Last Days in Botswana

Last week I hosted the new Peace Corps volunteers for Mochudi- Megan and Jonathan- who will be helping at Stepping Stones International and Molefi Senior Secondary school. It was great to have the opportunity to meet them, especially Megan since she'll be taking my place! It was fun having company and helped me to cope with the stress that I've had lately at the thought of leaving and all that entails. It has been very difficult to adjust to the idea of leaving, especially leaving behind all the wonderful and kind people I've met here. The kids that I've worked with for the past 2 years have become my family, and it breaks my heart to not know if or when I'll see them again. My boss and her family, who have taken me into their home so often, will be hard to part with as well. The random friends who I've met at the post office, the hardware store, and other places on my aimless weekend walks through town have helped to make my experiences here special and always interesting.
The kids at Stepping Stones surprised me with a going away party, complete with dancing, singing, and a plethora of handmade cards and pictures. I couldn't help but break down when giving them my final speech of best wishes- the whole day was extremely touching and made me feel very loved.
I visited my host family from training, who I hadn't seen in over a year, and it was wonderful to reconnect with the people who helped me so much in the beginning- in those shaky times when I wasn't sure if I'd make it through training. It was nice to show them pictures of the different activities that I'd done with the kids, and to let them know how they helped make my time in Botswana fruitful.
On Saturday I will leave Botswana for the last time, embarking on the next adventure- I would like to say I'm excited to go to Zanzibar, but there is still so much to do between now and then! For now I'll just appreciate the last few days in this place that has helped me grow and change, that has shown me so much beauty and love, despite being a world away from home.