Ok, ok, so those of you who follow this journal on a regular basis know that this entry did not really get posted on June 30. However, I was thinking about this topic that day and would have posted it if I had had better internet access.
So, what is this month's posting about? You guessed it: leaving Mauritaia. Although one might think this would make me incredibly happy, I gotta say that it is definitely starting to weigh on my mind. Saying goodbye to friends and family is really a several month process here as many people live far away and others have such sporadic schedules that I never know for sure when I will see them for the last time. Now that all my projects are pretty much finished, I am taking advantage of my free time to start the long goodbye process. Just this past month, I traveled over 7 hours to visit with my maternal grandmother one last time. She lived with me and my family when I first arrived in Mauritania. For the last year or so she has moved back to her family's original village several hundred kilometers from Kaedi. Needless to say, she was ecstatic to have me arrive as a surprise guest. After traveling through rough roads and wading through rain-soaked paths, I was exhausted when I arrived. Yet, she dropped everything and made me feel so welcome. Out came the nice mattresses, cold milk, and cookies. And the next day I was treated to one of the best meals I have ever had in Mauritania! Even though this was a long journey, she knew it was all for her and that made it all the more worthwhile. And when I came back to Kaedi, I was able to show off all the pictures to my immediate host family, many of whom have not seen their extended family in years. All in all, a major treat for all involved.
As the months wind down into weeks, I will continue to say goodbye to dear friends and family. At the same time, I will be busy preparing my baggage to ship home and start distributing the items I no longer want or need. In this process, I came across hundreds of letters and cards my American friends and family members have sent me over the past 2 years. I would be lying if I didn't say that tears welled up when I read many of them. So many people have been so supportive and encouraging of my life and work here. It makes me feel incredibly lucky to have so many wonderful people in my life. And, it makes me that much more excited to get home to reconnect with all of them.
Until next time,
Janine
Fatou, and Papa.