Coming To America

So here it is folks, this is my last post from Africa. Over two years ago, I like many others before me, set out to make a dent in the world. I learned that the world dents you right back. I am a better person for having come and ridden this bumpy road.

I think that the biggest dent in me is the America shaped one. I appreciate my liberties and culture more now than I ever thought I could. I got all teary eyed when I was thanked on behalf of the U.S. govt and for serving my country.


Some stuff, I will miss about PC life and stuff I do miss about home.

I will miss

Slow days
fresh food
big sky's
stars
baobab trees
naps
choosing my schedule
seeing a noticeable difference

I do miss
people
soft things to sit and sleep on
consistency
food
fast internet
being a classroom teacher
America

Thanks for reading, I will post a couple more times about our trip home and the readjustment but there is a light at the end of this tunnel.

I'm Afraid Of Americans

In 1 week Kristy and I shall begin our journey home. Here is a vague outline of our itinerary (a detailed one would be a silly thing to post for the interwebs to see).

Banjul to Dakar - fly to England

Dakar to London - hang out a few days until we board cruise ship

London to New York - pit stops along the way are England, Ireland, N. Ireland, Iceland, Greenland, and Canada

New York to Philly

Philly to Baltimore

Baltimore to S. Carolina

S. Carolina to N. Carolina

N. Carolina to Ohio

Ohio to Colorado

Colorado to Arizona - Oh yeah if you haven't heard, we are planning on moving to AZ when we get back, inshalla

The locations in the states are too many for me to write, or I don't know the city's name. Hit us up we will make it a point to see you, but our time (read - money) is limited. How we are going to be getting around in the US is still a mystery, we have no transportation.

Disclaimer - Returning from PC will be an adjustment for us. You will have to be a bit patient with us. We aren't used to a lot of things Americans take for granted anymore. We mix different languages into our speaking. Our mannerisms are going to be different. We don't know what has happened in American culture for the last 2 years, some references are going to blow right past us. We are gonna want to do a lot of the stuff we haven't been able to for a few years. Some of it is gonna spook us a bit, we'll get through it, be patient.

After all this, we want to see you, all of you. We miss you and love you. Any chunk of time away from people makes us grow in different ways. We are still the people you knew and you are still the people we knew there has just been different stuff that has happened to all of us.

Superstar

This is going to be quick and dirty.

Life trucks on a break neck speed living in Fajara with less than 2 weeks until we close our service. I have so much paperwork that I am putting off that it's not funny, yet I do it. I am not looking forward to all that American responsibility, bleh, but I'll take it in stride. I'll have to.

I posted some pictures in an album called Mustaches, Tire Swinging, and Good-byes click on the link or visit the Picasa album. There should be some small pictures on the right hand side of my blog that will take you there. Go look at them now, there will be a test later.

Last Caress

So much of our time as of late has been occupied with "last times". It's the last time we will do this or see this person, it is exhausting and invigorating at the same time.

Although we moved out of our village a couple weeks ago we didn't say goodbye until yesterday. Yesterday we braved the ferry crossing for the third to last time :) and visited our main job sites and our family compound, for the really last time. We shall miss the friends, family, and colleagues that we encountered. It's nice to have some closure.

Essau Senior Secondary was a ghost town compared to how it normally was. There were a handful of teachers and staff members and one or two students lingering around the office trying to pick up their transcripts. As per normal my headmaster was absent, he called and sent his regrets after I texted him apologizing for being late. I thought it was a fitting that the end was consist ant with our working relationship. Kristy and I waited around, shot the breeze and then right about when we were scheduled to leave they called everyone in for a meeting, :) of course. It was rather formal my work was highlighted and anecdotes about my work and friendships were shared. It really was quite nice, and I feel that it went exactly the way it should have. Kristy and I walked away from the experience with some fancy African clothes and a belly full of food.

Essau Lower Basic was a bird of a different color. There were extra people there to send off Kristy and I. This was her primary job site. Cold Fanta's and Coke's were passed out, I got a black current one awesome, and kind words were shared. It was a jovial and warm setting. Kristy even got to meet headmasters of other schools that will benefit directly from her work in the garden and the orchard there. We got some more fancy clothes, that is probably some kind of tradition. When we left we were given left handed hand shakes, a wish to see us again, and walked to the family compound.

The Family wasn't all home but they came when they heard we were around. Pictures that we took (and Shannon took when she was here) were given as a parting gift and they were ooohh'd and aaahh'd over. We chatted, sat, and looked at the garden, my peppers are growing, and the morenga tree has seen better days. Sadly the tire swing was taken down, but only while some construction is happening, inshalla. On parting promises of last phone calls were made and we walked away to find a taxi or gelly.

The familiar cries of "toubab minty" were heard as walked away from our village for the last time, some things won't be missed.