Still the Luckiest Girl in the World

I have been in Tanzania for almost 16 months and I have had to travel for one reason or another, often more than once, in every single one of those months.  I would have thought that at this point I would have at least gotten to a point of indifference with packing but no such luck.  I still hate doing it and I am currently sitting in my living room procrastinating just as I usually do.  All nighter, here I come!  This time, though, that feeling of dread that seems to be cemented to the idea of packing is accompanied by my goofy grin as I am about to start my journey home to see all of the people I love the most in my life. 

My first destination is The Ranch, my grandparents’ house, and I can already see myself curling up in front of a fire while I read my book and listen to the not-so-silent silence of the old house.  This after the huge hugs I will get from two people I love dearly.  

While this excitement and anticipation pulses through my veins, my impending trip home is also serving as a reminder of how much I love this place and how amazingly lucky I am to be able to have this experience.  Thinking about leaving now is making me wonder how I will ever be able to say goodbye to this place, and all of the wonderful people I have met, permanently when it’s time to move on to my next adventure.  How will I be ok with getting up and going to work or school or whatever after Peace Corps at a place where I cannot see the 100 beautiful smiles that I have become so accustomed to seeing everyday?  All it takes is the slightest change in my facial expression or the littlest bit of silliness to get them laughing and those smiles and that sound have become a drug for me.  I'm addicted!

Do you want to know what else has got me flying high?  Of the 520ish tests I graded, about 110 of those were the math tests of the Form 3 girls that I teach.  Even before the test I had students coming to ask me, not only for help with their math (unheard of), but also for extra math problems to practice on their own (even more unheard of).  Their enthusiasm in their studies showed as I marked exam after exam and I saw that they had breezed through problems they found impossible after learning how to do them at the beginning of the year.  The student with the highest score in the class got a score 20 points above her average and when I told her she got the top score, the expression on her face made my heart so incredibly happy, I wanted to cry. It’s strange to see what kinds of things in my Peace Corps service make me feel successful because they seem so small to me when I look at them from an American perspective.  My students still have a long way to go with their math skills but their gears are starting to turn the right way for it and I couldn’t be prouder of them.  Watching them progress in their studies, specifically in math, is beyond enough for me right now.   How lucky am I, then, that I also have a fantastic relationship with them?    I'd say I'm the luckiest girl in the world.  

I am so incredibly grateful for the life I have.   A fitting statement for the week after Thanksgiving.   I want to finish of my last blog of the year by saying how thankful I am for the support system I have, both at home and abroad.  I have the most amazing family and friends all over the world and they all love me way more than they should.  I am beyond honored to know and love all of you.  So, thank you so very much.  Any success I see here is as much yours as it is mine as there is no way this adventure would be even remotely possible without all of you. 

Happy Holidays!