A Celebration.



My beautiful village. 

I feel so lucky.   I decided I wanted the opportunity to be able to say goodbye to everyone at my site all at once so a few weeks ago I discussed the idea of having a party at my house the day before I was going to leave my community.  A small goodbye party.  Piet, my host father, was gracious enough to say yes to having a bunch of kids (who like to listen to loud music) as well as all of my Phedisang Project friends and other community members over to the house for the afternoon.  The party planning turned into a bit of a fiasco which I won’t go into but in the end it all worked out (somehow it always does…)?  My interns came and gave a speech, the girls from Camp GLOW were also there (and helped decorate and serve food), the Phedisang staff helped cook food, the kids who I hang out with from the community all showed up, and many community members came out to say goodbye.   Oh, and of course a couple of my PCV friends were there as well.  It was a day that I will never forget.  The day was filled with food, dancing, laughing and, of course, many tears... 

I have a few pictures on some of my friends and family to share. 

Lasts.

This is a week of lasts for me here in Ga-Sekororo, South Africa. The last time I will take a taxi ride to Tzaneen to go shopping. The last time I will go for a run in my village. My last bucket bath (of course it has been pointed out to me that I could continue this tradition back in America…). The last time I will sit on my porch with my host father talking about my day. The last time I will go to the Phedisang centers. The last time I will go to the post office to get my mail. The last time I will hang out with my “kids” playing UNO or hiking or listening to music. The last time I will ever eat rice and beans (I hope). And maybe the last time I will see some of my friends here...

Who knows when I will come back to South Africa. I would like to? I’ve come to love this country. But since I can't say for sure, I will simply say goodbye to my South African family that I have come to love and hope that I can stay connected with them in some small way.

As I finish what started as a far-fetched dream to join the Peace Corps several years ago, it seems strange now to be finishing and going back to my life in America. What will I do? How will life be different? Or will it be the same? And, more importantly, what are my new dreams?  I can’t say for sure that I know what my future holds.  I only know that I will forever be changed by my time here. By the people I met, by the things that I saw, by the places that I’ve been. I feel very lucky to have had this time. Some people have asked if I would do it over and the answer is yes. I don’t have any regrets.

But, I am looking forward to coming home to see all my friends and family back home. I can’t wait to share a little bit of my experience with you and see what the future holds...after I do a bit of hiking in the Wild Coast that is...see you soon!