A Few Notes on Coming Home

I purchased a plane ticket. So I guess that means it is official :) I will be home on the 4th of December.

The plan is to leave my village sometime around 16th of November, and travel for a bit before coming home. My brother will be down here as well, so we will be hanging out in Belize, Guatemala, and flying home from Cancun.

I was kind of hoping goodbyes could all wait until the very last couple of days, but it doesn't seem to work that way. I am very excited to come home, I just wish it didn't involve leaving here, and having to say goodbye to all of the people I have shared the last two years with. Unfortunately, with a month left to go, the crying has already begun. Everywhere I go it is all anyone can talk about, and all they want to do is ask "Ms. when are you leaving us?", "Miss can I come with you", "Miss what if you marry _____ then you don't ever have to leave us..." In a way it is great, because I am hearing all kinds of things that I never thought I would hear, Mayan people aren't exactly known for their displays of emotion. Sadly, though, I don't know if I can handle a whole month of sad goodbyes. So I am hoping to soon figure out a way to make it a little more enjoyable.

Last night at the shop was the starting of the crying I guess. I am not even really sure how or why it started but it did. Mostly cause my friend Narda, that lives right next to the shop, was picking on me about leaving her again, and I had had a stressful day. So the two people at the shop I am always joking with, Tecla and her brother Macario, spent five minutes picking on me about leaving until I cried, and then probably fifteen minutes making me laugh until I stopped crying and they deemed I could go home.

So here are a few of my favorite in the just beginning saga of goodbyes:

Israel: He is one of my favorites. He is 7 years old and just like a little old man. If the computer I am using was from this century and had a place to use my USB drive I would have shown you a picture. When I first moved here (he was 5) I could not for the life of me figure out how to get this kid to go home from school if I was still there. Eventually I found out all he wanted was to shake my hand and say bye. So we had our daily hand shaking moment. Now I go to school and he yells "MY MEGAN!!!" even if he is in the classroom and I am still all the way across the field. At the independence day celebrations he ran up to me and hugged me and said "Miss I love you. Don't leave me"

Manuel: Manuel is a guy I have been working with for a long time on a project that finally got funding!!! I was talking to him two nights ago to tell him the news and he tells me. We will miss you. When you go home, you have to go to church so I can see you again in heaven.

Anaya: Anaya is my (almost) 5 year old God daughter. My first try of explaining I was leaving went like this:

Me: I am going home soon, Anaya.

Anaya: When will you be back?

Me: I am not going to come back for a very long time

Anaya: Will you be back for Christmas?

Try#2:

Me: Anaya I am leaving in a month

she gives me a giant hug

Me: I am not going to come back again

she gives me another giant hug

Me: will you miss me?

another giant hug

Anaya: when you leave can I have your shampoo bottle?

...

I haven't really figured out how to explain leaving to kids under 5 years old. Niselia still thinks my puppy is coming back and before I leave. Maybe she just went on vacation to the states? She just tells me I am lying everytime I tell her I will leave.

Anyway, thats what is going on right now. If I don't write again until I come home, then I apologize. I might, but I want to enjoy the next couple weeks. This is the end of my time here with the people I have come to know as my second family, and I want to enjoy it while I can.

I miss you all and I will see you soon.