One Week

The final countdown is here, and I’m experiencing the full range of emotions. I’m excited to be coming home, of course – especially for Christmas – I’m excited to see everyone and finally spend some real time with people. It is also hitting me, however, that this is the last week I will spend with the people I have fallen in love with here. I can use that term casually at times, but I truly have grown to love some individuals here and thinking of goodbye makes me hurt – the hurt that I can actually feel in my chest. I have left places and people before, and it has never been easy… but this seems very different. I don’t know if and when I will see them again. I have already cried many tears with teachers; I have learned in this phase that tears, like smiles, are a common language. Last week I was sitting at the table in our “office” with Srey, a teacher here. She was talking through a translator, and tears started streaming down her face – which prompted the same response from me. Another teacher came behind me and wrapped her arms around me. It was special – these relationships always have been. The same is happening in the classroom. I told the kids we had to sing our Christmas songs by the 14th, because the 15th is the day I fly out… and the entire atmosphere changed. The kids froze, and one girl covered her face. She started giggling because she was embarrassed that she was crying, but I joined her soon enough, and we all laughed. THIS IS ROUGH! But it indicates that a lot of very meaningful relationships were established over the course of the last year, and that was what I hoped for when I started this journey. We are making the moments count – I went roller skating with the ninth graders (which I really believe is more dangerous than riding a moto in rush hour traffic), then joined grade ten at the arcade the next weekend. Five eighth grade girls asked if they could come to my house to cook food together, so on Sunday they are coming to bake cookies. Those are the moments I treasure, and the memories that last much longer than a grammar lesson.
We will have a few more times together as a staff too – Friday we are going to the village of our security guard again, and Dad will join us this time. Dad and I have also been invited to the home of Thy, my dear friend from the school. He wants us to join his family for dinner, and a couple of my true blue bachelor colleagues will be there too (I have really connected with two of the guys at the school – all three of us are 30 and single, so we have our own club, which includes going to every staff party/event and chowing down). The final party will be the night we fly out. We are going to have a big staff dinner at the school before our midnight flight. The tenth graders are planning on being there too, and already have arrangements to accompany us to the airport on motos. They are so cool. I’m beyond grateful for the people at the school I have come to know and love. They have taken such good care of me for the last year, and have really become my family here. It’s amazing that such strong bonds can form despite language and culture. I’ve decided the idea of love and friendship and connection is a big ol’ mystery to me, but I get to reap the fruit of it, and I consider myself very lucky.
The most difficult person to say goodbye to is my friend Beate. We can party and play and laugh til it hurts, but we have also had some incredibly deep moments. She not only shared this leg of the journey with me, but became my other leg. She helped me stand. I find myself wondering why we meet people like this, then have to go separate ways. Man, I can’t even write this without choking up! A friendship like this surprised me, but it also gives me a lot of hope. I know there are very inspiring people willing to go great lengths for others (she gives and supports like nobody I have known), and I can see that powerful relationships will continue to be built if we are open to them. Here’s to soul sistas!!
I’m grateful to have Dad here as I leave. He has met all of my close friends and can now relate on a new level. His presence here is also a very good reminder that I have so many special relationships to return to. I am eager to have community and family, and my posse. I have a new appreciation for those things!! I’m happy that I get to sing with my family on Christmas and be home to greet the babies of my two best friends and start changing diapers. This transition phase reminds me of my Grandma Beryl – she would say,”This grand ol’ world in which we live is mighty hard to beat. There comes a thorn with every rose, but aren’t the roses sweet.”