Wow. I can’t believe I’m already writing the “one month to go” post! But here it is.
On May 3rd, I will climb aboard an Air Botswana flight and begin an epic 36 hour journey back to the US. That means that as of today – April 4th – I have less than one month left in my Fulbright. I am already so excited I can hardly stand it – the thought of getting to hug my sister, go shopping with Mom, snuggle with my two kitties, and enjoy Dad’s grill-meister skills is too much to bear.
Yesterday was a tough day, to be honest. I had a dream (more like a sleeping memory) of what it was like to leave DC: the night before I said goodbye to my darling sister, and then on August 3rd I finished packing and climbed into my parent’s car for the ride to the airport. And then, after a very tearful goodbye to my parents, I passed through security and boarded my plane. So when I woke up yesterday morning, it was with the leftover pain of those goodbyes lingering in my mind. Throughout the day I kept having flashbacks to those memories, and they made me all the more anxious to return home and see everyone.
Today I’m feeling much better…having had a good night’s sleep (free of any dreams at all) I am re-focused on getting work done and enjoying the rest of my time here. This weekend will be low-key because a lot of people have plans with family. Next weekend Pallavi, Kat and I are headed to Dinaka Safari Lodge for the weekend. I can’t wait to see the Kalahari! And then it’ll be just a few short weeks until I head home.
In the meantime, I’ve decided to revisit my “Countdown” series in anticipation of my impending departure. And of course, I have to write about my trips to South Africa, Tanzania and Kenya. You know when you put something off because it seems like an impossibly huge task? Well, I’m putting my foot down…no more procrastination! So keep an eye out for all these posts in the near future.
Time flies, eh?
Keep focused and enjoy every last day in Botswana. When you look back on your time there, you’ll realize how quickly it went by!