Last Post From Dakar

So, as has been mentioned, my stay here has really come to its end. My flight leaves tonight, and I should arrive back in the US on tomorrow evening (fingers crossed!).

The past few weeks have been a really nice send-off. I finished up my time at APECSY last week, and celebrated my birthday with friends with a picnic at Îles des Madeleines last weekend.

Left to right: Me, Claire, the ferryman, Jillian, and Bennett. Photo by Brenda.

This week I had my final classes and presentations for MSID. I've said so many goodbyes already, and it's terribly bittersweet. I prefer "ba beneen yoon" (until next time) and "au revoir" (goodbye, but more literally, to meet again) to anything more final, because I know I will be back.

I remember coming here and having trouble believing I could ever feel at home here. Yet today, I went to the market in HLM for souvenir shopping (a lot of cloth, candy, and tea), and began walking away in search of a set of tea glasses. I was walking in the direction of Mermoz, where I live, and decided I would take a taxi when I got tired or lost. As it was, I made it all the way back - this after I got lost in my own neighborhood the first week! It felt like a real accomplishment.

I shared my last plate of ceebu-jën with my host family this afternoon, though we still have dinner to look forward to tonight. I'll be doing a little more shopping and hanging around, and trying to let the knowledge that I'm leaving in under eight hours set in. It still hasn't.