I took this photo during my first year as a PCV in Niger, West Africa in 1994. This photo shows how I set up my cooking area to make it manageable for me. I white-washed my walls to keep the termite count down. I added colored paint around window frames for more aesthetics. I hung artifacts for decoration including an African tie-dye called “batique”. I nailed a yellow sheet to the ceiling to cut down the amount of flaking debris. I used a 2-filter filtration system issued by the Peace Corps along with a 2-stove burner that connected to a gas bottle. I hung a kerosene lantern for light at night and had a mini-fridge below to store food and cold drinks. The Peace Corps taught me that I could set up a home wherever I am and add my personal touches, even in a mud hut with sand floors in the middle of nowhere in Africa.