Hey Everyone,
Just wanted to get a quick note out and let you all know that I’m home safe and sound. Travel was about as easy as I could have asked for. No delays, no cancellations, no missed connections, no lost bags, etc. My flight itinerary was Bamako-Paris-Atlanta-Lexington. I was a little pushed for time getting to my last flight having to go through customs in Atlanta but thanks so gentle encouragement to others my path to customs was cleared and with the aid of modern technology (moving sidewalk, trams, shuttles) I made it to my gate with about 5 minutes to spare, which conveniently enough, was just enough time to make my first American food purchase. It was totally cliché, but I bought a drink at Starbucks…and it was delicious.
My neighbor on the last flight didn’t say much until we started to descend into Lexington where my face apparently said it all. He didn’t ask if it was home he just asked how long it’d been since I’d been home. Apparently I’d be a terrible poker player because he could read so easily how utterly happy I was to be home. I’ve been a mix of emotions since I left Sebanso and I fully expect that to continue over the next few weeks/months but for those few moments I knew exactly what I felt.
Lexington is in my opinion one of the most beautiful cities in the world thanks to our green rolling hills and horse farms, and man did it feel good to see those again. The drive home was quick given the airport isn’t far and despite yet another cliché it really didn’t feel like I’d left. I could see some visual evidence that I’d been gone of course. My dog Cora is getting a little grey around her muzzle, my niece (who wasn’t even born when I left) is walking around the house, we have a new addition to the house as our family dog Zoe now resides in the house after Lucky passed away a few months ago, and my parent’s house which hasn’t moved has a new address thanks to some road construction. Other things fortunately haven’t changed at all, my room was as welcoming and comfortable as I could have asked for, my mom’s food is still delicious, and my horse PJ is just as fat as ever. It’s good to be home.
All I really asked for as far as meals go these next few days are vegetables, fruit, more veggies, some good meat, milk, and more veggies. I’ve not requested rice and don’t suspect I will for a few days. I only have about a week home before I fly down to Tampa to live with Becky while Phil is traveling on business. I’m really looking forward to catching up with my sister and decompressing on a beach from my African adventure.
I hope all is well with everyone. These next few months are going to be a mental, emotional and physical battle as I readjust to living in America but I’m excited for this next phase and so grateful for all the support I had in Mali. Couldn’t have done it without you all,
Much love,
Cait
September 9, 2011- Last Day
Hey Everyone,
It’s that time. My last day is finally here. I’ve just checked my bags and got my boarding passes from the Air France office so I’m ready to go tonight. Peace Corps is taking me to the airport around 8pm and my flight leaves just before 11pm in theory. My nerves always get a little jittery when I’m flying but today I don’t feel it much. I guess a part of me is no longer stressed at the prospect of travel...I became very accustomed to delays, cancellations, missing connecting transport, breakdowns, etc all in another language. Plus, I’m fairly confident I won’t have to sleep in the side of the road or ride on a plane with no windows, seats, or roof…
I’m so tired of goodbyes and am very much looking forward to some much anticipated greetings!! I’ve tried to enjoy my last few days in Mali and not dwell on the goodbyes. To do this well, I ate well. And often. And a lot. I decided to go out with a bang and so this week has been really fun.
I took the Peace Corps shuttle down on Sunday and stayed at the volunteer house in Bamako most of the week with the exception of one night when I splurged to stay at a quaint hotel downtown. Date nights are hard to come by but Justin and I did it well this week. We had cocktails at happy hour and an appetizer then a delicious meal plus dessert…I haven’t had that much good food in a long time. Plus the ambiance was really nice.
The Bamako National Park was opened last year for the 50th anniversary of their Independence Day and Justin and I went back in January and decided to go again because it was so nice. We even went to the “expat grocery store” and bought cheese, salami, bread and wine for a picnic in the park. It felt so normal. It’s funny to see Malian couples being affectionate too. In Bamako things are different. In Sebanso (most any village) I spent two years and still don’t know who is married to whom because there are rarely moments of affection shared. In the park it almost felt a little scandalous seeing so many couples holding hands or out on dates.
