CRUNCH!

This week my whole training group came to Ouaga for a three day close of service (COS) conference where we received information on finishing our time in Burkina. It suddenly seems like there's so much to do: materials to return, resumes to write, reports to turn in...it all makes for a very stressful last few months. Not to mention that I just happen to becoming out of the Peace Corps during a giant recession. Thanks economy. Thanks a lot.

On the bright side I finally know when I'll be coming home. The official COS date is July 23, so I should get back to the states July 24th or 25th (I won't know until they give me my ticket). I'm going to fly to PK's house in Minn, then we're going to drive my car across the country to Mom's in CA. I'm really sad to leave Burkina after having created a whole life here, but there are some things I'm looking forward to in the US. I stopped craving US food a while ago, or at least I thought I did, then the other day I was sitting in my courtyard and suddenly had the strongest craving for a Cinnabun. "CInnabun?", I thought..."I've only eaten one of those two or three times in my life, how could I possibly be craving it?"

Anyway, the readjustment back to the states is going to be filled with lots of ups and downs. I'm already worried about walking into a job interview and having the person think I'm a bum and didn't do anything for the last two years because they don't know Peace Corps. They talked to us this week about how to deal with different reactions from people not caring at all, to people making assumptions, etc. Ugh...it's just a lot to prepare for...but as the Burkinabes say, ca va aller (it will go or it will be okay).