It’s official: I’m an RPCV (Returned Peace Corps Volunteer)! They cut my ID card this morning as the last step in my COS process.  I’m now sitting in the bureau on my last full day in Togo, packing and repacking my bags and getting super stoked for my trip to Tanzania which starts tomorrow. I’ll be there for two weeks, then back to Wisconsin on Oct. 7^th.

As much as people tell me goodbye and congrats, it still hasn’t hit me that I’m leaving. My last week in Mogou was a blur—cleaning out my house, giving gifts, having my last dinner with Affaires. He was so, so great! We hung out all week, set up an email account for him, and reflected back on my two years. It all went well, that is, until my last night in village when I started not feeling well. After a quick check up at the clinic in Dapaong, I found out I’d contracted malaria and amoebas at the same time. No fun. I felt terrible, which I think diverted my attention from the emotions of leaving, but recovered after a few days and am feeling better now. It’s funny, I had a relatively very healthy service right up until my very last day in Mogou. Saved it all for the end!

Well, I’ll have to keep this short, but will be home soon enough to update you all in person! A bientot!

Well, to be honest with you, I did write two blog posts since my last post. I just never uploaded them. And I think it’s for the best… they were, um, a little bitter sounding. I was in an eager to-get-to-the-end-of-my-service rut for much of July, and when you’re sitting at the bottom of the culture shock roller coaster it’s best just to keep your mouth shut.

But now! I’m still riding the “post-camp high” from Camp Etoiles du Nord—what a blast! It was an even bigger success than last year, in my opinion, and the girls didn’t want to leave. We packed the schedule with activities, but the girls were still not too tired for dancing and singing every night. I especially loved working with our awesome team of women who organized, led sessions, cooked delicious food, and sang and danced right along with the girls. We had 6 university girls who are originally from the Mango area, and they were a big help to us and inspiration to the girls. The 3 law students led a really interesting session on girls/women’s rights in Togo, and they all talked with the girls and shared their stories in the evenings. On the last night, we held a certificate ceremony with all the people who’d helped out throughout the week. One of the university girls insisted that each of the “staff,” including our panelists, the university girls, facilitators, and organizers, do their own ethnic dance to go up and collect their certificate… and the place went wild. Everyone was so happy and cheering each other on, my PCV friend had to elbow me and tell me not to cry, because I was starting to tear up. It just hit me: this is Togo, and I’m leaving this in a month. Of course I pulled it together, but since then I’ve been looking at Togo through some rosy, nostalgic glasses.

Immediately following camp, we went down to Lomé for our Close of Service (COS) conference, which was amazing. We stayed at a beautiful hotel on the beach, complete with hot running water showers and butter on the breakfast table. It was extremely helpful: we got sessions on resumes and interviews, how to explain our service to employers and family alike, and tips for dealing with readjustment in America. And again, the butter. I loved it. Even the more so because it was all Peace Corps doing it, saying “thank you” and “good job”, which was a big departure from the usual “don’t be late to turn in your VRF” and was not lost on us. It was also really nice to hang out with my stage, all together for the last time. I realize I’ve made some fantastic friends here, and just being in a group of volunteers is something I’m going to miss.

I’m down here again in Lomé for the new stage’s swearing-in ceremony, which is going to be a big deal this year: 50 years of Peace Corps in Togo. Rumor has it the President might come… We all have matching pagne and are going to look sharp just in case. It will be great to see my replacement swear-in, and I’m also taking advantage of the opportunity to get some COS paperwork/ stuff done.

Then, back up for my last days in Mogou! My replacement moves in around the 14^th, so I gotta be out before then. Last marché day, last drinks of tchakpa, last time with some of my friends. Affaires and I are going to go into Mango to set him up with a gmail account, so hopefully that will make staying in touch with him easier. It’s weird, I have days when I can’t wait to get home and get started on my life back in America, and then others (or even later in the same day) when I don’t want to leave. I mean, I will never see most of these people, people I can call my friends, ever again. I will never live in a village in Africa again, and from this experience I’ve gotten to see so many things I otherwise wouldn’t have. I’ve really benefited from getting a first-hand account of Togolese culture, which would have been very difficult to do from living in the capital. And it’s given me the inspiration for planning the rest of my life! Which was always the goal… along with challenging myself, a goal accomplished a thousand times over.

So, I’m off to buy presents! I’m getting matching pagne for Affaires, Beau Père, Salamatou, and the gang, except they won’t know they’re matching until they start wearing it around village after I’m gone, haha.

2 weeks to go!