I hate goodbyes!

I'm back in Bamako, after waking up at 3 a.m. to catch the 4:30 bus (which didn't leave until 5:30...grrrr!). I left Segou this morning after spending all day yesterday traveling around town saying goodbye to everyone I've known for the past two years. It's been an emotional rollercoaster this past week.

After Patty and Maria left last Saturday morning, I stayed in Bamako one more day to meet up with Steffen. He was on his way to Germany then Florida to visit his fiance Danielle. Since he won't be returning to Mali until mid-August, we had one last dinner in Bamako and said our goodbyes. That was the first time I cried. The next day (Sunday), I spent eight hours trying to bus back to Segou. Once I finally got back into town, I met up with all my Peace Corps friends in my region for a goodbye party. It was really fun to see them all again -- especially since it was the last time all of us would be together in Mali. On Monday, I began packing and sifting through two years of paperwork and what not. I also gave away Jaba and Gus....Jaba went to my friend Tamara (who's extending for a third year in the city of San), and Gus went to Kyle (who's extending for a third year in Bamako...although I think my friend Kate's eventually going to take him when she can meet up with Kyle). It broke my heart to give them away -- that was by far the most I've cried since being here. It's too bad that my new apartment in Ann Arbor doesn't take pets...I would have loved to take them back to the US. I also said goodbye to Emily, Kyle and Casey that day (as well as the employees at CARE, where I taught English), so I was pretty much an emotional wreck for the whole day. Tuesday, I woke up early to begin saying goodbye to everyone. I started at the CRPA, where I met with all my coworkers and Mme. Koumare. We all said a few words, exchanged some gifts and said our goodbyes.

(Amadou, Kalifa, Mme. Koumare, me, Mariam and Keita...all the CRPA employees)

Afterwards, Mme. Koumare and I went out to Masseye's house (the president of Yiriwaso, the women's tailoring school where I did that accounting project). Masseye was just recently married, and by custom she was staying at home for 15 days after the wedding. She gave me a necklace and a pagne, and we exchanged our blessings. I barely made it out of there without crying (Malians don't cry in public, so I was trying not to make them feel awkward).

(Mme. Koumare, Masseye's grandmother, Masseye and me at her home)

After Masseye's house, Mme. Koumare and I stopped at a "rotisserie" restaurant and shared a giant plate of liver (I think!) and onions. It was our last meal together, so I enjoyed it (despite not really liking liver). We then moved onto Nieleni, a women's cooperative that produces bogolan, fruit syrups, and wool rugs. They presented me with even more gifts -- I was shocked but touched at how generous everyone was as I was saying goodbye potentially for good. It's amazing how I didn't realize what close friendships and bonds I'd made with people until it was time to leave them. Finally, I went home to finish packing. I walked around my neighborhood and said goodbye to all my neighbors. I also took a break around lunch time to visit Club des Meres (where I did the boutique renovation). Again, I was presented with a cute purse and more gifts. I also gave them the pens, crayons, watercolor paints, and rulers that Maria and Patty brought over, since they also run an elementary school next to their boutique. They were so happy to receive the gifts. They wanted me to thank Maria and Patty...so thanks guys!

(Djelica, the woman near my house who sells onions, peppers, dried fish, peanut butter, etc.)

I was planning to leave Segou last night, and my friend Karim came over to see me off. But my guard, Issa, was nowhere to be found. I couldn't leave forever without saying goodbye (we've been living next to each other since December), so I waited and missed the last bus. But it worked out, because I got to go out to a nice last dinner with Yuri in town, and I ended up saying goodbye to about 10 other people that I wouldn't have had the opportunity to do otherwise. A lot of Malians exchanged email addresses with me (times are a-changin'), and some even asked for my phone number in the US. So, Mom and Dad, if you get any random phone calls from Bambara-speaking West Africans asking for Djeneba, you'll know they're for me! :-) I already can think of dozens of people that I didn't say a final goodbye to, but I guess that's what happens when you live in a city of more than 100,000 people. It's been pretty emotional, and I haven't even left the country yet! Now I'm in Bamako trying to do all my final paperwork, medical check ups and everything else (not to mention hanging out with my friends who've come into Bamako to see me off). I know these next two days are going to fly by, and I'll be back in Seattle sipping a Starbucks by Saturday!