Leavin' on a jet plane...

In less than 36 hours we will be out of Mali.  Today is our last full day here.

Marshall, I promise soon to try to update this for you and all our other readers with all that has really been going on the last few months.  Pictures from your first birthday, trips to the museum, videos of walking on your own, stories of the great walks we take, mini adventures, shopping and the drama of saying goodbye.

Its so crazy, times like these.  Mali has been letting us know its time for us to go for a couple of months now.  Too many beggars, to many people trying to scam us, too many damn mosquitos, too much nasty raw sewage and flooded streets.  We are done with this experience for now and ready for the next step(sorta).  Ready for comforts, community and native language.  Ready to show our son the last days of an Oregon summer, have him meet his aunt and uncle and reconnect with all his other loved ones and dear friends who haven't seen him in so long.

But of course, such things are always bitter sweet and as our time gets closer, we are both taken off guard by how emotional this is.  This experience has been incredible for our family.  I don't regret doing this at all.  Not one thing like Peace Corps, but equally as challenging.  

I've totally fallen back in love with Ian again and again.  What that has to do with Mali and what that has to do with being new parents together is a bit indistinguishable as both provided opportunities to see new things in one another. But, I think being able to have it all happen, here, at the birthplace of our relationship provided a context that added depth and richness to this part of our story that I will be forever grateful for.  We have had to rely on each other for things we never had to before and Ian, for one, exceeded all my expectations.  I feel so lucky to have such a brilliant, gorgeous, confident, strong, mature, fun and committed partner.  I am so blessed to have such a strong marriage.

Luckily, I can take him and my darling amazing son with me.  Them along with this blog, thousands of pictures and a handful of souvenirs will act as reminders of this chapter of our lives.  But there is so much we have to leave behind, and for that, I am a bit sad.  I just thought I needed to take a minute to reflect on what I'll miss....

Friendships

Not having to look at the clock

The sense of confidence that comes with living in another country the way we have

The long walks that need no destination

People seeing my son as a joy and not a burden.  Seriously, just about everyone

Being able to trust strangers with my son.  To know that they mean him no harm and to know it at my core.

Seeing Marshall giggle at the animals on the streets, the sheep, chickens, donkeys....

Sharing the adventures of our days with Ian over dinner

The smells(sometimes) and sounds(every once in a while...)

The color

The fruit...the mangoes...

My stupid and annoying quest for a chicken.   Its made for a great story that will now come to an end.  I don't think it will be as hard in the states.

The fantasy that America has become.  We're realists.  We know its not as great as we keep thinking it is.  Sigh.  But it has become such a fantastic place in our heads, in some ways...

The kids(mostly 6 and under), although they can be SO annoying, for the most part, they are curious and sweet.  I've had fun with them, I must admit.

The freedom

So, this will most likely be the last post of Darwin in Africa, although I promise to come back with some catch up work.  I guess I'll soon change the title to Darwin out of Africa.  Stay tuned for looks back and stories of our adventures readjusting to life in the States.  From what I remember, its guaranteed to be as much of an adventure, for the first few months at least, as this one has been.

Signing off from Mali.