoze the top of a hill
5. That Rwanda is beautiful and I am finally getting used to quiet nights, cooking food instead of microwaving it, doing laundry instead of just buying new clothes, watching the same movies again and again, eating avocados straight from the tree, talking to my parents by yelling at my computer, surprise holidays and lethargic weekends, dinner parties, dancing clubs, and early mornings.