Last night I went to Indian food with Justin and a few friends and after properly foundering on a delicious dinner I decided I had room for ice cream so went to my favorite ice cream shop (there are now 2 ice cream shops…talk about sustainable development!).
The work aspect of this past week was fairly stressful but totally manageable and each day was productive but never overwhelming. I was cleared medically, tested Advanced-Middle in my final language Exam, had an exit interview with my boss and the country director of Mali, turned in all my Peace Corps books and bike and medical equipment…man did I acquire a lot of stuff over two years. It was frustrating working around so many people’s schedules but it feels pretty great having everything done.
I’m getting excited now with the flight just a few hours away…it finally seems real that I’m actually going. I said goodbye to Justin this morning, he took a Peace Corps shuttle up to his place in Bandiagara. It was a really hard goodbye but we have a couple of busy weeks ahead of us and I suspect they will pass quickly for us both. I guess I’ll close for now. It’s been a fabulous 27 months. I hope you’ve enjoyed the letters home and tomorrow afternoon, I’ll finally be home.
Much love,
Cait
It’s that time. My last day is finally here. I’ve just checked my bags and got my boarding passes from the Air France office so I’m ready to go tonight. Peace Corps is taking me to the airport around 8pm and my flight leaves just before 11pm in theory. My nerves always get a little jittery when I’m flying but today I don’t feel it much. I guess a part of me is no longer stressed at the prospect of travel...I became very accustomed to delays, cancellations, missing connecting transport, breakdowns, etc all in another language. Plus, I’m fairly confident I won’t have to sleep in the side of the road or ride on a plane with no windows, seats, or roof…
I’m so tired of goodbyes and am very much looking forward to some much anticipated greetings!! I’ve tried to enjoy my last few days in Mali and not dwell on the goodbyes. To do this well, I ate well. And often. And a lot. I decided to go out with a bang and so this week has been really fun.
I took the Peace Corps shuttle down on Sunday and stayed at the volunteer house in Bamako most of the week with the exception of one night when I splurged to stay at a quaint hotel downtown. Date nights are hard to come by but Justin and I did it well this week. We had cocktails at happy hour and an appetizer then a delicious meal plus dessert…I haven’t had that much good food in a long time. Plus the ambiance was really nice.
The Bamako National Park was opened last year for the 50th anniversary of their Independence Day and Justin and I went back in January and decided to go again because it was so nice. We even went to the “expat grocery store” and bought cheese, salami, bread and wine for a picnic in the park. It felt so normal. It’s funny to see Malian couples being affectionate too. In Bamako things are different. In Sebanso (most any village) I spent two years and still don’t know who is married to whom because there are rarely moments of affection shared. In the park it almost felt a little scandalous seeing so many couples holding hands or out on dates.
Last night I went to Indian food with Justin and a few friends and after properly foundering on a delicious dinner I decided I had room for ice cream so went to my favorite ice cream shop (there are now 2 ice cream shops…talk about sustainable development!).
The work aspect of this past week was fairly stressful but totally manageable and each day was productive but never overwhelming. I was cleared medically, tested Advanced-Middle in my final language Exam, had an exit interview with my boss and the country director of Mali, turned in all my Peace Corps books and bike and medical equipment…man did I acquire a lot of stuff over two years. It was frustrating working around so many people’s schedules but it feels pretty great having everything done.
I’m getting excited now with the flight just a few hours away…it finally seems real that I’m actually going. I said goodbye to Justin this morning, he took a Peace Corps shuttle up to his place in Bandiagara. It was a really hard goodbye but we have a couple of busy weeks ahead of us and I suspect they will pass quickly for us both. I guess I’ll close for now. It’s been a fabulous 27 months. I hope you’ve enjoyed the letters home and tomorrow afternoon, I’ll finally be home.
