Wow…. I feel so proud of myself today. I'd planned an HIV/AIDS student
workshop for 43 people with 2 Mozambicans and it didn't fall to
pieces! It took me 2 weeks to plan, hours of typing, making copies,
budgeting, phone calls, but it was so worth it when we ended the
conference today, and I felt like the students actually learned
something from it. I actually felt the satisfaction that every
volunteer longs to feel, the satisfaction that you are doing something
worthwhile with your time here, and that deep down, a part of you did
join Peace Corps to help others. Did I had times where I just wanted
to wring their necks out and slap them all? Sure! There is no sense of
schedule or time here. Were there times when I'd felt like this was
pointless? Definitely! In the beginning, I was so frustrated when
things didn't go as planned, just as anyone would when they've put so
much work into planning something and just want it to go well. I had
to remind myself so many times to take deep breaths and that I
wouldn't have to deal with this way of living for much longer, but
when I finally let go and just admit that things are never going to go
as you planned here, no matter how well you planned, it went so much
better than I thought! The students had fun and learned something. I
had fun, as well. I don't know really want to go into too much
details, but I'm just so ecstatic to I have accomplished such a task.

On another topic, I wrote earlier that I didn't have to live in these
conditions anymore. It means that I'm going to finish my service soon,
6 months! It did fly pretty quick, but as of this moment, I'm so
excited to go home. I haven't seen any of my family or friends for 20
months, and even though I've made new friends here, I really miss
everyone from home, as well. I miss all the food from back home….oh,
the food. Even in my dreams, I think about hot wings and pho and
sushi. What I wouldn't give for some McDonald's… Though I am preparing
to go home, I also have this nagging feeling, maybe fear, maybe
anxiety (I don't know, can't quite tell yet). It's very similar to the
feeling I had before I came, maybe it's a fear of the unknown. I don't
really know what America's like anymore, haven't kept up with the
news, the music, or the culture. And even though I miss everyone, how
do I know that the ones that I've missed are still the same people
that I've missed, ya know what I mean? People change, and I'm going to
have to rebuild all that up again. Guess that's kind of exciting, too,
cause you know, I'm kind of over this experience. It was really good,
and it will continue to be good until I finish, but the excitement is
all gone. I'm ready for something new. Can't wait to get home!