Thank You Very Much Bye Bye

In the words of our cook, Harry, a big "Thank you very much bye bye" to Malawi. I have changed my plans once again and will be flying out to Joburg on Monday, the 6th. I am actually quite sad to be leaving Malawi early, but I have wrapped up many of my projects and it seems time to move on. I am unsure how long I will be in Joburg, but may return home rather soon. We will see with flight changes, etc. It had been an incredible year, but I am also ready to see family and friends. Things could change again so I will keep you posted.
Things I will miss about Mwaya...

• Waking up at 5am and hearing the night watchman talking loudly in Chitonga while I try to get a few more minutes of sleep
• Using my headtorch from 5pm onward and covering myself in mosquito repellent
• Watching for snakes on the path as I walk
• Being bombarded by children yelling, "mzungu" and "give me money"
• The wonderful people of Mwaya especially the staff at Ripple
• The openness of expression of the people. The freeness of hugs and emotions.
• The Mwaya library with many books I have not had time to read and sharing library breakfasts with Mr. Longwe and Japhert
• Cramming onto minibuses that are already too full
• Deciding between vegetable stew, vegetable curry, mashed potatoes, fish stew, or lentils for dinner
• An unbelievably beautiful lake that can change from crystal clear calmness to crashing waves
• The other international volunteers that have become good friends
• The amazing friends I have made that I will likely never see again that unfortunately don't have internet access.

To all of this and much more, I say thank you. And to those who have ever considered traveling to Africa, come to Ripple Africa at Mwaya Beach.