It's the Final Countdown!

School has ended and I fly outta here in two weeks!

Home sweet home.
I'm really going to miss this place <3

As the term was coming to an end, I did one final project with the P6 girls. We learned about the female reproductive system and how to make ReUsable Menstrual Pads (RUMPs). I did this at the end of last year too. A lot of girls don’t go to school in Uganda because they don’t have money to buy pads while on their period, so this is a good solution for that since they’re made from local materials and last for a long time. It was a success and everyone enjoyed.

Our lovely lady RUMPs
Check it out!

When I leave, my school will be getting another carrier Peace Corps Volunteer who just arrived in Uganda a couple of weeks ago and is now in training. I was able to go meet her 2 weeks ago and she will be coming to visit my/her/our site during the last few days before I leave Uganda. It’s very exciting to see who will be taking over and I’m eager to see what good work she does with the school.

You are most welcome!

This year marked the 4^th Thanksgiving that I’ve missed and that’s kind of a bummer. Luckily I have good friends who like to eat. We all met up and had a lovely (huge) dinner and introduced the holiday to locals. It was delicious.

"Turkey lurkey doo and
Turkey lurkey dap.
I eat turkey
Then I take a nap"

I hate saying goodbye and it’s no exception having to say it to my pupils and teachers. This past Friday, we had our staff end of year party. We went to a guest house, ate “lunch” (served at 5pm), and danced. They honored me by saying thank you and giving me a gift (I teared up a bit). On the coaster ride back home, they were all talking and laughing and my mind instantly went to the memory of my 1^st coaster ride in Uganda from the airport to our training center with my lovely cohort. Now here I am, two years later, with these great people who have shaped my life so much and saying goodbye knowing that I’ll probably never see them again. Talk about emotional.

Playing

Dancing

This last week has consisted of me going through my things, making lists of what needs to be done, and crafting (making small Christmas gifts for you people back home). I sold my guitar to a PCV friend, got rid of old clothes, and tomorrow I’m going to start packing up. Thankfully I’m able to leave most everything to my carrier so I don’t have to worry so much about that.

My teachers raiding my closet

I said goodbye to some fellow volunteers this weekend. A group of us went out to dinner last night and some few crashed at my place. This week, I’ll be saying goodbye to even more as my cohort has already started leaving and some are already back home in the states!

The last supper

Watching "Christmas Vacation" :D

I find myself wondering how it’s possible that two years could have gone by already. Freaks me out how quickly these last two weeks are going to go…

PS: Happy Independence Day Finland! It has now been 3 years since I was carrying a torch through town at -22 degrees Celsius to celebrate, but I still miss it as much as ever. I'm very lucky to have been given these experiences living abroad.