Ummm...bye then?

I'm sitting in front of the exact same computer on which I wrote my very first blog post from Nicaragua.  16 weeks later, we're back at the Casa San Juan, where it all started.  We've spent a surreal weekend doing "evaluations," but mainly just struggling with what it means that we're about to be ejected out of the country that has become our home for the past 3.5 months and inserted back into our own culture.  All our host moms came to the hotel tonight for a farewell dinner and our feeble attempt at a talent show, but they just boarded our faithful microbus with Don Pablo to head back to La Máximo and their newly gringo-less lives. *tear*

I'm not really worried about being shocked by America.  I'm usually pretty good at adapting to new surroundings quickly.  It's not what I'm heading back to that I'm scared of, but rather what I'm leaving behind.  I think I'm gonna have a rough time dealing with the fact that tomorrow I'm going to be hundreds of miles away from the 15 students with whom I have spent the past 109 days and that we're leaving the staff and our nica families behind.

So yeah.  7 am tomorrow: MGA-->MIA-->RDU-->2102 Englewood Ave.  And then two days later, off to my cousin Meri's LA wedding!  And then off to Providence to work for Commencement Week and turn 21 and hug all my senior friends before they head off into the real world!  And then...who knows.  I totally failed at obtaining summer employment from a distance.  Have a few interviews, but otherwise I'm unemployed and homeless as of June 1st.  Should be an interesting transition.  When I get a chance, I hope to collect myself and write one final post with lots of pretty pictures and deep thoughts.

But in the meantime: Cuidate, Nicaragua.  It's been unbelievable.  But it's time to go home, and I couldn't be more excited.  I've missed you guys.