Goodbye, London! You were good to us all…but it is time to leave you now.

Oddly enough, I am not sad to leave. I thought coming here would make it hard to leave but now I could not be more ready to get on the plane and leave this land of comfort. Don’t get me wrong, it has not been all bad but it is not for me right now. I feel like everything that I learned and brought me to life in Asia I have lost here. I know that is still in me, but things are oddly more cloudy in Western culture.

This is where a precious gift comes in. I have had some itchy bumps since Cambodia (that is not the gift part), and have been to two hospitals in Thailand. I was still unable to have them properly treated here in England. They won’t draw blood here to do the proper testing because of the socialized healthcare and if they did it would cost me, well, more than my team lives off of in 1 month. So no thanks, England, I will wait till Africa. That’s strange to say, isn’t it? But this is where the gift part comes in. I will be staying with my squad leader for a week in Nelspruit, South Africa, to go to a doctor. I will then be traveling down to meet my team in Mulane, Mozambique, for the next week. I know I still have a lot of personal reflection to take care of regarding Thailand, which is where I feel that I left my heart. That country wrecked me more than I ever expected and I have not fully dealt with it. This month I did not want to deal with it so I unintentionally opted out of all emotions. So, I guess it was just best for me to “rest” this month, mentally anyway. I know, though, that my gift will find its way to me in South Africa as I reflect and begin to really deal with all that I’ve done and seen over the past six months. Wow, it’s been six months! What a journey it’s been! I can hardly believe I am here and in this place. I am forever changed and so thankful for it. It’s been quite an adventure to find a new me as I’ve learned to serve others new ways. It’s been amazing to see the vastness of the world, and compare my small place in it. But it’s been wonderful to see how my little role can effect the lives of others and how fully we can live if we give ourselves to others.

I have no idea what internet accessibility will look like for my time in Africa, so be prepared for the worse. I will update as much as possible, though, because I will want to share what all my team and I are doing and seeing.

See you in Africa!