Under 3 weeks remain of our 8 ½ month adventure, and only 9 more days in Imiliwaha. Sara and I are continuing work as normal, but there’s a strange feeling about it, at least for me. Yes, it’s time to come home, that fact is made evident to me every day. But those children, especially Cannisia, are the only threads tempting me to stay here forever. I’m ready to go back to civilization, to entertainment and technology, to meals that aren’t the same every day, and to ice cold Coca-cola in a can. But there is one thing that I will NEVER be ready for, and that’s leaving my 47 children and the one love of my life.
In case blog opportunities come to a standstill in these last weeks (and the typically limited internet only allows me time check e-mail and job search), here’s what’s in store:
• Claudio of the Italian organization Pangea comes on Sunday to check up on the orphanage
• Sara and I head to Lugarawa on Thursday with plans to sleep in on Friday (on purpose for only the 2nd time this whole trip) and climb the mountain on Saturday for the 4th and final time (and hopefully without getting lost)
• Monday morning we return to Imiliwaha, resume work, and begin preparations for our departure
• Thursday afternoon, there will be a little party at the orphanage for my departure, where I will be crying buckets and clinging to Cannisia the whole time; afterwards we will enjoy a nice meal with Coke in our dining room, where I will still be crying buckets
• Friday morning we leave for Njombe
• Saturday we hop a bus at 5:30am, depart for Dar at 6am with Elisa; arrive in Dar approx. 6pm, taxi it to the YMCA, take a cold shower, and hunt down our choice Lebanese restaurant
• Sunday we’ll hike to a ferry which will take us to our Masai hut on stilts; beach bum the rest of the day
• Monday we continue to beach bum, eating fruit and drinking out of coconuts
• Tuesday we leave our hut, get ourselves to the airport, say goodbye to Elisa, where once again I will be crying buckets, and hopefully have safe, excruciatingly boring flights to Nairobi, and then Amsterdam
• Wednesday we have a 5-hour layover in Amsterdam where I will write my “A” Letter (you’ll see what I mean), hopefully have another safe, excruciatingly boring flight to Minneapolis, get thru customs, run crying into my parents’ arms telling them all about their granddaughter-from-afar, and finally go home to fitted sheets, cold cereal, and season 5 of The Office.
Hi Cara,
I’m sorry I’ve been out of touch with you for awhile. With the nice weather, the kids have been wanting to be outside at all times.
Brian & I built a deck a few weeks ago. It was a lot of work, but it’s done.
I’ll be thinking of you during these last few weeks you have in Africa. I about cried when I just read your last e-mail. You have done amazing things over there. You should be proud of the work you’ve done. I look forward to talking to you when you get back & seeing pictures.
I think it’s wonderful that you got to be a godparent for Cannisia. I’m sure she’ll hold a special place in your heart forever.
Do the kids at your orphange get adopted out? Or do they just stay there? I really would love to know more about this.
Take Care!!!
Brenda