Day 17: Well, not really—but it sounds catchy. I grew up in the country, and I had city-friends (who lived in these fascinating things called neighborhoods) who would get stressed out about mud and dirt and when the last time they washed their hands was. I just never was like that, and I would say that I wanted my kids to eat dirt as a way to express that I wanted them to be outside, get dirty, and not care (and I think Pip has reached that milestone, as pictured 😅)

In rural Ethiopia where we’ll be living, there are less paved roads and a lot less infrastructure than places we used to live like metro Atlanta. So there will be more mud than we’re used to, more interaction with animals (and what they leave behind) than we’re used to, and less places to wash your hands with soap than we’re used to. And the lovely thing is—I don’t really care that much. After all, I always wanted my kids to eat dirt.#31daysofcalling #lovesinethiopia