2 Weeks In

Sup y’all?

Well, we’re about two weeks in and things are going well. My big project begins next week and I’m looking forward to it. Basically, The Carter Center has asked me to put on a training for some Physician Assistants and Nurses that they’ve already trained in mental health. They asked me to do a training on Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT).

Now, I know some about DBT. I used it when I worked at the Children’s Farm Home in Corvallis, Oregon after undergrad. I’ve also studied a little in my grad program and given a few presentations on it as well. I’m fairly familiar with the mechanics of it so I feel confident presenting the information. That being said, presenting it and teaching people how to use it can be entirely different things.

Luckily, after conversing with some of my professors, I was able to figure out that the best way to approach this is to present it then work with the trainees to figure out how to adapt it to a Liberian context. Easier said than done but still more in my wheelhouse. If Marsha Linehan ever reads this, this is not a training it is a study group.

(Usually I take a few days to write these and the above situation has just changed, the DBT Study Group will be taking place week after next starting July 3^rd)

That takes care of the work update for now. The personal side of things is a bit quieter I’m afraid. Every day after work I come home and mostly just chill or take a short walk around the neighborhood which has been an interesting experience.

Liberia is difficult to describe. I’m not sure where to start really. The people are very interesting. When I first arrived I honestly felt a cold welcome from most of the people I met. Not that they were antagonistic or cruel but they were very withdrawn, sharing a few words at a time of very little substance. It’s still ongoing, when I meet new people, they are similarly withdrawn. I don’t know if that’s a function of Liberian society or if it should be attributed more to my foreignness.

The other interns and I were talking about it and we think it could possibly be because of the recent events in Liberia’s history. They had an Ebola crisis just three years ago and the Civil War ended in 2003. So Liberia has had a lot of stuff going on and it seems reasonable that these past events have made them more withdrawn and reticent to engage with foreigners or people in general. But this is definitely all amateurish conjecture.

In general most days are pretty formulaic. During the week I wake up around 6, go to work at 8ish then come home at 4. There’s a restaurant right next door that I eat lunch at about twice a week, the other days I bring my own lunch. On the weekends I go on long walks, usually either the maid or the security guy wants to come with me. I’m the only person staying at Eagle’s Landing right now so I think they get a little bit bored during the day. I’ve heard there’s a golf course not too far away so I’ll probably go check that out at some point and I think I’m going to see Ashley and Bianca who are doing their internship in Harper which is a rural community only accessible by plane. So that is what is going on everybody, I hope all of you are doing okay. If you’d like you can find me on Facebook, Instagram at tdaniel541 or shoot me an email at timdaniel25@gmail.com.