(going) back home again!

Today's blog is for all my volunteer friends who are leaving today or tomorrow.  If we're done with our work and all squared away with Peace Corps stuff we can leave (with permission of course) up to a month early, which is today.  I know that 3 out of 4 of the volunteers still in B that were with me in Varshets left/are leaving today or tomorrow.  Our pst in Varshets was hard and the 6 of us (one went home already) survived!  I made some friends that I will have for life and even have a potential illustrator for my children's books (if that goes anywhere.  That's also something I have to look into when I get back to the States!)  Our ages (in May 2010)  ranged from 24 (or 23?) year old Sean from California to 68 year old Naomi from Texas.  Naomi was quite the inspiration.  Not sure why but she lived in the house farthest away (by quite a bit) from the training center where we studied (our home base) in Varshets.   She enjoyed telling us stories of her being part of crews on sailing ships.  I remember her telling us that during pst (Varshets) she and her family spoke in Italian a lot because they both knew Italian and B wasn't coming to her as quickly as some of our pst mates...and I was right there with her-except for the Italian part!  After the first couple weeks in Varshets our language class split (it just kind of happened) into 2 groups, the persons who were picking up the language fairly quickly and could speak well, and Naomi, Marisa, and myself who were coming along at a slower pace.   Naomi and I decided one day to practice what we had learned in class, how to order a meal.  We went to this little kafe; we were so nervous!  When the menus came we saw that there were pictures as well as the B description of the dishes and we were very happy.  We ordered (by pointing to the pictures and using very minimal B) and our meals came.  After a few seconds we both looked at each other and said "I don't think this is what I wanted."  THen one of our sitemates came in with the better B and ordered a beer and started chatting with the waitress and Naomi and I just looked at each other and sighed.  When we became volunteers and left for our individaul sites on the 23rd of July 2010, I cried as I watched their train leave.  It felt like one chapter of my life was ending; I guess it was.  The 6 of us literally did just about everything together for those 11 weeks and were so ready to NOT see each other everyday!  I'm of course speaking for myself but I think that was the general consensus of the rest as well.  So to all the volunteers leaving today or tomorrow I want to thank you for serving with me.  I of course knew some better than others; with a group of 87 it's hard to know everyone well.  Our group had a lot of volunteers from California.  Service to others, as well as learning from others, is important.  Thank you for beiing willing, and having the courage, to see outside of yourselves and comit to anothr country for almost 2 1/2 years!  Have safe travels and всичко хубаво!  (God) bless you!  Love and hugs from me!