Saying Goodbye and Reflecting on the Past Two Years
I write this blog post stateside while sitting on my backyard deck in Iowa. For the first time in two years, I welcome the warmth of the sun rather than running away from it. The month of August was an emotional one. As I wrapped up my work in my community, I said tearful goodbyes to many friends and moved my belongings across the country to my new site. After nearly two days of traveling, I was welcomed home by my family who had been anxiously awaiting my month long stay in the U.S. Celebrating with my neighbors and farmers As I enjoy time with friends and family back home, along with the novelties of hot showers, refrigerators, and cool weather, I have started to reflect more on my past two years in Togo. I have received many questions from friends and family, and I am still learning how to best share my experience with others and talk about the things I have learned. My temporary return to the U.S. has been rather smooth; though walking into a Walmart was a bit of a shock, and ...