The Farewell, Au Revoir!

As the final days approached it was a sense of bittersweet.  Exciting to be going to live at my site, begin teaching, create a routine, and be independent, but more sad because I was leaving "My Family".  My host mother now called me her daughter, my host brothers now considered me part of the family, and more importantly I was going to miss being around a busy house with "my family".  On the day before our final ceremony, I was told to have my bags packed at 3:00pm, everything besides my misquito net, pjs, and clothes for the next day.  My family stood and watched as I packed my bags.  My trying to get from one suitcase to another in my room, while stepping around my host brother standing in the middle of the room, watching me pull clothes of for the next day, bras, underware, etc.  He was quite inquisitive.  Then my mom came into my room and handed me a blue plastic bag and told me to open it.  It was a complete African outfit with matching sandals.  She had had an outfit made for the farewell ceremony, so I could be completely African!  It was BEAUTIFUL!  I was so touched!  Then the Peace Corps SUV pulled up and I started bringing my 20 bags to the porch, lol.  My mother just stood there looking, and my brothers looked somewhat the same.  After, I headed to the soccer field for the final game of ultimate freesbe with all the volunteers and some instructors.  I arrived home, and sat with my family for the rest of the night, I call it porch sitting.  Not much talking, but a lot of looking at nothing in the dark.  My host mom explained how sad she was for me to go and than my grandmother felt the same.  I was brought to a house to receive a letter from a neighbor who was from my new site village, and he wrote a note presenting me to the community. 

The next morning I woke up, did the dishes for the final time, showered, packed my bags, and misquito net, and went around to the local neighbors to say my goodbyes.  One of the neighbors burst into tears, and I tried my best to pull it together.  My grandmother shook my left hand instead of my right which means I have to come back and visit to shake with my right hand (the correct way to greet).  A sign of caring!  My mother kept translating for me saying my grandmother was sad and didn't want me to go.  Then I left with my host mom and two brothers, and went to the farewell ceremony.  I took some pictures with them before and durring the ceremony, then as I was leaving, I gave them an "American Hug" as I called it, and felt some tears coming.  I tried to walk away gracefully and not let them see me crying, but I lost it when I saw my mom knocking on my window in tears.  This was the frist time I had ever seen her cry.  I lost it!  She told me, I had to come back, and that when I invited her, she would try to come with "my new family".  She shook my hand with her left hand and I knew how much I meant to her and how much I was going to miss her.  I waved goodbye with tears running down my face and took off for the capital in the bus with the other volunteers.  It was like saying goodbye to my family in the USA again, but for a second time.

We arrived in the capital, unloaded our gear, picked rooms.  A few of us went on a run around, found so many fruits we had been missing; apples, pinapple, grapefruit, watermellon, etc and had to stop running so we could buy them and walked the rest of the way home so eat these fruits we had been missing.  I took a shower with running water, even had a handle for hot water, that worked, sat on a toliet to go to the bathroom, (pretty important to specify) and slept in an airconditioned bedroom with some of my new closest friends.

The next day we went downtown to withdraw money for our settling in allowance.  As I was waiting for the others a few of us decided to explore the surrounding stores.  We found a small boutique that had some America pleasures.  I bought a COLD yogurt, and a twix bar.  AMAZING.  Then that evening, was our swearing in ceremony.  We all dressed in a matching fabric, and were finally asked to raise our right hands and swear in!  It's official I am now officially a PEACE CORP VOLUNTEER!

Swearing in Outfits!

My mom and brothers

Me with the Guniean Flag!

My Host mom proud of her certificate
to have hosted her first volunteer!

I will be heading to site on Tuesday, aka will not have access to internet.  Therefore farewell again, and I will update you in a month with my new adjustments to site and an independent life in Africa!