Much love,
Cait
September 1, 2011
Hey Everyone,
I just moved out of Sebanso yesterday and it was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. However, the next several weeks are going to be really busy and will help to distract me. I’m already a little intimidated at the thought of readjusting to life in America, but I’m excited to be home and back to some of the amenities I’ve gone without.
My last two weeks were as perfect as I could have asked for. Bah and I have been planning a goodbye party in my village that we had on Saturday night and it went off without a hitch. I invited some volunteers in my area and their homologues so I had four American friends that could come. My host family made an abundance of Zame (kind of like fried rice), woso (sweet potato fries), beans (I am a Coulibaly after all and we are the bean eaters), and we killed my goat. It was delicious and I nearly foundered. Afterwards we went to the common area where the chief of the village set up his TV to run off a generator and watch movies with the whole village. All the men made tea all night but the kids were enamored with the TV as it really was a rare occasion for them.
Sunday was my last church service and I bought some candy for the kids to give when they leave for Sunday school. It was a pretty uneventful evening which was nice to get back to the norm after the craziness of the day before. We were originally supposed to have my last animal raising cooperative meeting Sunday night, but much needed rain was in the horizon so we postponed it to Monday night which was again postponed to Tuesday, also due to the rain. It hadn’t rained since I got back so we were in desperate need of rain…and we weren’t disappointed. It rained all day Monday.
The week before I helped went with Bah and his family to weed the peanut fields. It was the first time I’ve ever been invited to work with them…Bah said he gave me my field to practice then when I proved competent he moved me to the “real” fields. I was quite proud of myself and villagers passing yelled out “Mali muso!!” which was really exciting in their recognition of my being a Malian woman.
Packing up my house turned into a several day event…I’d get sad and have to take a break. My last full day, Tuesday was mostly spent packing but the holy month of fasting, Ramadan, ended on Monday so Bah’s best friend Kardi had a small feast to celebrate on Tuesday afternoon. We only have a handful of Muslim families in my village (unlike the rest of the very Muslim country) but it’s nice to celebrate both Muslim and Christian holidays. The cooperative meeting finally took place Tuesday night and I said a few words to thank them for their hard work and prepared them for my replacement volunteer coming in December. I was proud of my composure up to this point but Wednesday was an entirely different story.
I got up early and took some pictures of my family that I can send to another volunteer to give to Bah once I get home. I had to finish packing and cleaning my hut, made much more complicated as I was constantly interrupted with people stopping by to say goodbye. Crying is culturally very inappropriate and I really tried my best not too, but the kids finally wore me down and then I was a mess the rest of the day. My host dad gave me beautiful Bogolon (mud died cloth) fabric and many others gave me peanuts or chickens, all of which are pretty standard gifts. Bah’s wife too woke up early and made me some bean cakes which I love and then cooked a chicken for lunch. After the final goodbye, I met a friend on the road who had a car and was on his way to San so he gave me ride which made logistics much easier than waiting for a bus to come by.
Everything seemed pretty daunting these past few weeks, it was my last everything. My last day at market, my last day in the fields, my last bike ride, etc, but when my actual last day finally came it was heartbreaking. It’s difficult knowing that I could never adequately tell my family how much they mean to me and knowing how long, if ever, it will be before I get to see them again. The kids were especially hard to say goodbye to. I can hug them without it being inappropriate which was nice. I know I followed all of Malian protocol in my goodbyes, but it was a little empty for me because it felt like a poor goodbye in American standards thus the kids were really important to me.
Now in San, I’m daunted at the task of packing. I acquired a lot of stuff over the two years and sorting through everyone is a multiple day event. I have to close my bank account today and want to make some muffins to give my San friends around town. Additionally I want to finish my paperwork before I get down to Bamako so I can make those last few days as stress free as I can manage. I leave a week from tomorrow and it doesn’t feel possible that I can get everything done before I go, but I suppose most everything I have to do is pretty routine and I’m just another volunteer to COS.
I hope everyone is well; I’ll try and get another update out just before I go, but I hope everyone has a good Labor Day weekend. Looking forward to seeing you all soon.
