Alex in Africa: July 2015

The time has come… I’ve reached the end of my service. I have just completed all of my Close of Service tasks and I will officially become a Returned Peace Corps Volunteer tomorrow!!! My flight leaves Windhoek at 7:10am and I should be arriving back in America on Saturday morning.

The past few months have flown by. Although blogging has been more or less nonexistent in my life this year, that doesn’t mean I haven’t been busy. I honestly don’t know where to begin when describing the end of my Peace Corps service. I definitely like to think that I’ve made the most of my situation and that I have had a very positive experience here.

But here I am. Packing my things one last time to make my luggage as compact as possible so I don’t get in trouble with the Airport Staff for having too many things. I have spent the last month or two trying to treasure every last moment and it’s been tough. I’m still trying to wrap my head around the fact that this is ending and I will never experience a life quite like this ever again. I’ve said goodbye to hundreds of people, said goodbye to colleagues, neighbors, friends and the place that I’ve called home for the last two years. However, I still feel like I’m gonna hop on a combi to Oshakati tomorrow instead of a plane back to the States.

Am I glad to be going back to America tomorrow? Yeahh! Am I going to miss Namibia? Absolutely yes! I’m going to miss the hell out of this country! I’ve gone through so much over the last two years. I’ve built so many friendships that will last a lifetime and created memories that will never be forgotten. My life tomorrow will once again change forever like it did when I stepped on that plane two years ago. I’ve grown and learned more than I could’ve imagined and even during some of my darkest days in Namibia, I have never regretted being here. I’ve met some of the most amazing people during my service and I will never forget them. They know who they are and I’m positive that I will see most of them again. But it won’t be the same. Tomorrow will be one of the most exciting and depressing days of my life.

Luckily, I believe my future is bright and I look forward to starting the next chapter of my life. I don’t really know where my life is heading but I do know that it is heading the right way. The future is a bit scary but after my experience in Namibia, I know I can handle anything and I’m thrilled to find out what my life is going to look like in the near future. It's going to be great. Thank you, Peace Corps, for putting me in this beautiful country. Thanks for the memories and thanks for the experience of a lifetime.

Tangi unene,

Alexa