Well, it has finally arrived! I am officially a RPCV, Returned Peace Corps Volunteer--except for that returned part. I have begun the grand adventure! As if I just haven't gotten enough of West Africa after 5 months in Mali before the coup, and 20 months in Burkina, I feel I must have MORE!
I left my little village of Ouarkoye (ok, maybe 10 000 people isn't so little) in Burkina Faso about three weeks ago, through a maelstorm of tears, the majority of them my own (I think my cat, Tequilla, shed a few as well), but A LOT of them from my association ladies. It was ROUGH, and sooo much harder to leave than I thought it would be. I spent the whole week before in a nervous packing, planning, guide book frenzy, feeling like I was about to reach the end of the world and fall off into a big, scary travel (and soon America!) abyss. The final leaving was almost a relief, just to get it done and see what's on the other side!
I spent a week in Ouaga afterwards, wading through that lovely paperwork that our government loves so much, but I finally got that pin from Peace Corps that I've been working two years to acquire, woohoo!
So now I've started the next big adventure, or at least an intermediary one, covering 7 countries in 2 months, and traveling from the southern coast of West Africa in Lomé, Togo, to the west coast in Ziguinchor, Senegal, overland. Like, in a car. It is gonna be a looonng ass trip, but I'm pretty excited about it.
Rough schedule:
Benin and Togo for a week and a half--Check, Check, and a blog to follow soon.
Mask Festival Burkina Faso, Dedougou
Mali, to visit my first village and finally say g'bye! Then to the great Bamako to check on that music scene.
Senegal, going through Tambacounda and arriving in Ziguinchor for a few days of jungle luxury on the beach with a Peace Corps friend from Mali. Then to Dakar for a few days of african colonial non-sense before heading to....
Italy! First in Rome, then Turin to see Yoro from Mali!, then to Venice to see a study abroad friend
Aaaand last but not least to
Morocco to check out Casablanca, Fez, and Marrakesh with Meliea, the best Peace Corps recruiter ever.
So there it is, wish me luck!
