Leaving Africa

Good-bye, Africa!

On our last night at Falcos, we had a big talent show. We had known about this since the beginning so the kids were prepared and did lots of fun dancing or drumming numbers. Us volunteers also did a variety of things. I put together a Zumba dance number and got all the kids up with me that liked to dance. We formed a circle and they just copied my moves as the music played. They were AWESOME and it was a blast. I wish I had video of it!

Josie did her amazing, playing backwards and upside down, piano trick!

My favorite by FAR was the last number performed by Kianna and Dana. They sang "When I'm Gone" and did that cup turning/beat thing. It was BEAUTIFUL! I had no idea they had such gorgeous voices! They lyrics made us all cry. Perfect ending to our trip here.

The kids had made thank you cards for some of us and I felt lucky to get one. Those globs of color are some molding clay that a volunteer brought. I guess they thought it was a good decoration, haha.

That night, Olivia, Josie and I congregated on Josie's bed and talked and laughed the night away. Poor Brighton was sick on the bunk above us. We were also simultaneously trying to dodge a rogue mosquito that was flying around! I hadn't been so great at taking all my malaria pills and was not about to get bit by a mosquito now, lol! Luckily, with it not being the wet season, we hadn't really seen any mosquitoes at all. 

It was SUCH a fun night. One of those nights complete with hysterical laughter, deep feelings shared, crying and inside jokes. But by 4am when we finally went to sleep I was slightly regretting it all! If I only understood HOW bad the trip home was going to be...

Our last, big group picture! We had hugged and cried and said goodbye after the talent show and we did all over again that morning. 

We packed and cleaned up, eating our last breakfast in that tent I wasn't sad to leave behind. 

The staff helped us get our bags onto the buses. How had I missed Chris Rock up until this point?!

While our travels HERE at least allowed for a night's sleep at that lodge before the 6 hour bus ride to the orphanage, the trip home was a straight, loooooong shot. It was officially my birthday, July 21, and I spent the whole day on that dusty bus, slowly making our way back to Arusha and the airport. 

We stopped once at a convenience store and I bought the most delicious hazelnut, ice cream bar. Happy birthday to me!

So love Sadie's photo bomb in the background!

It was a torturous process once we got to the airport. Long, hot lines to fill out the custom forms and pass through security. Cranky workers and dirty commodities. We waited in the terminal for a couple of hours. I was desperate for some sort of good food to buy, having nothing since breakfast and my ice cream bar, but a protein bar had to suffice. I just had to stifle my worst fears of something going wrong and not being able to get on that plane. Suddenly my greatest desire was to leave this place and just GET HOME. 

But we did it! We left Kilimanjaro and made it to Qatar. This time, we didn't have time to eat or shop, it took all our time to just pass through customs again. I have no idea why but we had to go through at least 3 security stations! It was awful! And they were being super nit-picky. Collapsing onto that last plane felt good!  

Oh glorious airplane food!! 

Sadie slipped me half an Ambian as I was DETERMINED to sleep these last 14 hours. It helped me doze for about 3. THREE!!! That was it! I was beyond functioning. I felt my nerves itching. The seat next to me must have been puked on, on the previous flight because it smelled of vomit. I had a middle seat again and can't tell you how many times I cursed my long legs. I was losing my mind. All those aspirations to travel from the beginning of the trip were being kicked out the door! I NEVER wanted to board another airplane as long as I lived!!! 

When we landed in Philidelphia, I took my carry-on into the bathroom and tried to take a baby-wipe shower. I changed my clothes and bought a smoothie and pretzel. I was starting to feel human again. And best reward yet, I had an AISLE seat on our last flight home! 

I sat down, only to have Ryan walk up and tell me he had the middle seat next to me. 

*CRAP*

Ryan is 6'5". I knew there was no way I could let him have the middle seat. He protested but I insisted we switch seats. It was OK, I told myself. Only 6 hours and I'd be home!!

I wasn't expecting to see my family until we were at baggage claim so I was completely blindsided when 3 little kids started screaming, "Mommy!!!" and came running toward me. I dropped all my bags and gathered them up in the biggest hug. I couldn't help it... the tears came. OH!!! This felt SO GOOD!!! I looked up at the amazing man who had made all of this possible. The amazing man in the beard. ;) HOW I LOVE HIM!!!! I could never express my gratitude. He didn't just LET me go. He did so with encouragement and happiness and didn't let me feel an OUNCE of guilt. He is beyond all comprehension. I didn't even know men like this existed. But he's mine. I could never repay him. And all my family that helped with my kids. Everyone was so generous with their help and support. It was the weirdest moment to know that something I had stressed about and had unending anxiety over for a month, was over. And I didn't have to take one Xanax. I never even felt close to needing one. I was blessed. I could never deny that. Travis assured me that everything went great while I was gone. No sick kids. No emergencies. He said he really felt helped.

 I'm not sure why I needed this experience. It was hard and uncomfortable and exhausting. But it also deeply changed me. Gave me new perspectives. And eternal gratitude.  I didn't come home with an adopted child, but I returned with a more thankful heart and memories I'll reflect on forever. Those little faces taught me humility and love in a way I'd never experienced before. Thank you, Falco's Children's Village. It was a privilege.