mark jackson. serving time in bulgaria. letting you know about it.
"Not all those who wander are lost." [J.R. Tolkien]

Friday, September 16, 2005

Good-bye.

I finished my last bit of work for the Peace Corps today. With a click on a ‘send’ button I thanked the last of the extrodinarily generous people I have worked with.

And now? Good question. And now, I will take a few days to travel around Eastern Europe. Burn down the last wanderlust candle to its base – for awhile – and attempt to wrap my head around the fact that it is all over.

Once I am home, I am expecting to be surprised. Surprised at the little things that I have missed - events and material items. Surprised that the world has been carrying on business-as-usual with out me. Surprised at how quickly it will all feel normal. And most of all, surprised at just how much has happened since August 2003.

Like the end of anything, my week has been a series of ‘lasts.’
  • The last breakfast bread roll from the breakfast-bread-roll-lady.
  • The last wave good morning to my co-worker’s Dad who is always having his first coffee and a cigarette of the day when I am getting to work.
  • The last lunch at the little restaurant I have been eating at 5 days a week for my whole time here. And goodbye to the ladies who work there and give me bigger portions because I am too skinny.
  • The last bit of small talk with the happiest cleaning lady I have ever met.
  • The last everything.

    The last goodbyes.

    The past few days have been spent walking around town saying good-bye to everyone I have worked with. And every time I am shocked at just how permanent a good-bye can be. The geographical distance between America and Bulgaria seems to seep in after the last handshake. ‘Goodbye, good luck’ and a half hearted ‘we will come to Chicago to see you;’ no one will be able to afford to come to the US for a long, long time.

    Without question the orphans are the hardest. They are far too young to understand what is really going on. We just played together for a bit and when I left they were under the assumption I will drop in again any day now. ‘Ciao bratko (brother) Mark’ they said. ‘Ciao friends, Ciao’ I replied.


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