I'm in America!

The last week was beyond overwhelming, busy, and exhausting. In some ways, it feels like a tornado swept through my life and things are finally just setting down now. As the title of this entry states, I'm in America! So here's a recap of the past week...

I left my village really early last Saturday morning. The preschool teachers and a few other friends at site rented a van to drive me to Bangkok, which was very sweet. It's extremely difficult for me to even begin to express how my goodbye to Grandma felt. Thai people tend to be a bit more distant and not visibly emotional, but I literally couldn't keep back the tears. The night before I left, I ate dinner with Grandma and mid-dinner I broke down in tears. Grandma has become my family here and my best friend. A day didn't go by that we didn't talk, hang out, or just exchange pleasantries. Many fantastic naps were had together, and many amusing and ridiculous conversations took place on her wooden benches. Even as I sit here from the comfort of my parent's home in North Dakota, I'm struggling to fully comprehend this woman's place in my life. Regardless, the goodbye was very difficult for me.

The ride to Bangkok was karoke music filled with a few side trips to temples and plenty of stops for food. Within the first 2 hours of the journey, we had stopped 3 times. Unfortunately, the stress of the last week at site left me getting very sick. By the time we arrived to Bangkok, I had body aches, a fever, and a sore throat. The preschool teachers left me to rest at my guest house and that was it. Just like that, my life in the village was over. It felt really weird and unbelievable. I have lived 2 parallel lives, one in the rice field and one with other PCVs and just like that, one of my lives came to a close.

My days in Bangkok included lots of rest, many meals at our favorite Italian restaurant, and final Peace Corps paperwork. I had my exit interview with the Country Director and then turned into my final checklist of necessary paperwork and just like that, I attained the coveted status of Returned Peace Corps Volunteer (RPCV). Quite honestly, it was really anticlimactic. I had been so focused on this day for the past 2 years, and then it came and went just like any other day.

I flew out of Bangkok late Wednesday night a better, stronger, and more well-rounded person than when I came. I left more patient, compassionate, and understanding than when I arrived. For all of it's ups and downs, struggles and frustrations, I am leaving Thailand with immense gratitude.