After a great deal of weight loss, I no longer have padding around my tailbone. Today, I put my butt to the test and took a seven hour trip from my site, north of Addis Ababa, to Butajira, in Southern Nations. I was smart enough to come a day early. I knew it would be bad. I just had no idea how bad. Life goes on …

After checking in, to a hotel I had always eaten at, but never stayed in, I took a nice “long” shower and then did a facial mask that a friend sent me from the USA. It was just what I needed to put my butt saga behind me.

I’ll be at the training for five days, learning about project management (already did that two years ago, when I was a Peace Corps volunteer in Armenia) and Peace Corps camps and clubs (already did that two years ago, when I was a Peace Corps volunteer in Armenia). You have to go along to get along, right?

The tailbone pain will go away, at some point. I just need to remember to sit forward, take pain meds, never sleep on my back, and to always, always, wear my bike shorts, before seven hour van rides.

Hey, this hotel has a balcony seating! Nope, not gonna happen! –GGT