Yet again. Getting in a car, then a ferry, then a plane, then another plane, then a train, then a bus, back to little Sheffield. Sending in a re-re-re-revised version of the baseline report this morning and hoping it is good enough to be THE final edition.
There are many things I will not miss saying goodbye to here; cockroaches easily top that list, followed by late-night dog fights, stifling humidity, sweating through a t-shirt at 7am, mouldy everything, the impossibility to ever get anything dry in the middle of the dank rainy season. I have missed things and people (one in particular) back home much more on this trip than others before, which has made it harder than usual to adjust to the inevitable discomforts of a third world country.
I WILL miss.... doing laundry and feeling that it’s the greatest physical accomplishment of my week.
I will miss cooking dinner and having the sounds of all the neighbours cooking filter in through the broken kitchen windows, and feeling that I am part of a loud and warm community.
I will miss the indescribable joy a perfectly ripe mango can bring, for a mere 25 cents.
I will miss the office banter that happens when the internet quits working and people are bored.
I will miss the kids in the street who grin up at you when you raise your eyebrows at them.
I will miss the women who carry unthinkably large loads on their heads so effortlessly.
I will even miss the men who holler ‘white girl’ at you as if urgently informing you of your skin colour and gender.
I will miss Monday night runs through little villages, big rivers, and rocky garbage dumps with the Freetown running club.
I will miss the indescribable privilege of sitting with young people giving up a valuable hours of work in their fields to share their thoughts about private and sensitive topics with me so honestly.
I miss all of you. Looking forward to being close[r] to you soon.
I will miss cooking dinner and having the sounds of all the neighbours cooking filter in through the broken kitchen windows, and feeling that I am part of a loud and warm community.
I will miss the indescribable joy a perfectly ripe mango can bring, for a mere 25 cents.
I will miss the office banter that happens when the internet quits working and people are bored.
I will miss the kids in the street who grin up at you when you raise your eyebrows at them.
I will miss the women who carry unthinkably large loads on their heads so effortlessly.
I will even miss the men who holler ‘white girl’ at you as if urgently informing you of your skin colour and gender.
I will miss Monday night runs through little villages, big rivers, and rocky garbage dumps with the Freetown running club.
I will miss the indescribable privilege of sitting with young people giving up a valuable hours of work in their fields to share their thoughts about private and sensitive topics with me so honestly.
I miss all of you. Looking forward to being close[r] to you soon.
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