stateside

Finally headed home. Had a departure similar to my first. Rhona had been visiting and she left the day before I did (again)…it didn’t feel real the whole trip to the airport with her even when she checked in and they couldn’t find her flight transfer in Nairobi (but they finally did) until she had to walk up those stairs through security…then we broke down. A shopping spree in town as there is a group coming tomorrow and Jane needed to get some supplies and I needed to buy some more strawberries in the market (another buying weakness of mine). Dinner with Jane and Ute (with whom I lived in the cottage last summer) of wine and cheese that Jane had brought with her (just arrived on thursday). Back to the cottage after to pack because of course I hadn’t done that…try as I might procrastination seems to be quite engrained…
This morning (Sunday) was rough…finish packing—less baggage than I thought I would have but still all sorts of loose ends…and people dropping by for goodbyes which are always hard. Even with the feeling that I will see them again…here or anywhere…it is hard to say goodbye when you don’t know when and sometimes even when you do. Jane and Ute dropped me at the airport…and now I’m in Jo’burg airport in South Africa with a 6 hour layover…
I do still have more stories from nkhoma (of course) so I’ll continue to post those as well as a bit as to what is going on…landing at 7 am in NYC (made it to NYC and out to Staten Island with Ana) and then the travel down to NC…not yet planned…