I can’t ignore the most recent news in the Peace Corps South Africa sphere, but I also can’t talk about. It makes me feel sick. I couldn’t sleep last night thinking about it. It taints the reputation of Peace Corps South Africa and the rest of the honest, hard-working Peace Corps Volunteers in this country. A google news search will give you the information you need to know.
Otherwise, my thoughts are on leaving. In one week I will leave my site with the luggage I came to country with and I will say goodbye to my family and friends in the village. I’m starting the real push towards dismantling my room, sweeping up the dust under my bed, throwing away old receipts that fell behind the fridge, giving the hat I’ll never wear again to my gogo. This feels like it should be a time for introspection and reflection but I think that will come later. Right now, I’m just ready to move on with the feeling that I’ve done what I came here to do, whatever that was two years ago. I feel satisfied and that’s enough for now.
The learners and I finished the library this week. It ended up being quite a lot of work but it turned out nicely and a few of the teachers even told me I did beautiful work. Not a bad way to leave things. The school is throwing me a mini-farewell function on Friday and knowing how South African functions can drag on I’m grateful for the “mini” part of it.
After a few days of medical and paperwork at the Peace Corps office I’ll be flying into Portland, Maine, arriving on the 19th. I wanted to catch some of that gorgeous New England summer before it morphs into fall and a long winter and to see family I haven’t seen in over two years. On the 24th it’s back to Iowa to enjoy the last few weeks I’ll have to spend with my mother before she leaves for Palestine in early September. And that is all the plan I have so far. I’ll be applying for jobs I suppose and trying not to get too depressed over the economy that did not revive in the two years I was away. If anyone has any leads on jobs in the D.C. area, let me know!