Love,
Cait
I just moved out of Sebanso yesterday and it was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. However, the next several weeks are going to be really busy and will help to distract me. I’m already a little intimidated at the thought of readjusting to life in America, but I’m excited to be home and back to some of the amenities I’ve gone without.
My last two weeks were as perfect as I could have asked for. Bah and I have been planning a goodbye party in my village that we had on Saturday night and it went off without a hitch. I invited some volunteers in my area and their homologues so I had four American friends that could come. My host family made an abundance of Zame (kind of like fried rice), woso (sweet potato fries), beans (I am a Coulibaly after all and we are the bean eaters), and we killed my goat. It was delicious and I nearly foundered. Afterwards we went to the common area where the chief of the village set up his TV to run off a generator and watch movies with the whole village. All the men made tea all night but the kids were enamored with the TV as it really was a rare occasion for them.
Sunday was my last church service and I bought some candy for the kids to give when they leave for Sunday school. It was a pretty uneventful evening which was nice to get back to the norm after the craziness of the day before. We were originally supposed to have my last animal raising cooperative meeting Sunday night, but much needed rain was in the horizon so we postponed it to Monday night which was again postponed to Tuesday, also due to the rain. It hadn’t rained since I got back so we were in desperate need of rain…and we weren’t disappointed. It rained all day Monday.
The week before I helped went with Bah and his family to weed the peanut fields. It was the first time I’ve ever been invited to work with them…Bah said he gave me my field to practice then when I proved competent he moved me to the “real” fields. I was quite proud of myself and villagers passing yelled out “Mali muso!!” which was really exciting in their recognition of my being a Malian woman.
Packing up my house turned into a several day event…I’d get sad and have to take a break. My last full day, Tuesday was mostly spent packing but the holy month of fasting, Ramadan, ended on Monday so Bah’s best friend Kardi had a small feast to celebrate on Tuesday afternoon. We only have a handful of Muslim families in my village (unlike the rest of the very Muslim country) but it’s nice to celebrate both Muslim and Christian holidays. The cooperative meeting finally took place Tuesday night and I said a few words to thank them for their hard work and prepared them for my replacement volunteer coming in December. I was proud of my composure up to this point but Wednesday was an entirely different story.
I got up early and took some pictures of my family that I can send to another volunteer to give to Bah once I get home. I had to finish packing and cleaning my hut, made much more complicated as I was constantly interrupted with people stopping by to say goodbye. Crying is culturally very inappropriate and I really tried my best not too, but the kids finally wore me down and then I was a mess the rest of the day. My host dad gave me beautiful Bogolon (mud died cloth) fabric and many others gave me peanuts or chickens, all of which are pretty standard gifts. Bah’s wife too woke up early and made me some bean cakes which I love and then cooked a chicken for lunch. After the final goodbye, I met a friend on the road who had a car and was on his way to San so he gave me ride which made logistics much easier than waiting for a bus to come by.
Everything seemed pretty daunting these past few weeks, it was my last everything. My last day at market, my last day in the fields, my last bike ride, etc, but when my actual last day finally came it was heartbreaking. It’s difficult knowing that I could never adequately tell my family how much they mean to me and knowing how long, if ever, it will be before I get to see them again. The kids were especially hard to say goodbye to. I can hug them without it being inappropriate which was nice. I know I followed all of Malian protocol in my goodbyes, but it was a little empty for me because it felt like a poor goodbye in American standards thus the kids were really important to me.
Now in San, I’m daunted at the task of packing. I acquired a lot of stuff over the two years and sorting through everyone is a multiple day event. I have to close my bank account today and want to make some muffins to give my San friends around town. Additionally I want to finish my paperwork before I get down to Bamako so I can make those last few days as stress free as I can manage. I leave a week from tomorrow and it doesn’t feel possible that I can get everything done before I go, but I suppose most everything I have to do is pretty routine and I’m just another volunteer to COS.
I hope everyone is well; I’ll try and get another update out just before I go, but I hope everyone has a good Labor Day weekend. Looking forward to seeing you all soon.
Love,
Cait
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