Last Times

I have finally reached that point in my trip where I am having "last time" moments. Last week, was the last time I would ever go to Brooklyn Chest TB hospital and visit the kids. Last week was the last time I would have lecture in South Africa. Last week was the last time that I would….fill in the blank. It is weird to think that this journey is almost coming to a close. I feel in many ways that I have finally acclimated, or am so much better at navigating the culture that it seems that leaving now is a shame. I finally understand what it means to live and learn in South Africa but now I am leaving to come home. I don’t know if the concept makes any sense really but 4 months is too short a time to really really be able to live in one place.

I guess an example is making friends. I make friends rather slowly but once I do, then they are friends for life, in my opinion. I am finally to that point with some people that I know from school where I could actually become good friends with them but then the semester ended and now I am going back home. I realize that I will be able to keep in contact with them and I know that I will remember them forever but somehow I do feel a little sad.

On the other hand, I am REALLY excited to come home. I miss my family. I miss how my school works. I miss my friends and colleagues, and band and STARBUCKS. I had a Recees Peanut Butter Cup brought from the States the other day. It was DIVINE (It also cured Lane’s 8-hour stretch of hiccups, but that is a different story). I really do miss home and some of the traditions that I have. I know that this time will be high and low. The more I realize that I am leaving, the more I realize what I am going to miss and what I love about this country but also how much I realize that I am really ready to come home for a while! I leave in 23 days…the countdown has begun!