Home Stretch

Time is ticking by in the “Final Countdown!” Only a couple of weeks left here in The Gambia. Not really sure what to write about but I feel like I owe you something as things draw to a close. We (me and the 3 or 4 people who read this) have built such a close relationship over the last two years I can just drop off the face of the Internet now without saying something. Not that this will be the last blog ever but certainly one of the last, if not the last, from The Gambia

I’ve been running around trying to finish up a multitude of projects, paperwork, medical exams, interviews, and the never ending goodbyes. All of that looks as if it will continue right up until I get on the plane in a few weeks. No problem though, better than sitting waiting for the end.

In between all the other stuff we have been trying to spend as much time as possible with our host family and friends. Just hanging out, chatting, sitting under the mango tree eating the fruit as it falls, playing cards, cooking, and all the other things we have enjoyed doing over the last few years.

Trying to figure out what our game plan is once we return to The State is also taking up a good chunk of our time. Right now our plan is leave here on the 28th of June and then head to Brussels and Amsterdam for about a week for a short vacation to see the sights and visit some friends from Germany. When that’s all said and done its back to Florida for a few weeks to visit family and friends and begin the process of readjustment to American life. I’m not particularly worried about this part but everybody who’s gone though it says that its one of the most difficult adjustments of the whole Peace Corps experience. I guess learning how to use a normal toilet again instead of a pit latrine (glorified hole in the ground) can be more traumatic than one would expected.

After Florida its Colorado here we come! Lydia is going to fly up and look for an apartment and a few days later David, Lydia’s brother, and I are going to start what should be a sweet road trip with a U-haul in tow to bring all our stuff up. If you know of any must sees in Mississippi, Arkansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, or Kansas let me know. These states may not normally be associated with the term “must see” but I’m sure there is some good stuff in there somewhere. The final destination is Fort Collins. Neither of us has ever been there but it sounds like an awesome town with the mountains right near by. We literally just looked at a map to pick out where we wanted to move to about a year ago. Since then we found out that it was a really good choice and are more excited about it every day. People ask us “why Fort Collins?” and we say “because it sounds like a cool place to live” and their reaction is usually something like “you’re not allowed to move somewhere just because you want to.” I’m like “what not?” This is followed by a few seconds of awkward silence.

What else can I say? I feel like I should have some profound words or a story to sum up the last to years. Like I’ve said before, there is no way I figure out how to put all that into words, maybe someone with a literary gift but not me. When I get home and you ask me how The Gambia was be prepared for a packaged response unless you have a lot of time on your hands. If you’re reading this and have been throughout the years that’s about as good as it’s going to get unless you have a specific question; like about how to use that pit latrine.