I'm sitting now at a desk in Monrovia. Yesterday I left Sanniquellie, for what is in all likelihood the last time.
Nine months already. It's amazing to me that it's over. It feels literally like yesterday that I flew in to Robertsport airport and first drove to Sanniquellie. And yet...nine months? I'm stunned.
I've been getting emails about how I'm doing now. I'm sad, for one. It was harder than I thought to leave Sangba Base, to leave my staff and the expat team and friends in town and the like. I entered in to this job knowing that after nine months I would leave. It was not going to be an open-ended affair. I was emotionally and mentally thinking about this project in terms of the window that I was assigned. But, of course, you can't work side by side with people for nine months and then just happily trot off to your airplane. You similarly can't live day to day with eight other people and just wave on your way out the gate. It's hard; it's hard even if you know it's coming.
So sad is definitely happening. I am excited also...excited to see home again and sleep on a bed that doesn't hurt my back and see everyone and eat some good food and rest and contemplate what comes next in life. You should all be forewarned that I think I left Base with no less than 1500 pictures. If you're not nice to me when I get back, I'll make you sit through all of them. :)
The last few weeks have been quite a challenge for me. After nine months, it's as though I'm hard-wired to respond to the problems and situations that arise on base. That's not normally a bad thing, I think, but it does make things complicated for poor Martine who's trying to take over the project. I think she's going to do really well, she'll have things in much better shape than I did, and I also think she's a great person so I'm very excited for her to be the one I handed over to. And, I hope, she got a good handover from me.
But now handover is done, and she's on her own in the bush. And I'm in Monrovia. The plan from here is to debrief with the HoM, LogCo, MedCo, and FinCo today - to get all my 'business' done. Tomorrow, maybe a little wandering around the city and possibly some sitting on the beach. Sunday evening I fly to Amsterdam, spend I think two nights and then to New York, where I just have one night, flying back to Seattle on the 9th of November.
Well, that's it for now. I'll probably have more time for reflection in Amsterdam, so I hope to get a post or two from there.
Ciao
taj
1 comment:
Hey Taj, it is Jeff from MSF-CH's project in Saclepea.
I am back from Liberia now also, and feeling some of the same things. But I accidentally made a lady crack up in the airport. Someone in line and I were talking, and he asked, "are you coming back to Liberia?", like "is this a plane flight for R&R". And I said, "No, I'm not coming back.... Ever." Which just sort of popped out of my mouth in my confused departure state. The other lady in line cracked up, because apparently that is how she REALLY FEELS about Liberia (understandable... I felt that way for a few minutes here and there when I was really really frustrated). I had to quickly explain the unexplainable... that you'll probably never see those people again, and that you are glad to be leaving, but that you wish it wasn't so final, and that you wouldn't want to be back in one week or two weeks or... ever... but you would like to come back too.
Such a confusing time, but exciting too. What is next?
Jeff Allen
jra@nella.org
blog.nella.org
Post a Comment