Just*

Goodbye Kirambo...

Sorghum replaced the corn and now beans have taken the place of the sorghum. From my yellow house in the valley, I’ve watched the fields shift from purple, to red to lime green. In the middle of this rainy, bean season, I find myself saying an emotional goodbye to the North and preparing for next year’s adventure in southern Rwanda.

I had my final market day yesterday, which I took in slowly as I meandered the aisles and greeted everyone. We laughed, touched and chatted and I promised to return to visit. I commissioned my last project at the tailor while her child screamed and covered his eyes at the sight of me. I took photos of my kids and exchanged numbers with everyone (because everyone in Rwanda has a cell phone!).

I have loved my final moto rides, which cleared my head and fed my heart. The scenery in the North is so breathtaking. I will miss the hustle and bustle of Base, the town where I catch motos and am offered rides on bicycles, motorcycles and cars by smiling men that call me Umurerwa or Kayitesi.

I have taken the chance to say goodbye to my favorite villagers, like the shop keepers, Mama Shafik and her new baby, my dear old Mama Devotha and of course, my bestie Christine. She is my lifeline, my number one. We share walks, tea, meals, conversations, music and laughs. And recently we shared bacon and French toast. I will miss these friends. I will also miss my morning wake-up call from the mosque. And those children that drive me crazy… I will miss their echoes of “Good morning Penina!” that reverberate across the valley.

It has now been 13 months since I left for Peace Corps and this means over 11 months at site. I recently left site for a while and coming back helped me see just what those 11 months mean. Those months of exposure to a Peace Corps Volunteer have left my village open, accepting and loving. Upon my return, I was greeted with “where’ve you been?” and “we missed you!” and “our muzungu!” Absent was the judgment and hurt I was expecting. Cultural exchange is a huge goal of Peace Corps and it is happening… in fact it is working! I have settled into a comfortable pattern of life in which I have accepted many Rwandan traditions and norms but kept some of my own. My village seems to have accepted this too.

Someone recently challenged me to find things that I love in Rwanda. Can you tell by this blog post that there are many?

Just.

Final market day in my site

Some Peace Corps Volunteers acting like turkeys on Thanksgiving. Look at our feast!

*Rwandans often say "just" to mean yes. It drives us English teachers crazy.