All good-byes are hellos

Leaving Koudougou is so different from arriving.
The ville (:city) where I've been living and training for the last two months is finally comfortable.

I know the waitress at the restraunt where I often eat lunch, and she knows I like extra sauce with my spagetti. I've been invited over to eat to for lunch with some neighbors close to the learning center, and I've made friends with their children (as far as I can figure, there are six, all girls). I no longer offend my host mom by using the wrong form of "you" in French, and I may actually get her to smile if I can say something in Moore.

Me and my host Mom

Yesterday, though, I took my map off the wall of my room and packed  my things back into their travel bags. (I missed having my sister there to make everything fit). I gave my host family a few parting gifts, thanks to my parents' care package, which they enjoyed immensely. Then we ate some fish-- which is a big deal in a landlocked country--and in the end I said I'd be back when I can to visit. I couldn't help giving my mom a hug as well as the Burkinabe appropriate handshake/kisses when I left. I have never been a fan of good-byes, and I have loved my time here with these people.

But I know it's time to move on, because I have a village just waiting for me.

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Soon I will be taking my oath to become a 100 percent official volunteer. It is exactly one year since I first told someone my life plan after college was Peace Corps in Africa... go figure.

To those of you in the states, there is not much difference between my time as a stagaire and as a volonteer, because all of my time will have been away from you all. But I assure you, for me, there is great difference. Even after the excrutationgly long application process, you aren't really "in". My stage is amazing and talented and motivated, and since the beginning we've only had one person of the 31 who left us to go back home. But that is not always the case. Stage (PST) is demanding and so is adjusting to Burkina, and even if you make it through all of that, becoming a volunteer is not a given.

I am excited and proud to offically take the oath Thursday, dressed up in my appropriately fancy (somewhat tacky) burkinabe wear at the Ambassador's house. I have a hat. (For this clearly I will HAVE to figure out how to get pictures up).

At the ambassador's podium after swear-in



But Thursday is not what I'm really waiting for... that would be Saturday. Saturday is an important day to talk to God if that's your thing, because it will be my first day in village. I am a bit overwhelmed at the prospect of setting up a house, greeting the chief and village leaders appropriately, meeting my counterpart the Major, and figuring things out in a place where no one will ever speak my first language.

But I know it's time to move on, because I am just waiting for my village.



The "Cool" Health Stage (COS 12-12)