a moment

There is a mass exodus occurring as we speak (if your speaking).

This week the crew of our ship is being cut by, I would guess, more than half. Some are only leaving for vacation but many close friends are leaving indefinitely. It's weird to think that faces you have seen, worked with, ate with, lived with, sweated with, gone on adventure's with, squeezed into the back of a taxi with, drank coffee with, watched movies with, and walked to the tailor with five times to get one skirt made with- will no longer be around.

Today I did some more meandering as well as a little shopping (I will be bring back European style to Philadelphia :) I was checking out in a store when what song came over the airwaves but the infamous words of Akon,

"Nobody wanna see us together, but it matter now (cause I got you babe)."

This is a tune I will forever associate with Liberia. I have heard it on the radio in taxi's, blaring from speakers on street cars filled with illegally copied music, and in our small bus that we took to Nimba mountain. It was actually our Nimba theme song, as we were stopped at numerous UN checkpoints that kept threatening to not let us pass through. We changed the words to,

"Nobody wanna see us on Nimba Mountain, but it don't matter (because were going)."

I stood in the checkout line and realized that no one at home will ever really understand it's significance. I could tell you all about riding eight hours in a mini-bus filled with eighteen people, backpacks, and no AC, but if you weren't there to have your new best friends (the four people around you) elbows laced across your shoulder's while you straddled you backpack by your feet, all the while singing the Dutch "thank you song," as well as Kelly Clarkson karaoke with Dr. Russ- it just won't have the same meaning.

I already miss the people in my memories.

It's an interesting dilemma. I am so excited about going home and seeing all the dear people I love. My heart flutters at the thought. But it's always sad to say goodbye to friends.

But it's nice to have so many lovely people to miss. There are those who can't even name one person they were sad to say goodbye too. I suppose I am just doubly blessed.