As a teen and young adult I suffered from the expected case of wanderlust. I was sure that someday, somehow I'd see all the places on the planet that called to me. The Far East held the strongest fascination, followed closely by Africa; I was obsessed with Ancient Egypt for much of my childhood.
Studying other cultures made me wish I was as pretty as a Chinese girl, wise as an Indian Yogi, or mysterious as Nefertiti. Left me feeling boring and watered down to be American.
I did manage to get to Europe in high school, Denmark, Germany, France, Belgium, and Luxembourg (who goes to Luxembourg?).
I wandered up to Canada for four years of college and after graduation wandered some more back and forth across the U.S.
Then I grew up, became a nurse, and moved to Vermont. Though beautiful in its own right, Vermont is far from exotic and mysterious. Thank goodness I had the Travel Channel to satisfy my longing for far away lands.
After kids, I accepted that my travelling days were likely over. I'm so fine with that, truly. There is not enough Ativan in the world to get me on an overseas flight.
The Universe is good to me. Since I can't get to the world, my job has brought it to me through my co workers. They come from all over and I appreciate the crap out of them.
Just the other night, my shift consisted of CNAs from Haiti, Angola, and Nigeria, and the nurse I was working with, from Kenya.
Lucky me!
Allow me introduce you.
Haiti: She just might be the best CNA I've ever worked with. She is fully dedicated, diligent, responsible, and caring. She works her ass off with never a complaint. Soft spoken and so sweet, I don't think she has a clue how good she is, though I try to tell her all the time. I'm also sure she has no idea that she's gorgeous. She totally is.
I tell her frequently that she needs to be a nurse. She wrongly thinks her English isn't good enough. In the year or so that I've known her it has improved. I hope she does it some day.
I pepper her with questions about Haiti, why she left, would she ever go back, does she miss it.
She came here to raise kids because life is difficult in her country.
She had visited last summer with her kids. Her son is 6 and it was his first time there. In the middle of the day she noticed that his shoes were missing and asked him where they were. He'd given them to a boy on the street who had asked for them. He'd never seen children who had to go without, and reasoned with his mother that they could go to a store when they got home and buy new ones. The shoeless boy didn't have that luxury.
I'm a mush ball and cried when she told me this story.
Angola: They speak Portugese in Angola. I didn't know that til I met her.
When she and Haiti are on together I know it's gonna be a good night.
While Haiti is quite shy and reserved, Angola is a firecracker. Outspoken and passionate, if something isn't right, if another CNA isn't carrying their weight, she'll let everyone know. She takes shit from nobody.
The residents adore her.
We had a new admission a few months back, an Alzheimer's patient who was having a difficult time adjusting to her new surroundings. Her daughter had brought her in a very lifelike doll to try to settle her and Angola was trying to soothe her with it. It wasn't working.
Angola grabbed a sheet out of the linen closet, put the doll on her back, and wrapped the sheet around herself holding the doll securely. She performed her CNA duties for hours like that, telling everyone that this is how it's done in her country. The residents got the biggest kick out of it, and new Alzheimer's lady was distracted enough to settle down.
One more thing, she has the BEST ass, and she knows it. Beyonce would kill a puppy for an ass that good.
Nigeria: Ok, so maybe not as hardworking as Haiti and Angola, but still one of my favorites for his big bright smile, cheerful attitude, and killer accent. It is no secret that I'm a sucker for accents, and I tell him all the time that his makes me melt. He's tall and lanky and has the prettiest skin that I have to make a conscious effort not to touch.
He'd gone home last spring for a month and when he returned I harassed him for details, demanding descriptions of his town, the surrounding countryside, what he did, what he ate.
He's going back next month to get married. The girl he's marrying is a big deal. It will be a two day affair full of culture and tradition. There will be 'dignitaries' in attendance even.
I can't freaking wait for the pictures.
Kenya: Just about the mellowest dude ever. Another kick ass accent of course. He's a bit of a ladies man from what I hear. Not surprised.
We had a great chat the other night. He was curious about the history of Thanksgiving. I shared what I know, which is a lot considering where we live. He shared some of his country's history, how the Europeans came and changed things.
We decided that white people fuck everything up.
Brazil: She was the first nurse I met at this facility, assigned to orient me on my first day. She apologized for her difficult accent. I assured her it was no problem, I love accents, and Portugese has to be the sexiest one out there.
She's just as sassy and spunky as you'd expect a Brazilian to be, but also super smart and driven. She came here with nothing but her nursing degree, cleaned houses until she saved the thousands it took to transfer her license.
I've worked closely with her for almost five years now and love her dearly.
She's always worked two jobs, and earned enough to buy a house outright back home. She has a one year old daughter with her hot husband, and she's going home on Sunday. For good.
I'll be at her going away party tomorrow night. I'll be a weepy mess.
But now I'll have a friend in Rio fucking de Janeiro.
Back up the Ativan truck, I may be up for that flight sooner than later.
*******
Head on over to Pseudo's place for more adventuring.
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