Numbered Days

As always the final few weeks have flown by in a blur. Somehow it's already December 8th. This Saturday I pack my bags and say goodbye to Longido. Happiness and I will travel to Monduli (near Arusha) so I can visit with her Mom and little Bryan pre-departure. Then I'll head into Arusha and likely spend my last few African days there...reacquainting myself with hot running water, television and an abundance of fresh fruit...perhaps I'll even manage a bit of Christmas shopping as I doubt I'll be up for much of that on my return to Ottawa. I fly out on Wednesday evening and arrive in snowy (?) Ottawa on Thursday night, after a 12 hour layover in Amsterdam.

And, as always, my feelings about leaving are truly ambivalent...it's always so hard to say goodbye to people I've become so close to. This time it's hard to leave when the project is just gearing up...I'll miss the almost daily excitement as new hurdles get jumped and the project moves forward. I'll miss the warm sunshine even if it does wear me down. I'll miss marsala chai...all spicy and milky and yummy enough that it could (almost) induce me to give up on my morning coffee. I'll miss being 'koko Jo' to all my little ones...and starting each day with hugs and smiles from their adorable wee faces.

But 'home' has it's pulls as well. Family and Christmas and my trusty beagle await. I'm really energized about starting some serious fund raising, now that I know what's at stake and how much change we can bring about for so little money. I'm looking forward to starting back to school – one more course in my International Community Development certificate and a foray into Philosophy as I try my hand at a first Applied Ethics course at the Dominican University. I'm looking forward to seeing how the new and improved Jo re-adapts to life in Canada with a decidedly different viewpoint on life and love than on departure...excited to see what's around the next corner.