Months, weeks, days, hours, minutes, seconds...they're all numbered

I just read my last blog to see where I left off, which was right after I finished the Half Marathon and I realized I forgot to write my time!! How silly! That’s kind of important for a race haha! Anyhow, I did the half (13.1 miles) in 2 hours and 43 minutes. I know, it’s only about a 12.5 minute mile. But that’s OK, because I finished!! And of course, that means there is always room for improvement for my next one!

Since then…nothing really exciting…..

JUST KIDDING! I got my official COS date (Close of Service)!! I will be officially completing my Peace Corps Service July 27th! Crazy huh?!?! How’d the time pass that fast; 2 years; where’d they go?! So as of now, we have about 18 weeks until I am home! 3 months and 25 days until I am boarding a plane for America! Life is crazy!

Ok really now…as per usual in the village

School. I have no idea what’s going on with school! I have still been teaching at both the Secondary School and the Primary School, but they keep changing the schedules so I’m just going to keep teaching until someone tells me otherwise. Like Friday, my Secondary School decided to have a break this coming week. Then finals are moved up for the week after. Then we close again for Easter Break. Yet the posted schedule for breaks and finals is TOTALLY DIFFERENT than what we are doing. It’s so confusing. The primary school is for the most part staying on schedule but you never know. Last minute changes are not unusual. The weirdest thing is that (as of now) our long break will be mid-June to mid-July and when they open the school again in July, I won’t be teaching because I will be leaving within in the week. But it will be perfect timing for me to have the month off of school, so I can wrap up my projects, pack, clean, and get ready to leave!

Community Health Education Group. We are still going strong as usual. We hosted a cinema night in March. We had an NGO from town come in and put up a big screen and show educational shows. We’ve done in once before and it’s a big hit! The villagers love it and it gets a lot of people informed and watching educational (and entertaining movies). I also handed out condoms for free like they were party favors; everybody loves free condoms! I passed out 700!! Take that stigma!! Whoo hoo AIDS prevention!

Also, with my group. After I found out my date, I had to tell my group when I was leaving. Man, was that hard! When I stood up to speak I couldn’t even get out my first word before I started crying! It was so hard; I could barely control my tears or my words. I was a mess. After I said the date, they were all upset too. My mamas started to cry and the men were talking about how it was so soon. They have been trying (and are still trying) to talk me into staying another year (aka forever). They said I should visit America but come back :) They are so wonderful!! I can’t believe I will have to leave them soon and my whole village. It was one thing to say ‘Goodbye’ to my family in America before I left because I knew I would see them again and it wasn’t really ‘Goodbye’ but rather ‘See you later.’ But here, I may never see my family here again. It breaks my heart.

On a lighter note. My Health Dispensary Resource Center is coming together. I am just waiting on the carpenter to finish the book cabinet who is taking is SWEET time. It’s been about a month but it should be done within the week. Then I will have it dropped off at the Dispensary and put the books in it and we will have a little celebration for its official ‘opening.’ I am really excited about this because it has taken me my whole service to get enough book donations to put this thing together!

Grants. My grants to start an IGA (income generating activity) with my health group and a science laboratory for my secondary school are still pending. I hope they get approved soon…I’m running out of time!

My beloved Evan is coming to visit! He will be here in 13 days!! We are going to have so much fun; it’s going to be ridiculous! I can’t wait!! A little visit from home...just a few months before going home. NICE. Blogs and pictures TBP (to-be-posted…I just made that up; I’m smart).

Graduate school. I got rejected from South Dakota. They said I was just too cool for South Dakota, which of course I totally agree with but they still should have let me in!! Maybe I should have told them about ‘TBP.’ Oh well. As for Denver, I had my phone interview last Saturday March 26th. I think it went well and I will find out either way by April 15th. All this waiting is driving me crazy. I just want to know! (But I really hope I get in too). But if not, I will be on to Plan B (whatever that is…I’m thinking South America, anybody else?!?).

COS Conference. The first week of May (about 2 days after Evan leaves), I will be in Dar for a week for my COS Conference. It’s all about the transition of leaving Tanzania and going home to America. It’s going to be weird to see everyone; we are going to have a lot of fun. A lot of ‘We made it!’ celebrations. WHOO HOO.

My life as a crazy cat lady. So I have a dilemma. As of now I have 6 cats. I know…and stop judging. Ok, so Sparky’s 3 babies are going to be given away. Done. But I will still have Frik, Frak, and Sparky who have been with me for my 2 years here; they are my babies. I have been considering bringing them home with me (it’s possible and has been done by many volunteers). But I have 3 cats. And according to the airlines they will each need their own kennel. Putting them on the plane won’t be expensive but to buy or rent the kennels are pretty expensive. So the whole transport of 3 cats would be kind of pricey, a huge hassle, but I will have them home with me! They are my pets and I have become attached; I just can’t help it, I love them to pieces. I just can’t imagine abandoning them. So I don’t know what to do?!?! The volunteer replacing won’t arrive to my site until November and who knows if they will even like cats. So do I leave them here where they can run free, but they have to fend for themselves? OR do I bring them home to my (probably) apartment and continue to care for them as my best lil’buddies they have been? I am so lost. I just keep imagining them waiting at my door for me to let them in, but I’m not there. I could cry just thinking about it. I hate this; I wish it was an easier decision to make.

Life in general. I have been so busy in the village as usual. My schedule has been packed, which has always good. It keeps me on my toes and makes the time fly. I have also been sick for about a week and a half. I feel better, but I am still getting over it. It was nothing serious, just the flu or something. I slept A LOT every chance I got for the past week :) I am still running, but it’s getting harder with the rain. It gets so muddy! It’s incredible! But so far I haven’t had to change my run schedule too much. But I’m quite clumsy in the mud; I have already fallen twice and almost-fallen about a million times…oops.

Life is a box of Godiva chocolates. I can’t even begin to explain how weird it is preparing to leave here. What a HUGE chapter of my life and its coming to an end. I don’t know what I am going to do as the time to leave gets closer. I feel at home here now, which is so odd and crazy considering how hard it was in the beginning. I don’t want to say goodbye to my family, especially my Mama and my Counterpart and my students and everyone else. What a weird time it is. I will be leaving here; I still don’t believe it. I am going to be an emotional, sobbing, and full of sadness mess. BUT on the other hand I simply can’t wait to step off the plane in America and be home again, to see my family, and soak up everything the first world has to offer. Gosh, changes are great, but hard as hell.

Don’t forget to re-use and recycle! Help to save OUR planet NOW!

With love,
JRC